Current molecular review of the cell division cycle with an emphasis on the unique kinetoplast in trypanosoma brucei and the mitochondria of its mammalian host

Abstract

Trypanosoma brucei, a unicellular protozoan parasite, is the causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is spread by the bite of a tsetse fly. Treatments for this disease are outdated, injection based, and may be life threatening. Thus, it is imperative to develop safer and orally administered drugs. The most effective way to treat this disease would be to exploit molecular differences between the parasite and its human host. A unique aspect of this parasite is the mitochondrial kinetoplast DNA, which differs greatly from DNA found in the mitochondria of human cells. This paper will review key mitochondrial differences and similarities between T. brucei and its human host with respect to the composition of this organelle, and how it replicates and divides with respect to mitosis and cytokinesis.