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Schistosomin from the snail Biomphalaria glabrata: expression studies suggest no involvement in trematode-mediated castration.

ABSTRACT: By inhibiting reproductive hormones, the neuropeptide schistosomin produced by the snail Lymnaea stagnalis plays an essential role in parasitic castration mediated by the schistosome parasite Trichobilharzia ocellata during late stage infection. Here we report on the presence and expression of schistosomin in the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, a prominent intermediate host of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, one of the causative agents of human schistosomiasis. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequences from complementary DNAs (cDNAs) from B. glabrata contain a 17 aa signal peptide and a 79 aa mature peptide with 62 -- 64% identity to schistosomin from L. stagnalis. Ontogenic expression at the protein and mRNA levels showed that schistosomin was in higher abundance in embryos and juveniles relative to mature snails, suggesting that schistosomin is likely involved in developmental processes, not in reproduction. Moreover, expression data demonstrated that infection with two different digenetic trematodes, S. mansoni and Echinostoma paraensei, did not provoke elevated expression of schistosomin in B. glabrata from early stage infection (4 days post-exposure; dpe) to patent infection (up to 60dpe), by which time parasitic castration has been accomplished. In conclusion, our data suggest that a role of schistosomin in parasitic castration cannot be established in B. glabrata infected with either of two trematode species.

SUBMITTER: Zhang SM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3641756 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Schistosomin from the snail Biomphalaria glabrata: expression studies suggest no involvement in trematode-mediated castration.

Zhang Si-Ming SM Nian Hong H Wang Bo B Loker Eric S ES Adema Coen M CM

Molecular and biochemical parasitology 20090122 1

By inhibiting reproductive hormones, the neuropeptide schistosomin produced by the snail Lymnaea stagnalis plays an essential role in parasitic castration mediated by the schistosome parasite Trichobilharzia ocellata during late stage infection. Here we report on the presence and expression of schistosomin in the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, a prominent intermediate host of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, one of the causative agents of human schistosomiasis. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequenc ...[more]

PMID: 19393164

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Project description:BackgroundSchistosomiasis remains one of the most common endemic parasitic diseases affecting over 230 million people worlwide. Schistosoma mansoni is the main species causing intestinal and hepatic schistosomiasis and the fresh water pulmonate snails of the genus Biomphalaria are best known for their role as intermediate hosts of the parasite. The development of new molecular monitoring assays for large-scale screening of snails from transmission sites to detect the presence of schistosomes is an important point to consider for snail control interventions related to schistosomiasis elimination. Our work was focussed on developing and evaluating a new LAMP assay combined with a simple DNA extraction method to detect S. mansoni in experimentally infected snails as a diagnostic tool for field conditions.Methodology/principal findingsA LAMP assay using a set of six primers targeting a sequence of S. mansoni ribosomal intergenic spacer 28S-18S rRNA was designed. The detection limit of the LAMP assay was 0.1 fg of S. mansoni DNA at 63°C for 50 minutes. LAMP was evaluated by examining S. mansoni DNA in B. glabrata snails experimentally exposed to miracidia at different times post-exposure: early prepatent period (before cercarial shedding), light infections (snails exposed to a low number of miracidia) and detection of infected snails in pooled samples (within a group of uninfected snails). DNA for LAMP assays was obtained by using a commercial DNA extraction kit or a simple heat NaOH extraction method. We detected S. mansoni DNA in all groups of snails by using no complicated requirement procedure for DNA obtaining.Conclusions/significanceOur LAMP assay, named Biompha-LAMP, is specific, sensitive, rapid and potentially adaptable as a cost-effective method for screening of intermediate hosts infected with S. mansoni in both individual snails and pooled samples. The assay could be suitable for large-scale field surveys for schistosomes control campaigns in endemic areas.

Dataset Information

Schistosomin from the snail Biomphalaria glabrata: expression studies suggest no involvement in trematode-mediated castration.

Publications

Schistosomin from the snail Biomphalaria glabrata: expression studies suggest no involvement in trematode-mediated castration.

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