Trypanosoma equiperdum explained

Τrypanosoma equiperdum is a species of kinetoplastid parasites that causes Dourine or covering sickness in horses and other animals in the family equidae. T. equiperdum is the only known trypanosome that is not spread by an insect vector.^[1] There has been substantial controversy surrounding whether T. equiperdum should be considered a unique species, or a strain of T. evansi or T. brucei.^{[1] [2]} T. equiperdum is unique in that its kinetoplast, the network of connected rings that make up its mitochondrial DNA, consists of thousands of "minicircles" that are identical in sequence.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Trypanosoma equiperdum: master of disguise or historical mistake? . Claes F, Buscher P, Touratier L, Goddeeris BM . 21 . 7 . 2005 . 316–321 . Trends in Parasitology . 10.1016/j.pt.2005.05.010. 15923142 .
2. Lai. D. . Hashimi, Lun . Ayala, Lukes. Adaptations of Trypanosoma brucei to gradual loss of kinetoplast DNA: Trypanosoma equiperdum and Trypanosoma evansi are petite mutants of T. brucei. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008. 105. 1999–2004. 18245376. 10.1073/pnas.0711799105. 6. 2538871. 2008PNAS..105.1999L . free .
3. Kinetoplast DNA maxicircles: networks within networks . Shapiro, Theresa . 90 . 16 . 1993 . 7809–7813 . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 10.1073/pnas.90.16.7809. 8395055 . 47232 . 1993PNAS...90.7809S . free .