M. Susana Leguizamón

TL;DR: Supporting evidence is reported that TS is the virulence factor from T. cruzi responsible for the thymic alterations via apoptosis induction on the nurse cell complex, and that TS-neutralizing Abs elicitation during infection is associated with the reversion to thymi normal parameters.

TL;DR: In dose-response assays, apoptosis was observed even when an amount of trans-sialidase was administered that was enzymatically undetectable in blood, suggesting a role for sialic acid mobilization in T. cruzi-induced apoptosis of immune system cells.

TL;DR: Lactitol, a competitive inhibitor that precluded the transference of the sialyl residue to endogenous acceptors but not the hydrolase activity of the enzyme, prevented ex vivo and in vivo the apoptosis caused by the trans‐sialidase.

TL;DR: Vaccination with the Δpgm strain induced protection levels comparable to those induced by S19 and generated a proliferative splenocyte response and a cytokine profile typical of a Th1 response, while being unable to detect a specific anti-O-antigen antibody response by using the fluorescence polarization assay.

TL;DR: It is shown that the hypervariable region is indeed present in the exposed mature N termini of the mucins because sera from infected hosts recognized peptides having sequences from this region.