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Table 1 Programmed cell death pathways and their possible roles in parasite biology and parasite-host interaction

From: Impact of protozoan cell death on parasite-host interactions and pathogenesis

Function

Parasite/Stage

Host

Form of death/Sign. pathway

Citations

Density control

T. brucei/short stumpy

mammal

apoptosis

[20, 21]

 

T. brucei/procyclic

tsetse fly

apoptosis

[22, 23]

 

P. berghei, P. falciparum/ookinetes

vector

apoptosis

[34, 35]

 

T. cruzi/epimastigotes

vector

apoptosis

[44, 47]

 

T. cruzi/amastigotes

mammal

apoptosis

[45, 46]

Immune silencing

L. major/promastigotes

mammal

apoptosis

[60, 61]

 

L. amazonensis/amastigotes

mammal

apoptosis

[65]

 

T. cruzi/trypomastigotes

vector, mammal

apoptosis

[66]

 

T. brucei/short stumpy

mammal

apoptosis

[70]

 

Toxoplasma/tachyzoites

mammal

apoptosis

[71]

Differentiation

L. major, L. mexicana

sand fly, mammal

autophagy

[75, 76]

 

T. brucei

mammal, sand fly

autophagy

[81]

 

T. cruzi/epimastigotes

vector

autophagy

[84]

Stress response

    

starvation

T. brucei

tsetse fly

autophagy

[87]

ROS, DHA, neuropeptides

T. brucei/blood stream form

mammal

autophagy/autophagic cell death

[15, 16, 87, 90]

chemotherapeutic agents

T. cruzi/epimastigotes, trypomastigotes

vector, mammal

autophagy/cell death

[6, 17, 18, 91–93]

starvation

T. cruci

vector

autophagy

[84]

heat shock

L. infantum, L. donovani, L. amazonensis

mammal

apoptosis

[97–101]