FIGURE 9.

Hypothetical model of transcriptional regulation of TACO gene with various effector molecules. Leishmania promastigotes enter the macrophage by phagocytosis, after which phagosomes are formed that retain tryptophan–aspartate containing coat protein (TACO). Such retention of TACO may support survival of the parasite along with late maturation and late fusion with late endosomes. Vit.D₃/RA and CDCA/RA treatment leads to the downregulation of the TACO gene, which is possibly responsible for the detachment of TACO protein over the phagosome, and consequently, early maturation and phagolysosomal killing of the parasite.