Trypasonoma cruzi uses a specific subset of host cell lysosomes for cell invasion

Trypanosoma cruzi is an intracellular parasite that depends on host cell lysosome recruitment and fusion for cell infection. Recently, we have shown that host cells present two differentially regulated lysosome pools. Treatment with methyl-beta cyclodextrin, a drug able to sequester cholesterol from plasma membrane, triggers the exocytosis of peripheral lysosomes, while treatment with Latrunculin-A, an actin depolymerizing drug, recruits a more internal pool. In this work we aimed to study which pool is used by the T. cruzi during invasion. We have shown that invasion is impaired when cells are previously treated with methyl-beta cyclodextrin, but not with Latrunculin-A, indicating that T. cruzi uses the cortical pool for invasion.

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