Correlation between the virulence of T. cruzi strains, complement regulatory protein expression levels, and the ability to elicit lytic antibody production.

Abstract Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes are able to resist lysis via the complement system, which involves many surface proteins including the complement regulatory protein (CRP). To examine the diversity in CRP recognition among strains of T. cruzi , the expression levels of the translated protein on trypomastigote surfaces were analyzed by flow cytometry, and associations between protein expression and the biological behavior of these strains, especially the ability to induce lytic antibodies in animal models, were assessed. The highly virulent T. cruzi strains Ninoa, INC-5, and Colombiana and the less virulent strains CL-Brener, LGB-231, and JG were used in the experiments. An expression profile analysis showed that the Colombiana and INC-5 strains have higher translated protein levels and induced higher production of antibodies in mice than the other strains. Our results indicated that there are differences in the surface expression of CRP between parasite strains, with a tendency for the most virulent strains to have higher expression levels. Combined, these results contribute to a better understanding of CRP functions and the complexity of host–parasite interactions, considering the large number of virulence factors involved in the process.