{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]],"date-time":"2026-04-21T05:53:49Z","timestamp":1776750829477,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]],"date-time":"2026-04-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776729600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    The processes of autophagy and metacyclogenesis are essential for the survival and progression of the cell cycle of\n                    <jats:italic>Trypanosoma cruzi<\/jats:italic>\n                    , the etiological agent of Chagas disease. There is experimental evidence of an interconnection between both pathways in this parasite. Previously, it has been shown that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase TcVps34 and its regulatory protein kinase, TcVps15, are essential for autophagy in\n                    <jats:italic>T. cruzi<\/jats:italic>\n                    . In this work, we studied the role of these two proteins in metacyclogenesis and infection. Here, we demonstrate that both proteins are involved in the differentiation process. In addition, the alternative overexpression of either TcVps15 or TcVps34 increases the autophagic process after the first two hours of induction of metacyclogenesis and increases the activity of degradative compartments. Finally, both overexpressing cell lines show reduced infection levels in Vero host cells; additionally, these parasites display a downregulation of the surface glycoprotein gp82\u2014associated with promoting the host infection\u2014and a mild upregulation of gp90, known to negatively modulate infectivity. In conclusion, this study highlights the critical roles of the TcVps34-Vps15 complex in regulating the interplay between autophagy and metacyclogenesis in\n                    <jats:italic>Trypanosoma cruzi<\/jats:italic>\n                    , suggesting a contribution of both proteins to a successful infection establishment.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2026.1668322","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]],"date-time":"2026-04-21T05:34:32Z","timestamp":1776749672000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The TcVps34\u2013TcVps15 complex regulates parasite metacyclogenesis and host cell infection in Trypanosoma cruzi"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Alejandra Cecilia","family":"Schoijet","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Signaling and Adaptive Mechanisms in Trypanosomatids Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingenier\u00eda Gen\u00e9tica y Biolog\u00eda Molecular \u201cDr. H\u00e9ctor N. Torres\u201d, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas","place":["Buenos Aires, Argentina"]},{"name":"Departamento de Qu\u00edmica Biol\u00f3gica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires","place":["Buenos Aires, Argentina"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joaqu\u00edn","family":"Iolster","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Signaling and Adaptive Mechanisms in Trypanosomatids Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingenier\u00eda Gen\u00e9tica y Biolog\u00eda Molecular \u201cDr. H\u00e9ctor N. Torres\u201d, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas","place":["Buenos Aires, Argentina"]},{"name":"Departamento de Fisiolog\u00eda, Biolog\u00eda Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires","place":["Buenos Aires, Argentina"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Guillermo Daniel","family":"Alonso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Signaling and Adaptive Mechanisms in Trypanosomatids Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingenier\u00eda Gen\u00e9tica y Biolog\u00eda Molecular \u201cDr. H\u00e9ctor N. Torres\u201d, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas","place":["Buenos Aires, Argentina"]},{"name":"Departamento de Fisiolog\u00eda, Biolog\u00eda Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires","place":["Buenos Aires, Argentina"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"140","DOI":"10.1002\/1873-3468.14788","article-title":"Autophagy as an innate immunity response against pathogens: a Tango dance","volume":"598","author":"Aguilera","year":"2024","journal-title":"FEBS Lett."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3454","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.M708474200","article-title":"Autophagy is involved in nutritional stress response and differentiation in Trypanosoma cruzi","volume":"283","author":"Alvarez","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Biol. 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