Confining Trypanosoma brucei in emulsion droplets reveals population variabilities in division rates and improves in vitro cultivation.

ABSTRACT: Trypanosome parasites are infecting mammals in Sub-Saharan Africa and are transmitted between hosts through bites of the tsetse fly. The transmission from the insect vector to the mammal host causes a number of metabolic and physiological changes. A fraction of the population continuously adapt to the immune system of the host, indicating heterogeneity at the population level. Yet, the cell to cell variability in populations is mostly unknown. We develop here an analytical method for quantitative measurements at the single cell level based on encapsulation and cultivation of single-cell Trypanosoma brucei in emulsion droplets. We first show that mammalian stage trypanosomes survive for several hours to days in droplets, with an influence of droplet size on both survival and growth. We unra

SUBMITTER: Oldenburg SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8440574 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature