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Padalino G, Celatka CA, Rienhoff Jr. HY, Kalin JH, Cole PA, Lassalle D, Forde-Thomas J, Chalmers IW, Brancale A, Grunau C, Hoffmann KF. Chemical modulation of Schistosoma mansoni lysine specific demethylase 1 (SmLSD1) induces wide-scale biological and epigenomic changes. Wellcome Open Res 2023; 8:146. [PMID: 37520936 PMCID: PMC10375057 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18826.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic worm species responsible for the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis, undergoes strict developmental regulation of gene expression that is carefully controlled by both genetic and epigenetic processes. As inhibition of S. mansoni epigenetic machinery components impairs key transitions throughout the parasite's digenetic lifecycle, a greater understanding of how epi-drugs affect molecular processes in schistosomes could lead to the development of new anthelmintics. Methods: In vitro whole organism assays were used to assess the anti-schistosomal activity of 39 Homo sapiens Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (HsLSD1) inhibitors on different parasite life cycle stages. Moreover, tissue-specific stains and genomic analysis shed light on the effect of these small molecules on the parasite biology. Results: Amongst this collection of small molecules, compound 33 was the most potent in reducing ex vivo viabilities of schistosomula, juveniles, miracidia and adults. At its sub-lethal concentration to adults (3.13 µM), compound 33 also significantly impacted oviposition, ovarian as well as vitellarian architecture and gonadal/neoblast stem cell proliferation. ATAC-seq analysis of adults demonstrated that compound 33 significantly affected chromatin structure (intragenic regions > intergenic regions), especially in genes differentially expressed in cell populations (e.g., germinal stem cells, hes2 + stem cell progeny, S1 cells and late female germinal cells) associated with these ex vivo phenotypes. KEGG analyses further highlighted that chromatin structure of genes associated with sugar metabolism as well as TGF-beta and Wnt signalling were also significantly perturbed by compound 33 treatment. Conclusions: This work confirms the importance of histone methylation in S. mansoni lifecycle transitions, suggesting that evaluation of LSD1 - targeting epi-drugs may facilitate the search for next-generation anti-schistosomal drugs. The ability of compound 33 to modulate chromatin structure as well as inhibit parasite survival, oviposition and stem cell proliferation warrants further investigations of this compound and its epigenetic target SmLSD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Padalino
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3NB, UK
| | | | | | - Jay H. Kalin
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Philip A. Cole
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Josephine Forde-Thomas
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales, SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Iain W. Chalmers
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales, SY23 3DA, UK
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3NB, UK
| | | | - Karl F. Hoffmann
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales, SY23 3DA, UK
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Craven HM, Bonsignore R, Lenis V, Santi N, Berrar D, Swain M, Whiteland H, Casini A, Hoffmann KF. Identifying and validating the presence of Guanine-Quadruplexes (G4) within the blood fluke parasite Schistosoma mansoni. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0008770. [PMID: 33600427 PMCID: PMC7924807 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that currently affects over 250 million individuals worldwide. In the absence of an immunoprophylactic vaccine and the recognition that mono-chemotherapeutic control of schistosomiasis by praziquantel has limitations, new strategies for managing disease burden are urgently needed. A better understanding of schistosome biology could identify previously undocumented areas suitable for the development of novel interventions. Here, for the first time, we detail the presence of G-quadruplexes (G4) and putative quadruplex forming sequences (PQS) within the Schistosoma mansoni genome. We find that G4 are present in both intragenic and intergenic regions of the seven autosomes as well as the sex-defining allosome pair. Amongst intragenic regions, G4 are particularly enriched in 3´ UTR regions. Gene Ontology (GO) term analysis evidenced significant G4 enrichment in the wnt signalling pathway (p<0.05) and PQS oligonucleotides synthetically derived from wnt-related genes resolve into parallel and anti-parallel G4 motifs as elucidated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Finally, utilising a single chain anti-G4 antibody called BG4, we confirm the in situ presence of G4 within both adult female and male worm nuclei. These results collectively suggest that G4-targeted compounds could be tested as novel anthelmintic agents and highlights the possibility that G4-stabilizing molecules could be progressed as candidates for the treatment of schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly M. Craven
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom
| | | | - Vasilis Lenis
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolo Santi
