Trypanosomes

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Trypanosomes - blood parasite than can go into organs and skin (if in brain can kill)

2 deathly diseases:

African sleeping sickness

African animal trypanosomiasis

Some African trypanosomes are able to resist lysis by ApoL1: possess a unique protein that confers resistance by binding ApoL1

*Baboon ApoL1 can kill all trypanosome species

Summary:

•Antigenic variation renders the adaptive immune system largely infective during trypanosome infection.

•Primates have evolved a specific protein (APOL1) to lyse African trypanosomes.

•Some African trypanosomes have evolved counter-measures to combat the lytic effect.

•Increasing evidence that further evolution is occurring in humans and other primates leading to resistance against these human infective trypanosomes.