Electrical engineering

Population

Evolutionary biology

Biology

Gene

Chagas disease

Genotype

World Wide Web

Engineering

Virology

Trypanosoma cruzi

Genotyping

Recombinant DNA

Computer science

Parasite hosting

Typing

Vector (molecular biology)

Genetics

Medicine

Transmission (telecommunications)

Genetic diversity

Molecular epidemiology

Environmental health

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz

Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease (ChD), exhibits remarkable biological and genetic diversity, along with eco-epidemiological complexity. In order to facilitate communication among researchers aiming at the characterisation of biological and epidemiological aspects of T. cruzi, parasite isolates and strains were partitioned into seven discrete typing units (DTUs), TcI-TcVI and TcBat, identifiable by reproducible genotyping protocols. Here we present the potential origin of the genetic diversity of T. cruzi and summarise knowledge about eco-epidemiological associations of DTUs with mammalian reservoirs and vectors. Circumstantial evidence of a connection between T. cruzi genotype and ChD manifestations is also discussed emphasising the role of the host's immune response in clinical ChD progression. We describe genomic aspects of DTUs focusing on polymorphisms in multigene families encoding surface antigens that play essential functions for parasite survival both in the insect vector and the mammalian host. Such antigens most probably contributed to the parasite success in establishing infections in different hosts and exploring several niches. Gaps in the current knowledge and challenges for future research are pointed out.

Trypanosoma cruzi genetic diversity: impact on transmission cycles and Chagas disease