Trypanosomatid Flagellar Pocket from Structure to Function

The trypanosomatids Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania spp. are flagellate eukaryotic parasites that cause serious diseases in humans and animals. These parasites have cell shapes defined by a subpellicular microtubule array and all share a number of important cellular features. One of these is the flagellar pocket, an invagination of the cell membrane around the proximal end of the flagellum, which is an important organelle for endo/exocytosis. The flagellar pocket plays a crucial role in parasite pathogenicity and persistence in the host and has a great influence on cell morphogenesis and cell division. Here, we compare the morphology and function of the flagellar pockets between different trypanosomatids, with their life cycles and ecological niches likely influencing these differences. The flagellar pocket is a critical route for endocytosis and exocytosis in trypanosomatids and therefore plays an important role in parasite pathogenicity.There is a conserved flagellar pocket architecture between trypanosomatids but with species-specific differences.Defects in flagellar pocket architecture can have a great effect on flagellar pocket function.The flagellar pocket has a great influence on cell morphogenesis and its segregation is important for cell division.