S. Mihok et al., RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HOST BLOOD FACTORS AND PROTEASES IN GLOSSINA-MORSITANS SUBSPECIES INFECTED WITH TRYPANOSOMA-CONGOLENSE, Medical and veterinary entomology, 9(2), 1995, pp. 155-160
Host blood effects on Trypanosoma congolense establishment in Glossina
morsitans morsitans and Glossina morsitans centralis were investigate
d using goat, rabbit, cow and rhinoceros blood. Meals containing goat
erythrocytes facilitated infection in G.m.morsitans, whereas meals con
taining goat plasma facilitated infection in G.m.centralis. Goat blood
effects were not observed in the presence of complementary rabbit blo
od components. N-acetyl-glucosamine (a midgut lectin inhibitor) increa
sed infection rates in some, but not all, blood manipulations. Cholest
erol increased infection rates in G.m.centralis only. Both compounds t
ogether added to cow blood produced superinfection in G.m.centralis, b
ut not in G.m.morsitans. Midgut protease levels did not differ 6 days
post-infection in flies maintaining infections versus flies clearing i
nfections. Protease levels were weakly correlated with patterns of inf
ection, but only in G. m. morsitans. These results suggest that physio
logical mechanisms responsible for variation in infection rates are on
ly superficially similar in these closely-related tsetse.