Trypanosoma brucei stumpy forms are the only stage that can transmit from human to tsetse fly. Stumpy formation is regulated by a quorum sensing mechanism that depends on parasite density and an unknown stumpy induction factor (SIF). Recently, an elegant study by Matthews and colleagues (Cell 176, 1-12) has identified several crucial components of this pathway, including the putative SIF and its receptor.
Keywords: Trypanosoma brucei; differentiation; sleeping sickness; slender form; stumpy form; stumpy inducing factor.
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