Life Cycle ofTrypanosoma cruziin the Invertebrate and the Vertebrate Hosts

Abstract

Trypanosoma cruzi ( T. cruzi ) is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease, a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted to humans by blood-sucking triatomine bugs. T. cruzi is a single-celled eukaryote with a complex life cycle alternating between reduviid bug invertebrate vectors and vertebrate hosts. This article will look at the developmental stages of T. cruzi in the invertebrate vector and the vertebrate hosts, the different surface membrane proteins involved in different life cycle stages of T. cruzi , roles of different amino acids in the life cycle, carbon and energy sources and gene expression in the life cycle of T. cruzi . The author will also look at extracellular vesicles (EV) and its role in the dissemination and survival of T. cruzi in mammalian host.