Investigating the heat shock response of bloodstream and procyclic forms of Trypanosoma spp.

Taylor, Abbey and Urbaniak, Mick and Rojas Martinez, Federico (2025) Investigating the heat shock response of bloodstream and procyclic forms of Trypanosoma spp. Masters thesis, Biomedical and Life Sciences.

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Abstract

Trypanosoma congolense, a primary causative agent of Animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT), inflicts severe economic losses across Sub-Saharan Africa. A key symptom of trypanosome infections is fever, which the parasite counters through its heat shock response, a critical virulence mechanism for survival within the host. Despite the profound impact of AAT, the molecular details of T. congolense’s heat shock response remain largely unexplored. Given its co-infection with Trypanosoma brucei—a parasite with a well-characterised heat shock response—the comparative analysis offers a strategic framework to uncover specific survival strategies in T. congolense. This study aimed to profile the thermal tolerance of Trypanosoma spp. and to characterise the molecular responses triggered by heat shock, focusing on key elements such as protein re-localisation, stress granule formation, and mRNA stability. These processes are vital for understanding how these parasites evade host immune defences under stress. The results reveal that T. congolense exhibits a distinct heat shock response compared to T. brucei, with significant differences in cellular survival rates, and mRNA dynamics under thermal stress. These findings provide critical insights into the unique biology of T. congolense, offering potential avenues for the development of novel therapeutic targets aimed at disrupting the parasite’s adaptive mechanisms under heat stress.