M. Biran

Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 ribonucleoprotein delivery for efficient, rapid and marker-free gene editing in Trypanosoma and Leishmania

This paper demonstrates a marker-free gene editing method using SpCas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes in trypanosomatids, enabling efficient genetic modifications in various life stages of T. brucei, T. congolense, and Leishmania promastigotes.

Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream form mitochondrion is capable of ATP production by substrate phoshorylation

This study shows that Trypanosoma brucei mitochondria can produce ATP via substrate phosphorylation, which is crucial under nutrient-limited conditions.

Fatty acid oxidation participates of the survival to starvation, cell cycle progression and differentiation in the insect stages of Trypanosoma cruzi

Fly stage trypanosomes recycle glucose catabolites and TCA cycle intermediates to stimulate growth in near physiological conditions

This study shows procyclic trypanosomes can use TCA cycle intermediates and glucose catabolites for growth in the fly midgut, expanding their metabolic flexibility.

Metabolic selection of a homologous recombination mediated loss of glycosomal fumarate reductase in Trypanosoma brucei

The paper shows that a deletion event between FRDg and FRDm2 genes is selected in PEPCK knockout cells, leading to a non-functional chimeric gene that reduces growth, suggesting FRD's role in ROS production for parasite differentiation.

\"Metabolic contest\", a new way to control carbon source preference

The paper introduces a new mechanism called 'metabolic contest' that regulates carbon source preference in trypanosomes without nutrient sensing or signaling.