The in vivo dynamics of antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei.

Trypanosoma brucei, a causative agent of African Sleeping Sickness, constantly changes its dense variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat to avoid elimination by the immune system of its mammalian host, using an extensive repertoire of dedicated genes. However, the dynamics of VSG expression in T. brucei during an infection are poorly understood. We have developed a method, based on de novo assembly of VSGs, for quantitatively examining the diversity of expressed VSGs in any population of trypanosomes and monitored VSG population dynamics in vivo. Our experiments revealed unexpected diversity within parasite populations and a mechanism for diversifying the genome-encoded VSG repertoire. The interaction between T. brucei and its host is substantially more dynamic and nuanced than previously expected.

Mugnier MR ，Cross GA ，Papavasiliou FN 《-》

A Host-Pathogen Interaction Reduced to First Principles: Antigenic Variation in T. brucei.

Hovel-Miner G ，Mugnier M ，Papavasiliou FN ，Pinger J ，Schulz D ... -  《-》

Application of long read sequencing to determine expressed antigen diversity in Trypanosoma brucei infections.

Jayaraman S ，Harris C ，Paxton E ，Donachie AM ，Vaikkinen H ，McCulloch R ，Hall JPJ ，Kenny J ，Lenzi L ，Hertz-Fowler C ，Cobbold C ，Reeve R ，Michoel T ，Morrison LJ ... -  《-》

VSGs Expressed during Natural T. b. gambiense Infection Exhibit Extensive Sequence Divergence and a Subspecies-Specific Bias towards Type B N-Terminal Domains.

So J ，Sudlow S ，Sayeed A ，Grudda T ，Deborggraeve S ，Ngoyi DM ，Desamber DK ，Wickstead B ，Lejon V ，Mugnier MR ... -  《-》

Variant surface glycoprotein density defines an immune evasion threshold for African trypanosomes undergoing antigenic variation.

Pinger J ，Chowdhury S ，Papavasiliou FN 《Nature Communications》