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Berrar
- Data Science Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Martin Swain
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Whiteland
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Casini
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Karl F. Hoffmann
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Liu R, Cheng WJ, Ye F, Zhang YD, Zhong QP, Dong HF, Tang HB, Jiang H. Comparative Transcriptome Analyses of Schistosoma japonicum Derived From SCID Mice and BALB/c Mice: Clues to the Abnormality in Parasite Growth and Development. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:274. [PMID: 32218772 PMCID: PMC7078119 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, caused by the parasitic flatworms called schistosomes, remains one of the most prevailing parasitic diseases in the world. The prodigious oviposition of female worms after maturity is the main driver of pathology due to infection, yet our understanding about the regulation of development and reproduction of schistosomes is limited. Here, we comparatively profiled the transcriptome of Schistosoma japonicum recovered from SCID and BALB/c mice, which were collected 35 days post-infection, when prominent morphological abnormalities could be observed in schistosomes from SCID mice, by performing RNA-seq analysis. Of the 11,183 identified genes, 62 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with 39 upregulated and 23 downregulated messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were found in male worms from SCID mice (S_M) vs. male worms from BALB/c mice (B_M), and 240 DEGs with 152 upregulated and 88 downregulated mRNAs were found in female worms from SCID mice (S_F) vs. female worms from BALB/c mice (B_F). We also tested nine DEGs with a relatively higher expression abundance in the gonads of the worms (ovary, vitellaria, or testis), suggesting their potential biological significance in the development and reproduction of the parasites. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that GO terms such as “microtubule-based process,” “multicellular organismal development,” and “Rho protein signal transduction” were significantly enriched in the DEGs in S_F vs. B_F, whereas GO terms such as “oxidation–reduction process,” “response to stress,” and “response to DNA damage stimulus” were significantly enriched in the DEGs in S_M vs. B_M. These results revealed that the differential expression of some important genes might contribute to the morphological abnormalities of worms in SCID mice. Furthermore, we selected one DEG, the mitochondrial prohibitin complex protein 1 (Phb1), to perform double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) in vivo targeting the worms in BALB/c mice, and we found that it was essential for the growth and reproductive development of both male and female S. japonicum worms. Taken together, these results provided a wealth of information on the differential gene expression profiles of schistosomes from SCID mice when compared with those from BALB/c mice, which were potentially involved in regulating the growth and development of schistosomes. These findings contributed to an understanding of parasite biology and provided a rich resource for the exploitation of antischistosomal intervention targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen-Jun Cheng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Feng Ye
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yao-Dan Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qin-Ping Zhong
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui-Fen Dong
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong-Bin Tang
- Laboratory Animal Center, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Gao YR, Mei D, He YB, Chen RX, Gao J, Liu HX, Zhang Y, Yu WH, Wang LX. Effects of programmed cell death protein 10 on the Schistosoma japonicum female reproductive system. Acta Trop 2020; 202:105253. [PMID: 31678234 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of programmed cell death protein 10 (PCDP10) on the female reproductive system of Schistosoma japonicum, one of the major infectious agents of schistosomiasis. We found that PCDP10 was widely distributed in the integument, the worm parenchymal area, and the vitellarium of the female worm, but was localized to a lesser extent in the ovary and testicles. RNAi experiments successfully achieved gene knockdown, and the ultrastructural morphology of the adult reproductive organs was observed. The results demonstrated that, compared with those of the negative control group, the number of cortical granules around oocytes decreased and the number of immature oocyte cells increased. Fusion of yolk globules occurred, and the number and the diameter of yolk droplets decreased significantly. Real-time PCR showed that the expression of yolk glands reached its peak before ovulation and then decreased. The TUNEL assay results showed that apoptosis in the RNAi group was significantly higher than that in the negative control group. These results suggested that SjPCDP10 plays an important role in the female reproductive system. In conclusion, PCD10 is involved in oocyte growth and development, especially in eggshell formation, which may provide a reference for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of PCDP10 involved in egg formation and embryo development in Schistosoma japonicum.
