Comparative transcriptome profiling of human foreskin fibroblasts infected with the Sylvio and Y strains of Trypanosoma cruzi

Abstract

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas Disease,

is phylogenetically distributed into nearly identical genetic

strains which show divergent clinical presentations including

differences in rates of cardiomyopathy in humans, different

vector species and transmission cycles, and differential

congenital transmission in a mouse model. The population

structure of these strains divides into two groups, which are

geographically and clinically distinct. The aim of this study

was to compare the transcriptome of two strains of T. cruzi,

Sylvio vs. Y to identify differences in expression that could

account for clinical and biochemical differences. We collected

and sequenced RNA from T. cruzi-infected and control

Human Foreskin Fibroblasts at three timepoints. Differential

expression analysis identified gene expression profiles at

different timepoints in Sylvio infections, and between Sylvio

and Y infections in both parasite and host. The Sylvio strain

parasite and the host response to Sylvio infection largely

mirrored the host-pathogen interaction seen in our previous

Y strain work. IL-8 was more highly expressed in Sylvio-infected

HFFs than in Y-infected HFFs.