Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, exhibits a complex life cycle with multiple hosts, stages and differentiation steps, all associated with extensive transcriptomic changes. Here we present a cell atlas for the T. cruzi life cycle, based on single cell transcriptomes for over 31,000 cells. We validated the atlas using known life cycle stage markers and population-based transcriptomics and show that the atlas can be utilised to accurately annotate life cycle stages in novel data. The atlas reveals many life cycle stage-associated genes and key transcriptomic differences between two amastigote-derived trypomastigote subtypes. Finally, enabled by single-cell resolution, we define the transcriptomic changes that occur across the epimastigote to metacyclic trypomastigote differentiation axis. This atlas provides not only a comprehensive resource for the study of T. cruzi biology, but also an unprecedented look at the complex changes that occur across the parasite life cycle.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.