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Ye Z, Xu J, Feng X, Jia Y, Fu Z, Hong Y, Li H, Lu K, Lin J, Song M, Wang L, Yuan C. Spatiotemporal expression pattern of Sjfz7 and its expression comparison with other frizzled family genes in developmental stages of Schistosoma japonicum. Gene Expr Patterns 2019; 32:44-52. [PMID: 30851426 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Wnts are secreted signaling molecules that are implicated in a variety of growth-related processes. Frizzled proteins have been identified as receptors for Wnt ligands in vertebrates and invertebrates, but a functional role for dioecious flatworm Frizzleds has not been determined. To evaluate the endogenous role of Frizzled proteins during development, we have identified and characterized a Schistosoma japonicum frizzled gene (Sjfz7). We found that Sjfz7 encodes a 698 amino acid protein with typical characteristics of Frizzled proteins. The immunohistochemical localization pattern showed that Sjfz7 protein was extensively distributed in almost all tissues of S. japonicum, including subtegumental muscle cells, parenchymal cells, intestinal epithelial cells and male and female germ cells. This indicated that Sjfz7-mediated Wnt signaling might be associated with the development of musculature, intestinal tract and reproductive organs in schistosome. Comparing mRNA levels between frizzled family members showed that Sjfz7 mRNA was consistently higher in the developmental stages analyzed, suggesting that Sjfz7 may be responsible for more functional tasks than other frizzled family members. Comparing frizzled mRNA levels between not fully developed and normal worms suggested that Wnt signaling might be abnormal in not fully developed worms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongxue Ye
- Northeast Agricultural University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Jingxiu Xu
- Northeast Agricultural University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Xingang Feng
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yingying Jia
- Jilin Agricultural University, College of Animal Science and Technology, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Zhiqiang Fu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yang Hong
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Hao Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ke Lu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jiaojiao Lin
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Mingxin Song
- Northeast Agricultural University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Liqun Wang
- Northeast Agricultural University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Chunxiu Yuan
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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McVeigh P, McCammick E, McCusker P, Wells D, Hodgkinson J, Paterson S, Mousley A, Marks NJ, Maule AG. Profiling G protein-coupled receptors of Fasciola hepatica identifies orphan rhodopsins unique to phylum Platyhelminthes. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2018; 8:87-103. [PMID: 29474932 PMCID: PMC6114109 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are established drug targets. Despite their considerable appeal as targets for next-generation anthelmintics, poor understanding of their diversity and function in parasitic helminths has thwarted progress towards GPCR-targeted anti-parasite drugs. This study facilitates GPCR research in the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, by generating the first profile of GPCRs from the F. hepatica genome. Our dataset describes 147 high confidence GPCRs, representing the largest cohort of GPCRs, and the largest set of in silico ligand-receptor predictions, yet reported in any parasitic helminth. All GPCRs fall within the established GRAFS nomenclature; comprising three glutamate, 135 rhodopsin, two adhesion, five frizzled, one smoothened, and one secretin GPCR. Stringent annotation pipelines identified 18 highly diverged rhodopsins in F. hepatica that maintained core rhodopsin signatures, but lacked significant similarity with non-flatworm sequences, providing a new sub-group of potential flukicide targets. These facilitated identification of a larger cohort of 76 related sequences from available flatworm genomes, representing new members of existing groups (PROF1/Srfb, Rho-L, Rho-R, Srfa, Srfc) of flatworm-specific rhodopsins. These receptors imply flatworm specific GPCR functions, and/or co-evolution with unique flatworm ligands, and could facilitate the development of exquisitely selective anthelmintics. Ligand binding domain sequence conservation relative to deorphanised rhodopsins enabled high confidence ligand-receptor matching of seventeen receptors activated by acetylcholine, neuropeptide F/Y, octopamine or serotonin. RNA-Seq analyses showed expression of 101 GPCRs across various developmental stages, with the majority expressed most highly in the pathogenic intra-mammalian juvenile parasites. These data identify a broad complement of GPCRs in F. hepatica, including rhodopsins likely to have key functions in neuromuscular control and sensory perception, as well as frizzled and adhesion/secretin families implicated, in other species, in growth, development and reproduction. This catalogue of liver fluke GPCRs provides a platform for new avenues into our understanding of flatworm biology and anthelmintic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul McVeigh
- Parasitology & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Erin McCammick
- Parasitology & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Paul McCusker
- Parasitology & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Duncan Wells
- Parasitology & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Jane Hodgkinson
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Steve Paterson
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Angela Mousley
- Parasitology & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Nikki J Marks
- Parasitology & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Aaron G Maule
