Trypanosoma cruzi: Biological characterization of lineages I and II supports the predominance of lineage I in Colombia

• Published in: Experimental parasitology Vol. 121; no. 1; pp. 83 - 91
• Main Authors: MEJIA-JARAMILLO, Ana Maria, PENA, Victor Hugo, TRIANA-CHAVEZO, Omar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: 3(4.5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide; 89 mM Tris borate, 2 mM EDTA [pH 8.3]; Animals; base pair; benznidazole; Biological and medical sciences; BNZ; Cercopithecus aethiops; Chagas disease; Chagas Disease - epidemiology; Chagas Disease - parasitology; Chagas Disease - transmission; Colombia; Colombia - epidemiology; deoxyribonucleic acid; deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate; DNA; dNTP; EC 50; effective concentration 50; FCS; fetal calf serum; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Host-Parasite Interactions; Insect Vectors - parasitology; kDNA; kinetoplast DNA; Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis; LIT; liver infusion tryptose; low stringency single primer-PCR; LSSP-PCR; MTT; Nitroimidazoles - pharmacology; Panstrongylus; Panstrongylus - parasitology; Panstrongylus geniculatus; PBS; PCR; percentage of inhibition; phosphate-buffered saline; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Protozoa; Rhodnius - parasitology; Rhodnius pallescens; Rhodnius prolixus; Rhodnius robustus; spliced leader; T. cruzi I; T. cruzi IIb; TBE; TcI; TcIIb; Triatoma; Triatoma - parasitology; Triatoma dimidiata; Triatoma infestans (Reduviidae: Triatominae); Trypanocidal Agents - pharmacology; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida Trypanosomatidae); Trypanosoma cruzi - classification; Trypanosoma cruzi - drug effects; Trypanosoma cruzi - physiology; ultraviolet; Vero Cells; zymodeme 1; zymodeme 2; zymodeme 3; South America; Colombia; America; Chagas disease; dNTP; I; Rhodnius prolixus; LSSP-PCR; Rhodnius robustus; MTT; Triatoma dimidiata; bp; Triatoma infestans (Reduviidae: Triatominae); BNZ; TBE; Z1; Z2; Z3; SL; TcI; kDNA; TcIIb; PBS; Colombia; UV; Rhodnius pallescens; Panstrongylus geniculatus; Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida Trypanosomatidae); LIT; DNA; EC 50; FCS; PCR; Protozoal disease; Insecta; Liver; Primer; base pair; Ox; Environmental factor; phosphate-buffered saline; 89 mM Tris borate; liver infusion tryptose; Serum; EC50; Kinetoplast DNA; T. cruzi llb; Ungulata; spliced leader; Kinetoplastida; effective concentration 50; 3(4.5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide; 2 mM EDTA [pH 8.3]; deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate; Parasitosis; Young animal; Trypanosoma cruzi; Infection; Polymerase chain reaction; Trypanosomatidae; Vertebrata; Arthropoda; Invertebrata; Tcl; low stringency single primer-PCR; Phosphates; Benznidazole; Heteroptera; Infusion; Triatoma infestans; Z2. zymodeme 2; deoxyribonucleic acid; pH; fetal calf serum; Trypanosomiasis; Reduviidae; Protozoa; Calf; T cruzi I; percentage of inhibition; Salinity; Mammalia; ultraviolet; zymodeme 1; Artiodactyla; zymodeme 3; Borates
• ISSN: 0014-4894; 1090-2449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2008.10.002

The causes of the particular distribution of both Trypanosoma cruzi lineages throughout the American continent remain unknown. In Colombia, T. cruzi I is the predominant group in both domestic and sylvatic cycles. Here, we present the biological characterization of T. cruzi parasites belonging to both T. cruzi I and T. cruzi IIb groups. Our results show the inability of the T. cruzi IIb clones to infect mammalian cells, produce trypomastigotes and replicate in Rhodnius prolixus, the main vector species in this country. Moreover, this result was confirmed when other species from the same genus, such as R. pallescens and R. robustus, were infected with the same TcIIb clone and its parental strain, while the infection in other genera such as Triatoma and Panstrongylus was successful. Furthermore, the growth kinetics and duplication time in vitro suggest that the high prevalence of T. cruzi I in Colombia results from more successful interactions between parasite lineage, vector, and host species. This type of study may help to understand the factors influencing the particular epidemiological patterns of Chagas disease transmission in different endemic regions.