Whole genome sequencing of T. cruzi field isolates reveals extensive genomic variability and complex aneuploidy patterns within TcII DTU

American trypanosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The distribution of this disease ranges from Southern Argentina to Southern United States of America, where it affects 8 million people and accounts for 662,000 disability-adjusted life years. Due to its extensive genomic variability, T. cruzi taxon is subdivided in six Discrete Typing Units (DTUs), named TcI to TcVI, where TcI, TcII, TcV and TcVI are the subgroups usually enrolled in human infections. In the present study, we sequenced the whole nuclear and mitochondrial genome of seven TcII filed isolates, as well as three clones from the Y (TcII) lab derived strain to accesses the genomic variability within T. cruzi TcII.