Persistence of Trypanosoma brucei as early procyclic forms and social motility are dependent on glycosylphosphatidylinositol transamidase

Abstract

As the primary interface between a cell and its environment, surface components of the plasma membrane mediate direct contact, perception of external cues and release of signalling molecules, while acting as a barrier that allows binding, uptake and secretion of diverse classes of substances. For pathogenic organisms, the functional integrity and composition of the cell surface impacts their virulence, infectivity and transmission (recently reviewed in de Castro Neto et al., 2021). GPI-anchored glycoproteins and glycoconjugates are abundantly expressed by many parasitic protozoa and these surface molecules perform functions that are crucial for host colonization, adaptation to environmental changes and evasion of the host immune response (reviewed in Aresta-Branco et al., 2019;

Cell–cell communication in African trypanosomes

“…Using a conditional overexpression of the GPI-transamidase complex subunit TbGPI8 in a null mutant background, it was found that the abolition of processing and transport of GPI-anchored proteins was accompanied by differentiation from early to late PCFs and loss of SoMo in vitro. It has been demonstrated that neither EP nor GPEET procyclin are essential for SoMo, and therefore it remains to be seen which GPI-anchored protein/proteins is/are required [65,80].…”

“…In addition to the above mentioned SoMo components, it has also been recently described that GPI-linked surface proteins are mediators of SoMo and developmental progression [ 80 ]. Using a conditional overexpression of the GPI–transamidase complex subunit Tb GPI8 in a null mutant background, it was found that the abolition of processing and transport of GPI-anchored proteins was accompanied by differentiation from early to late PCFs and loss of SoMo in vitro .…”