Sleeping sickness is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei. This parasite outwits the human immune system by periodically changing its coat protein in a process known as VSG switching. Here, the first in vitro system that recapitulates VSG switching is established, indicating that a spontaneous double-stranded DNA break upstream of the gene encoding the code protein initiates the process.
- Catharine E. Boothroyd
- Oliver Dreesen
- F. Nina Papavasiliou