- Parasitology & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
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Ding H, Liu F, Zhu L, Wu F, Liu Q, He S, Shao W, Du Y, Ren C, Shen J, Liu M. Tyrosine kinase 4 is involved in the reproduction of the platyhelminth parasite Schistosoma japonicum. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:498. [PMID: 29047397 PMCID: PMC5648501 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2453-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is one of the most common parasitic diseases affecting millions of humans and animals worldwide. Understanding the signal transduction pathways and the molecular basis of reproductive regulation in schistosomes is critically important for developing new strategies for preventing and treating these infections. Syk kinases regulate the proliferation, differentiation, morphogenesis, and survival of various types of cells and have been identified in invertebrates. Tyrosine kinase 4 (TK4), a member of the Syk kinase family, plays a pivotal role in gametogenesis in S. mansoni, affecting the development of the testis and ovaries in this parasite. The role of TK4, however, in the reproduction of S. japonicum is poorly understood. METHODS Here, the complete coding sequence of TK4 gene in S. japonicum (SjTK4) was cloned and characterized. The expression of SjTK4 was analyzed at different life-cycle stages and in various tissues of S. japonicum by qPCR. Piceatannol, a Syk kinase inhibitor, was applied to S. japonicum in vitro. The piceatannol-induced morphological changes of the parasites were observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy and the alterations in important egg-shell synthesis-related genes were examined using qPCR analyses. RESULTS SjTK4 mRNA was differentially expressed throughout the life-cycle of S. japonicum. SjTK4 mRNA was highly expressed in the ovary and testis of S. japonicum, with the level of gene expression significantly higher in males than in females. The expression levels of some important egg-shell synthesis related genes were higher in the piceatannol-treated groups than in the vehicle-treated control group and the number of eggs and germ cells also decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. Importantly, large pore-like structures can be found in the testis and ovaries of males and females after treating with piceatannol. CONCLUSION The results suggest that SjTK4 may play an important role in regulating gametogenesis of S. japonicum. The findings may help better understand the fundamental biology of S. japonicum. Moreover, the effect of S. japonicum treatment by piceatannol provides us with a new idea that inhibition of SjTK4 signaling pathway can effectively retard the development of the testis and ovaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Ding
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengchun Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Lulu Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Wu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Quan Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyu He
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Shao
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinan Du
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Cuiping Ren
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Jijia Shen
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China. .,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.
| | - Miao Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China. .,Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Anhui Medical University, 81#Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Ma S, Zai J, Han Y, Hong Y, Zhang M, Cao X, Han Q, Lu K, Zhao Z, Lin J, Fu Z. Characterization of Schistosoma japonicum tetraspanning orphan receptor and its role in binding to complement C2 and immunoprotection against murine schistosomiasis. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:288. [PMID: 28599669 PMCID: PMC5466742 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2229-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis remains an important global public health problem, as millions of people are at risk of acquiring infection. An ideal method for sustainable control of schistosomiasis would be to develop an efficient vaccine. Schistosomes can survive in the host vascular system by immune evasion, regulating the host complement cascade. Schistosoma japonicum tetraspanning orphan receptor (SjTOR) is a complement regulator, which is a tegument membrane protein. To date there is no experimental evidence to explain the function of SjTOR. RESULTS We cloned the first extracellular domain of the SjTOR (SjTOR-ed1) gene and expressed the gene in Escherichia coli. The expression level of SjTOR in different developmental stages of S. japonicum was assessed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Western blotting showed that recombinant SjTOR-ed1 (rSjTOR-ed1) could be recognised by schistosome-infected mouse serum. Immunolocalization indicated that the protein was mainly distributed on the tegument of the parasite. Haemolytic assays and ELISA revealed that rSjTOR-ed1 could inhibit complement hemolysis and bind to complement C2. Purified rSjTOR-ed1 emulsified with ISA206 adjuvant could induce a significant reduction of worm burden from 24.51 to 26.51%, and liver egg numbers from 32.92 to 39.62% in two independent trials in mice. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicated that rSjTOR-ed1 could inhibit complement hemolysis and bind to complement C2, and it is a potential vaccine candidate that protects against S. japonicum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jinli Zai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yanhui Han
- College of Animal Science, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, 453003, China
| | - Yang Hong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Min Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, 471023, China
