Low density lipoprotein receptors LRP-1 and LRP-2 in C. elegans

Lentiviral transduction facilitates RNA interference in the nematode parasite Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Animal-parasitic nematodes have thus far been largely refractory to genetic manipulation, and methods employed to effect RNA interference (RNAi) have been ineffective or inconsistent in most cases. We describe here a new approach for genetic manipulation of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, a widely used laboratory model of gastrointestinal nematode infection. N. brasiliensis was successfully transduced with Vesicular Stomatitis Virus glycoprotein G (VSV-G)-pseudotyped lentivirus. The virus was taken up via the nematode intestine, RNA reverse transcribed into proviral DNA, and transgene transcripts produced stably in infective larvae, which resulted in expression of the reporter protein mCherry. Improved transgene expression was achieved by incorporating the C. elegans hlh11 promoter and the tbb2 3´-UTR into viral constructs. MicroRNA-adapted short hairpin RNAs delivered in this manner were processed correctly and resulted in partial knockdown of β-tubulin isotype-1 (tbb-iso-1) and secreted acetylcholinesterase B (ache-B). The system was further refined by lentiviral delivery of double stranded RNAs, which acted as a trigger for RNAi following processing and generation of 22G-RNAs. Virus-encoded sequences were detectable in F1 eggs and third stage larvae, demonstrating that proviral DNA entered the germline and was heritable. Lentiviral transduction thus provides a new means for genetic manipulation of parasitic nematodes, including gene silencing and expression of exogenous genes.

The complex life cycle of parasitic nematodes makes them very difficult to manipulate genetically, and methods to delete or silence genes which are routinely used in other organisms are ineffective in most species of nematodes which infect animals. This has hindered attempts to understand the function of defined genes and proteins, and their roles in development and interaction of nematode parasites with their host. We show here that foreign genetic material can be introduced into a widely used laboratory model of intestinal nematode infection by using a viral vector. The vector was modified to improve transgene expression, and a reporter protein expressed by transduced nematode larvae in vitro. We subsequently utilised the viral vector to deliver double stranded RNA molecules to the larvae. These molecules were processed along known pathways, resulting in partial knockdown of two test genes. This system represents a new means of genetically manipulating nematode parasites, and will aid in understanding their complex biology, in addition to defining new targets for control of infection.