A study of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol phospholipase C in Trypanosoma brucei

Abstract

Trypanosoma brucei represents a clade of flagellated parasites that cause human and animal trypanosomiases in sub-Saharan Africa. The glycosylphosphatidylinositol phospholipase C (GPI-PLC) is an endogenous enzyme that has been shown to contribute to the virulence of the parasite in vivo. Although the physiological role of the GPI-PLC is currently unknown, the enzyme has been shown to hydrolyze the GPIanchor of the trypanosome's protective variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat under a number of experimental conditions.