\u3ci\u3eTrypanosoma cruzi\u3c/i\u3e recombinant protein expression in \u3ci\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/i\u3e

Chagas disease, or American Trypanosomiasis, is a parasitic disease found throughout Central and South America. It is caused by the single-celled parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, and transmitted by Triatominae, or kissing bug, a large blood-sucking insect that is often found in rural adobe homes. Trypanosomes have a unique structure, the paraflagellar rod (PFR), which runs along the length of the flagellum. The PFR is composed of a lattice of cytoskeletal filaments and is critical for cell motility. The proteins of the PFR in T. cruzi have been shown to be immunogenic, protecting mice from an otherwise lethal challenge with the parasite. Two previously unidentified PFR-like genes, PFR-5 and PFR-6, were discovered when the T. cruzi genome was sequenced. The aim of this project was to determine if these two putative PFR proteins are associated with the flagellum. Portions of the PFR-5 and PFR-6 genes have been cloned into expression plasmids. These plasmids are expressed in Escherichia coli to produce recombinant proteins which would be harvested, purified, and injected into mice to generate PFR-specific antibodies. Unfortunately, no recombinant protein was detected in the E. coli cultures. Further research will require the recloning of the PFR-genes to obtain recombinant E. coli