Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39964998›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Transcriptomic analysis of benznidazole-resistant Trypanosoma cruzi clone reveals nitroreductase I-independent resistance mechanisms.

Ana María Mejía-Jaramillo, Hader Ospina-Zapata, Geysson Javier Fernandez, Omar Triana-Chávez

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Ana María Mejía-JaramilloGrupo Biología y Control de Enfermedades Infecciosas, BCEI, Universidad de Antioquia, UdeA, Medellín, Colombia, South America.ORCID 0000- 0003-2125-9858
Hader Ospina-ZapataGrupo Biología y Control de Enfermedades Infecciosas, BCEI, Universidad de Antioquia, UdeA, Medellín, Colombia, South America.
Geysson Javier FernandezGrupo Biología y Control de Enfermedades Infecciosas, BCEI, Universidad de Antioquia, UdeA, Medellín, Colombia, South America.ORCID 0000-0002-8493-1587
Omar Triana-ChávezGrupo Biología y Control de Enfermedades Infecciosas, BCEI, Universidad de Antioquia, UdeA, Medellín, Colombia, South America.ORCID 0000-0001-8031-0225

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The enzyme nitroreductase I (NTRI) has been implicated as the primary gene responsible for resistance to benznidazole (Bz) and nifurtimox in Trypanosoma cruzi. However, Bz-resistant T. cruzi field isolates carrying the wild-type NTR-I enzyme suggest that additional mechanisms independent of this enzyme may contribute to the resistance phenotype. To investigate these alternative mechanisms, in this paper, we pressured a Trypanosoma cruzi clone with a high Bz concentration over several generations to select Bz-resistant clones. Surprisingly, we found a highly drug-resistant clone carrying a wild-type NTRI. However, the knockout of this gene using CRISPR-Cas9 in the sensitive clone showed that NTRI indeed induces resistance to Bz and supports the idea that the resistant one exhibits mechanisms other than NTRI. To explore these new mechanisms, we performed an RNA-seq analysis, which revealed genes involved in metabolic pathways related to oxidative stress, energy metabolism, membrane transporters, DNA repair, and protein synthesis. Our results support the idea that resistance to benznidazole is a multigenic trait. A Deeper understanding of these genes is essential for developing new drugs to treat Chagas disease.

Indexed as

Drug ResistanceNitroimidazolesNitroreductasesProtozoan ProteinsTrypanosoma cruziChagas DiseaseGene Expression RegulationGene Knockout TechniquesGenes, ProtozoanHumansInhibitory Concentration 50Multigene FamilyParasitic Sensitivity TestsRNA-SeqTrypanocidal AgentsbenzonidazoleNitroimidazolesNitroreductasesProtozoan ProteinsTrypanocidal Agents

Identifiers

PMID39964998
PMCPMC12005674

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.