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Li X, Weth O, Haimann M, Möscheid MF, Huber TS, Grevelding CG. Rhodopsin orphan GPCR20 interacts with neuropeptides and directs growth, sexual differentiation, and egg production in female Schistosoma mansoni. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0219323. [PMID: 38047698 PMCID: PMC10783048 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02193-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Schistosomes cause schistosomiasis, one of the neglected tropical diseases as defined by the WHO. For decades, the treatment of schistosomiasis relies on a single drug, praziquantel. Due to its wide use, there is justified fear of resistance against this drug, and a vaccine is not available. Besides its biological relevance in signal transduction processes, the class of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is also well suited for drug design. Against this background, we characterized one GPCR of Schistosoma mansoni, SmGPCR20, at the molecular and functional level. We identified two potential neuropeptides (NPPs) as ligands, SmNPP26 and SmNPP40, and unraveled their roles, in combination with SmGPCR20, in neuronal processes controlling egg production, oogenesis, and growth of S. mansoni females. Since eggs are closely associated with the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis, our results contribute to the understanding of processes leading to egg production in schistosomes, which is under the control of pairing in this exceptional parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuesong Li
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Oliver Weth
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Martin Haimann
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Max F. Möscheid
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Theresa S. Huber
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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Scott ME. Helminth-host-environment interactions: Looking down from the tip of the iceberg. J Helminthol 2023; 97:e59. [PMID: 37486085 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x23000433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
In 1978, the theory behind helminth parasites having the potential to regulate the abundance of their host populations was formalized based on the understanding that those helminth macroparasites that reduce survival or fecundity of the infected host population would be among the forces limiting unregulated host population growth. Now, 45 years later, a phenomenal breadth of factors that directly or indirectly affect the host-helminth interaction has emerged. Based largely on publications from the past 5 years, this review explores the host-helminth interaction from three lenses: the perspective of the helminth, the host, and the environment. What biotic and abiotic as well as social and intrinsic host factors affect helminths? What are the negative, and positive, implications for host populations and communities? What are the larger-scale implications of the host-helminth dynamic on the environment, and what evidence do we have that human-induced environmental change will modify this dynamic? The overwhelming message is that context is everything. Our understanding of second-, third-, and fourth-level interactions is extremely limited, and we are far from drawing generalizations about the myriad of microbe-helminth-host interactions.Yet the intricate, co-evolved balance and complexity of these interactions may provide a level of resilience in the face of global environmental change. Hopefully, this albeit limited compilation of recent research will spark new interdisciplinary studies, and application of the One Health approach to all helminth systems will generate new and testable conceptual frameworks that encompass our understanding of the host-helminth-environment triad.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Scott
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University (Macdonald Campus), 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, QuebecH9X 3V9, Canada
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Nunn LR, Juang TD, Beebe DJ, Wheeler NJ, Zamanian M. A high-throughput nematode sensory assay reveals an inhibitory effect of ivermectin on parasite gustation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.25.538347. [PMID: 37163046 PMCID: PMC10168391 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.25.538347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Sensory pathways first elucidated in Caenorhabditis elegans are conserved across free-living and parasitic nematodes, even though each species responds to a diverse array of compounds. Most nematode sensory assays are performed by tallying observations of worm behavior on two-dimensional planes using agarose plates. These assays have been successful in the study of volatile sensation but are poorly suited for investigation of water-soluble gustation or parasitic nematodes without a free-living stage. In contrast, gustatory assays tend to be tedious, often limited to the manipulation of a single individual at a time. We have designed a nematode sensory assay using a microfluidics device that allows for the study of gustation in a 96-well, three-dimensional environment. This device is suited for free-living worms and parasitic worms that spend their lives in an aqueous environment, and we have used it to show that ivermectin inhibits the gustatory ability of vector-borne parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo R. Nunn
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Terry D. Juang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - David J. Beebe
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Nicolas J. Wheeler
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI USA
| | - Mostafa Zamanian
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
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Nunn LR, Juang TD, Beebe DJ, Wheeler NJ, Zamanian M. A high-throughput sensory assay for parasitic and free-living nematodes. Integr Biol (Camb) 2023; 15:zyad010. [PMID: 37555835 PMCID: PMC10752570 DOI: 10.1093/intbio/zyad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Sensory pathways first elucidated in Caenorhabditis elegans are conserved across free-living and parasitic nematodes, even though each species responds to a diverse array of compounds. Most nematode sensory assays are performed by tallying observations of worm behavior on two-dimensional planes using agarose plates. These assays have been successful in the study of volatile sensation but are poorly suited for investigation of water-soluble gustation or parasitic nematodes without a free-living stage. In contrast, gustatory assays tend to be tedious, often limited to the manipulation of a single individual at a time. We have designed a nematode sensory assay using a microfluidics device that allows for the study of gustation in a 96-well, three-dimensional environment. This device is suited for free-living worms and parasitic worms that spend their lives in an aqueous environment, and we have used it to show that ivermectin inhibits the gustatory ability of vector-borne parasitic nematodes. Insight box Nematodes are powerful model organisms for understanding the sensory biology of multicellular eukaryotes, and many parasitic species cause disease in humans. Simple sensory assays performed on agarose plates have been the bedrock for establishing the neuronal, genetic, and developmental foundations for many sensory modalities in nematodes. However, these classical assays are poorly suited for translational movement of many parasitic nematodes and the sensation of water-soluble molecules (gustation). We have designed a device for high-throughput nematode sensory assays in a gel matrix. This 'gustatory microplate' is amenable to several species and reveals novel responses by free-living and parasitic nematodes to cues and drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo R. Nunn
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Terry D. Juang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - David J. Beebe
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Nicolas J. Wheeler
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI USA
| | - Mostafa Zamanian
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
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Kamara IK, Thao JT, Kaur K, Wheeler NJ, Chan JD. Annotation of G-Protein Coupled Receptors in the Genomes of Parasitic Blood Flukes. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023. [PMID: 36713056 PMCID: PMC9874797 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Infection with Schistosoma parasitic flatworms ( Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum ) causes the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis. There is a need to identify new chemotherapies to treat these parasites, and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a logical druggable targets to explore given they control key aspects of schistosome biology such as neuromuscular function and reproduction. Updated chromosome level genome assemblies for each of the three major species have recently been released. However, studies on these GPCRs require accurate, updated genome annotations. Here, we have re-annotated the GPCRs present in each of the three major schistosome species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Javit T Thao
- University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
| | | | | | - John D Chan
- University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, USA
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