| | - Xiaodan Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Qian Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ke Lu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Zhixin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jiaojiao Lin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Zhiqiang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China. .,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
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9
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Chen L, Chen Q, Hou W, He L. High-throughput dynamic analysis of differentially expressed genes in splenic dendritic cells from mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum. Immunol Lett 2017; 184:15-22. [PMID: 28185924 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic cells are the initiation and key point of immune response and play a role in immune regulation. So we explored the mechanisms involved in immune regulation of dendritic cells (DCs) against schistosomiasis using mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum. Splenic DCs from normal mice and mice with acute and chronic S. japonicum infection were sorted by flow cytometry. The numbers and functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in DCs were determined by high-throughput analysis. All DEGs with transcription-level fold changes of ≥2 were selected and matched to corresponding genes in databases. Annotations and cluster analysis of DEGs were performed to compare differences between groups. Six important DEGs about immune regulation-CD86, TLR2, DC-SIGN, Capase3, PD-L2, and IL-7r were selected, and their transcription levels at different stages of schistosomisis were validated by qPCR. The Venn diagram of DEGs implied some genes are functional at all stages during S. japonicum infection, while others are only involved at certain stages. GO and KEGG pathway annotations indicated that these DEGs mainly belong to biological regulation, regulation of biological process, regulation of cellular process, antigen processing and presentation, cell adhesion molecules, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and Toll-like receptor signaling. Cluster analysis revealed immune regulation existed in splenic DCs. The results above indicated that the mechanisms underlying immune regulation to S. japonicum infection in mice are very complex. The present high-throughput dynamic analysis of DEGs in splenic DCs provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying immune regulation in S. japonicum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qingzhou Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wei Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
| | - Li He
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
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10
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Chen L, He B, Hou W, He L. Cysteine protease inhibitor of Schistosoma japonicum - A parasite-derived negative immunoregulatory factor. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:901-908. [PMID: 28066871 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5363-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Studies have shown that cysteine protease inhibitors from some parasites have immunosuppressive effects on the host. We previously have cloned a novel cysteine protease inhibitor from Schistosoma japonicum and purified its recombinant version (protein named rSj-C). Its possible inhibitory effect on the host immune response has not been described.This study shows that rSj-C inhibits lysosomal cysteine protease of murine dendritic cells (DCs). After DCs were incubated with rSj-C and then with soluble adult worm antigen (AWA) of S. japonicum, the mean fluorescence intensity of MHC class II antigens on the surface of DCs decreased significantly by flow cytometry. These results indirectly proved that rSj-C can suppress exogenous-antigen presentation by DCs. The flow cytometric assay revealed that in comparison with control groups, the proportion of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells among CD4+CD25+ T cells of Schistosom-infected mice increased significantly 8 weeks after the infected mice were injected with rSj-C (p ˂ 0.05). Additionally, the expression levels of cytokines IL-4 and TGF-β produced by T cells increased significantly as compared with these levels in the normal group (p ˂ 0.05). These results clearly show that the cysteine protease inhibitor from S. japonicum is a new parasite-derived immunosuppressive factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Baohua He
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Wei Hou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Li He
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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11
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Abstract
Cestodes (tapeworms) have complex adaptations to their obligatory parasitic life-style. Among these adaptations, they show many evolutionary innovations in their development, including complex life-cycles with multiple hosts and life-stages, several independent origins of asexual reproduction, and the evolution of segmentation as a mean to generate massive reproductive output. Therefore, cestodes offer many opportunities for the investigation of the evolutionary origins of developmental novelties (evo-devo). However, cestodes have not been exploited as major models for evo-devo research due to the considerable technical difficulties involved in their study. In this review, a panoramic view is given of classical aspects, methods and hypothesis of cestode development, together with recent advances in phylogenetics, genomics, culture methods, and comparative analysis of cestode gene expression. Together with the availability of powerful models for related free-living flatworms, these developments should encourage the incorporation of these fascinating parasites into the first-line of evo-devo research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uriel Koziol
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
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