title: Trypanosoma cruzi infection results in the reduced expression of caveolin-3 in the heart.
abstract: Caveolae are motile, membrane-bound compartments that contain a number of molecules that participate in cell signaling. Caveolins are protein markers of caveolae and function in a variety of biological processes. Caveolin-3 (Cav-3) is expressed in muscle cells and Cav-3 null mice display a cardiomyopathic phenotype. Ultrastructural cytochemistry, confocal microscopy and immunoblotting revealed a reduction in Cav-3 expression and an activation of ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) 48 hours after Trypanosoma cruzi infection of cultured cardiac myocytes. CD-1 mice infected with the Brazil strain of T. cruzi displayed reduced expression of Cav-3 and activation of ERK 66 days post infection (dpi).   By 180 dpi there was a normalization of these values. These data suggest that the reduction in Cav-3 expression and the activation of ERK during the early phase of infection may contribute to the pathogenesis of chagasic cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adesse
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lisanti
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Spray
authors.forename: Fabiana S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Maria de Nazareth
authors.initials: Mde N
authors.lastname: Meirelles
authors.forename: Herbert B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Tanowitz
authors.forename: Luciana Ribeiro
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Garzoni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021941:Caveolae / Q000378:metabolism; D051244:Caveolin 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi
chemical_list: D051244:Caveolin 3; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3