Chagas disease is caused by the hemoflagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The main transmission mechanism for the parasite in endemic areas is contact with the feces of an infected triatomine bug. Part of the life cycle of T. cruzi occurs in the digestive tract of triatomines, where vector and parasite engage in a close interaction at a proteomic–molecular level. This interaction triggers replication and differentiation processes in the parasite that can affect its infectivity for the vertebrate host. With the aim of compiling and analyzing information from indexed publications on transcripts, proteins, and glycoproteins in the guts of fasting, fed, and T. cruzi-infected triatomines in the period 2000–2022, a systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Fifty-five original research articles retrieved from PubMed and ScienceDirect were selected; forty-four papers reported 1–26,946 transcripts, and twenty-one studies described 1–2603 peptides/proteins.

The primary mode of transmission for Chagas disease is vector-borne transmission, spread by hematophagous insects of the Triatominae subfamily. In Mexico, the triatomine Meccus pallidipennis is particularly significant in the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi. This study focused on analyzing protein expression and modifications by glycosylation in different regions of the digestive tract of fifth-instar nymphs of M. pallidipennis. Two gut sections were dissected and extracted: the anterior midgut (AMG) and the proctodeum or rectum (RE). Proteins were extracted from each tissue sample and profiled by one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis; protein glycosylation was analyzed by lectin affinity. Our results showed significant differences in protein expression and glycosylation between both gut regions, with modifications being more frequent in the RE. The proteins HSP70, actin, and tubulin were analyzed, finding a differential expression of the latter two between AMG and RE. Understanding glycosylation patterns provides critical insights into vector–pathogen interactions that could eventually inform novel control approaches. Furthermore, the potential use of lectins as insecticidal agents highlights the broader implications of glycoprotein research in the future development of strategies on vector control to disrupt T. cruzi transmission.