Outlining the structure of cAMP compartments in Trypanosoma cruzi.

Trypanosomatids are protozoan parasites that cause deadly infectious diseases. Despite the unique characteristics of their cAMP signaling pathways, little is known about the mechanisms driving signal specificity in these early divergent eukaryotes. From the activation of adenylate cyclases in response to environmental cues to the downstream regulation of gene expression, the signaling mechanisms triggering developmental transformations in trypanosomes are poorly understood. In this review we integrate previous and new evidence supporting the existence of membrane microdomains that assemble cAMP signaling proteins in different subcellular compartments of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. We also discuss the main cellular processes regulated by cAMP compartments in this parasite. Advances in this field are crucial to identifying new targets for antiparasitic interventions.