TY - JOUR T1 - Multiple mechanisms of immune evasion by African trypanosomes JF - Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology Y1 - 1998 A1 - Donelson,John E. A1 - Hill,Kent L. A1 - El‐Sayed, Najib M. KW - Leishmania KW - Recombinant cloning KW - T cell KW - Trypanosomes KW - VSG genes AB - During infection of a mammalian host, African trypanosomes are in constant contact with the host's immune system. These protozoan parasites are infamous for their ability to evade the immune responses by periodically switching their major variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), a phenomenon called antigenic variation. Antigenic variation, however, is likely to be only one of several mechanisms enabling these organisms to thrive in the face of the immune defenses. The ability to grow in high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-[gamma]) and to avoid complement-mediated destruction may also facilitate the parasite's survival. In this review we summarize (i) the activation of trypanosome genes for three different VSGs during antigenic variation, (ii) the secretion of a trypanosome protein that induces host CD8+ T cells to produce IFN-[gamma], and (iii) the evidence for trypansome protein similar to a surface protease of Leishmania that plays a role in resistance to complement-mediated lysis. VL - 91 SN - 0166-6851 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166685197002090 CP - 1 M3 - 16/S0166-6851(97)00209-0 ER -