Molecular Similarities Between Trypanosoma Cruzi Microtubule Associated Proteins, Mammalian Interferons, and Trim Genes

Abstract

Abstract Bioinformatic studies have identified sequence similarity found between Trypanosoma cruzi Antigen 36 (Ag36) and Human TRIM21 genes. Search of genome databases disclosed that the Ag36 gene of T. cruzi (Genbank M21331) was found to have 14 homologous genes sequences (MAP genes with 100% identity to M21331). When bioinformatics analysis was conducted, TRIM37 and TRIM40 showed 18% and 9.7% identity, respectively, and four other TRIM genes had identities greater than 5%. When human Interferon alpha, beta, and gamma genes were compared to Ag36, percent identities were 13.6%, 12.6%, and 17.9%, respectively. The MAP genes’ mRNAs exported to the host cell cytoplasm in exosomes, for example, may recognize host TRIMs’ mRNAs, to possibly silence these genes. This could impact the host innate immune response to the parasite, or the host’s cellular growth giving rise to autoimmunity found in Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC). A phylogenetic study of the T. cruzi Ag36 and mammalian TRIM21 genes was performed to verify the significance of the findings with the human TRIM21 sequence. In addition to human and chimpanzee, TRIM21 comparable gene regions from canine, shrew, ferret, bat, feline, and armadillo, and aardvark showed similarity to the gene for Ag36 ranging from 32–68%