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The silicon trypanosome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2010

BARBARA M. BAKKER ,
R. LUISE KRAUTH-SIEGEL ,
CHRISTINE CLAYTON ,
KEITH MATTHEWS ,
MARK GIROLAMI ,
HANS V. WESTERHOFF ,
PAUL A. M. MICHELS ,
RAINER BREITLING  and
MICHAEL P. BARRETT
BARBARA M. BAKKER*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Center for Liver, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
R. LUISE KRAUTH-SIEGEL
Affiliation:
Biochemie-Zentrum der Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
CHRISTINE CLAYTON
Affiliation:
Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg, ZMBH-DKFZ Alliance, D69120 Heidelberg, Germany
KEITH MATTHEWS
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom
MARK GIROLAMI
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow, Department of Computing Science & Department of Statistics, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
HANS V. WESTERHOFF
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Cell Physiology, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology, Manchester Interdisciplinary BioCentre, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7ND, United Kingdom
PAUL A. M. MICHELS
Affiliation:
Research Unit for Tropical Diseases, de Duve Institute and Laboratory of Biochemistry, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium and Faculty of Biomolecular and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
RAINER BREITLING
Affiliation:
Groningen Bioinformatics Centre, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9751 NN Haren, The Netherlands
MICHAEL P. BARRETT
Affiliation:
Faculty of Biomolecular and Life Sciences and Wellcome Centre of Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
*
*Corresponding author: B. M. Bakker, Tel: +31 (0) 50 361 1542. E-mail: b.m.bakker@med.umcg.nl
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Summary

African trypanosomes have emerged as promising unicellular model organisms for the next generation of systems biology. They offer unique advantages, due to their relative simplicity, the availability of all standard genomics techniques and a long history of quantitative research. Reproducible cultivation methods exist for morphologically and physiologically distinct life-cycle stages. The genome has been sequenced, and microarrays, RNA-interference and high-accuracy metabolomics are available. Furthermore, the availability of extensive kinetic data on all glycolytic enzymes has led to the early development of a complete, experiment-based dynamic model of an important biochemical pathway. Here we describe the achievements of trypanosome systems biology so far and outline the necessary steps towards the ambitious aim of creating a ‘Silicon Trypanosome’, a comprehensive, experiment-based, multi-scale mathematical model of trypanosome physiology. We expect that, in the long run, the quantitative modelling enabled by the Silicon Trypanosome will play a key role in selecting the most suitable targets for developing new anti-parasite drugs.

Keywords

Trypanosoma bruceimetabolismgene expressiondifferentiationSilicon Cell
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 137 , Special Issue 9: Insights into the metabolomes of parasites , August 2010 , pp. 1333 - 1341
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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