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Vicente-Rodríguez LC, Torres-Arroyo AC, Hernández-Vázquez A, Rosa-Casillas M, Bracho-Rincón DP, de Jesús PM, Behra ML, Habib MR, Zhou XN, Rosenthal JJC, Miller MW. The FMRF-NH2 gated sodium channel of Biomphalaria glabrata: Localization and expression following infection by Schistosoma mansoni. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011249. [PMID: 37352363 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis impacts over 700 million people globally. Schistosoma mansoni, the trematode parasite that causes the most common type of schistosomiasis, requires planorbid pond snails of the genus Biomphalaria to support its larval development and transformation to the cercarial form that can infect humans. A greater understanding of neural signaling systems that are specific to the Biomphalaria intermediate host could lead to novel strategies for parasite or snail control. This study examined a Biomphalaria glabrata neural channel that is gated by the neuropeptide FMRF-NH2. The Biomphalaria glabrata FMRF-NH2 gated sodium channel (Bgl-FaNaC) amino acid sequence was highly conserved with FaNaCs found in related gastropods, especially the planorbid Planorbella trivolvis (91% sequence identity). In common with the P. trivolvis FaNaC, the B. glabrata channel exhibited a low affinity (EC50: 3 x 10-4 M) and high specificity for the FMRF-NH2 agonist. Its expression in the central nervous system, detected with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, was widespread, with the protein localized mainly to neuronal fibers and the mRNA confined to cell bodies. Colocalization of the Bgl-FaNaC message with its FMRF-NH2 agonist precursor occurred in some neurons associated with male mating behavior. At the mRNA level, Bgl-FaNaC expression was decreased at 20 and 35 days post infection (dpi) by S. mansoni. Increased expression of the transcript encoding the FMRF-NH2 agonist at 35 dpi was proposed to reflect a compensatory response to decreased receptor levels. Altered FMRF-NH2 signaling could be vital for parasite proliferation in its intermediate host and may therefore present innovative opportunities for snail control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Vicente-Rodríguez
- Institute of Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Amanda C Torres-Arroyo
- Institute of Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | | | - Mariela Rosa-Casillas
- Institute of Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Dina P Bracho-Rincón
- Institute of Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Paola Méndez de Jesús
- Institute of Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Martine L Behra
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Mohamed R Habib
- Medical Malacology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute Giza, Egypt
| | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Joshua J C Rosenthal
- Institute of Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Eugene Bell Center Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mark W Miller
- Institute of Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Díaz-Cartagena D, Hernández-Cancel G, Bracho-Rincón DP, González-Feliciano JA, Cunci L, González CI, Cabrera CR. Label-Free Telomerase Activity Detection via Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. ACS Omega 2019; 4:16724-16732. [PMID: 31646217 PMCID: PMC6796945 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b00783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade, researchers have been searching for innovative platforms, methods, and techniques able to address recurring problems with the current cancer detection methods. Early disease detection, fast results, point-of-care sensing, and cost are among the most prevalent issues that need further exploration in this field. Herein, studies are focused on overcoming these problems by developing an electrochemical device able to detect telomerase as a cancer biomarker. Electrochemical platforms and techniques are more appealing for cancer detection, offering lower costs than the established cancer detection methods, high sensitivity inherent to the technique, rapid signal processing, and their capacity of being miniaturized. Therefore, Au interdigital electrodes and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to detect telomerase activity in acute T cell leukemia. Different cancer cell concentrations were evaluated, and a detection limit of 1.9 × 105 cells/mL was obtained. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to characterize the telomerase substrate (TS) DNA probe self-assembled monolayer on gold electrode surfaces. Atomic force microscopy displayed three-dimensional images of the surface to establish a height difference of 9.0 nm between the bare electrode and TS-modified Au electrodes. The TS probe is rich in guanines, thus forming secondary structures known as G-quadruplex that can be triggered with a fluorescence probe. Confocal microscopy fluorescence images showed the formation of DNA G-quadruplex because of TS elongation by telomerase on the Au electrode surface. Moreover, electrodes exposed to telomerase containing 2',3'-dideoxyguanosine-5'-triphosphate (ddGTP) did not exhibit high fluorescence, as ddGTP is a telomerase inhibitor, thus making this device suitable for telomerase inhibitors capacity studies. The electrochemical method and Au microchip device may be developed as a biosensor for a point-of-care medical device.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana
C. Díaz-Cartagena
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00925-2537, United States
- Molecular
Sciences Research Center, University of
Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926, United States
| | - Griselle Hernández-Cancel
- Molecular
Sciences Research Center, University of
Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926, United States
| | - Dina P. Bracho-Rincón
- Molecular
Sciences Research Center, University of
Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926, United States
- Department
of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931, United States
| | - José A. González-Feliciano
- Molecular
Sciences Research Center, University of
Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926, United States
| | - Lisandro Cunci
- School
of Natural Sciences and Technology, Universidad
Ana G. Méndez, Gurabo Campus, Gurabo, Puerto
Rico 00778, United
States
| | - Carlos I. González
- Molecular
Sciences Research Center, University of
Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926, United States
- Department
of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931, United States
| | - Carlos R. Cabrera
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00925-2537, United States
- Molecular
Sciences Research Center, University of
Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926, United States
- E-mail:
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