Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

African trypanosomes are protozoan parasites that cause sleeping sickness in humans through a tsetse fly vector. The procyclic form of Trypanosoma brucei has a single, attached flagellum that describes a helical path along the cell from posterior to anterior. During division, a specific flagellum-flagellum connection is elaborated between the new and old flagellum. This connector was present only during cell duplication and was found to be involved in the replication of the helical cell pattern and polarity. This finding implicates the concept of cytotaxis in cell morphogenesis in trypanosomes.

Original publication

DOI

10.1126/science.1063775

Type

Journal article

Journal

Science

Publication Date

19/10/2001

Volume

294

Pages

610 - 612

Keywords

Animals, Calcium, Cell Division, Cytoplasm, Cytoskeleton, Flagella, Gene Silencing, Membrane Glycoproteins, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Microtubules, Morphogenesis, Protozoan Proteins, RNA, Double-Stranded, Transfection, Trypanosoma brucei brucei