Assessment of genetic mutation frequency induced by oxidative stress in Trypanosoma cruzi.

摘要: Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, a public health challenge due to its morbidity and mortality rates, which affects around 6-7 million people worldwide. Symptoms, response chemotherapy, course disease are greatly influenced by T. cruzi's intra-specific variability. Thus, DNA mutations in this parasite possibly play key role wide range clinical manifestations drug sensitivity. Indeed, environmental conditions oxidative stress faced during life cycle can generate genetic mutations. However, lack an established experimental design assess mutation rates precludes study mechanisms that potentially produce genomic variability parasite. We developed assay employs reporter gene that, once mutated specific positions, convert G418-sensitive into G418-insenstitive cruzi. were able determine frequency exposed non-exposed insults assessing number colony-forming units solid selective media after plating defined cells. verified spontaneous was comparable those found other eukaryotes, exposure hydrogen peroxide promoted two-fold increase frequency. hypothesize arise from cycle.