Trypanosoma Brucei Gambiense

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Classification

Eukaryota; Euglenozoa; Kinetoplastida; Trypanosomatida; Trypanosomatidae [Others may be used. Use NCBI link to find]


Species

NCBI: [1]


Trypanosoma Brucei gambiense

Description and Significance

The genome T. Brucei gambiense is enriched in structural complexity. That is decorated with a flagellum emerging from the posterior end of its basal body. Its elongated body maintains a verbform spindle shape with tapering ends.

Trypanosoma Brucei gambiense's growth is stimulated in the blood of an intermediate host: tsetse fly's midgut, proventriculus, foregut, and salivary glands. But what defines this pathogenesis threat is its complex flagella and flagellar motility within mammalian hosts and the parasitic development in the tsetse fly vector. Although the true depth of contribution of its flagella is unknown due to its vast complexity.

Genome Structure

The linear shaped unicellular parasite can range from 15-30μ long and 1.5-3.5μ in width. With a content genome of 26-megabases, 9068 predicted genes, ~900 pseudogenes and ~1700 T. brucei specific genes. That also contains 11 mega base-size chromosomes.

The DNA in the chromosomes is organized as a supercoiled network that spans about 50 maxicircle DNA molecules. This allows the maxicircle in the DNA to encode about a dozen mitochondrial proteins.

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.


Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.

If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.


References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.


Author

Page authored by Jamie Montalban Petatan, student of Prof. Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington.