Jan Van Den Abbeele

The major diagnostic VSG LiTat 1.3 of the human parasite Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is a trimer in solution

The paper shows that LiTat 1.3, a key VSG for diagnosing T. b. gambiense, forms homotrimers in solution, not homodimers, using structural and biophysical methods.

Trypanosoma congolense Variant Surface Glycoprotein gene expression occurs in the absence of monoallelic transcription control

This study shows that Trypanosoma congolense expresses multiple Variant Surface Glycoprotein genes in single cells, unlike Trypanosoma brucei, which uses monoallelic transcription.

Heme-deficient metabolism and impaired cellular differentiation as an evolutionary trade-off for human infectivity in Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

This study identifies heme-deficient metabolism and impaired cellular differentiation as evolutionary trade-offs for human infectivity in Trypanosoma brucei gambiense due to HpHbR inactivation.

The Glossina Genome Cluster: Comparative Genomic Analysis of the Vectors of African Trypanosomes

The paper presents a comparative genomic analysis of six Glossina species, identifying genetic features related to their unique biology and vectorial capacity.