1
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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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2
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Rinaldi G, Paz Meseguer C, Cantacessi C, Cortés A. Form and Function in the Digenea, with an Emphasis on Host-Parasite and Parasite-Bacteria Interactions. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1454:3-45. [PMID: 39008262 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-60121-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
This review covers the general aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the major body systems in digenetic trematodes, with an emphasis on new knowledge of the area acquired since the publication of the second edition of this book in 2019. In addition to reporting on key recent advances in the morphology and physiology of tegumentary, sensory, neuromuscular, digestive, excretory, and reproductive systems, and their roles in host-parasite interactions, this edition includes a section discussing the known and putative roles of bacteria in digenean biology and physiology. Furthermore, a brief discussion of current trends in the development of novel treatment and control strategies based on a better understanding of the trematode body systems and associated bacteria is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Rinaldi
- Department of Life Sciences, Edward Llwyd Building, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - Carla Paz Meseguer
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Cinzia Cantacessi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alba Cortés
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, School of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
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3
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Kreshchenko N, Terenina N, Mochalova N, Movsesyan S. Neuromuscular system of the causative agent of dicrocoeliosis, Dicrocoelium lanceatum. II. Neuropeptide FMRFamide immunoreactivity in nervous system. ZOOLOGY 2022; 155:126054. [PMID: 36335805 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2022.126054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The parasitic flatworm, trematoda Dicrocoelium lanceatum or lancet fluke is the causative agent of a widespread parasite disease of grazing ruminants, dicrocoeliosis. The aim of this work is the study of the presence and localization of neuropeptide FMRFamide immunoreactive elements in the nervous system of D. lanceatum using immunocytochemical technique and confocal scanning laser microscopy. For the first time the data on the presence and distribution of the FMRFamide-immunopositive components in the central and peripheral departments of the nervous system of D. lanceatum has been obtained. FMRFamidergic neurons and neurites were identified in paired brain ganglia, in the brain commissure, longitudinal nerve cords and connective nerve commissures. The innervation of the oral and ventral suckers by peptidergic nerve structures was revealed. The distal part of the reproductive system is innervated by FMRFamide immunopositive neurites. The data obtained suggest that the neuropeptides of FMRFamide family can be involved in the regulation of functions of the attachment organs and the reproductive system in D. lanceatum. The study of neurotransmitters and their functions in flatworms expand our knowledge on the structure and function of the nervous system of trematodes of various taxonomic groups. The results obtained on the morphological organization of D. lanceatum nervous system support the exploitation of the FMRFamidergic components as an anthelmintic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kreshchenko
- Institute of Cell Biophysics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya str., 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia.
| | - Nadezhda Terenina
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow 119071, Russia.
| | - Natalia Mochalova
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Sergey Movsesyan
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow 119071, Russia; Institute of Zoology of Scientific Center for Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Republic of Armenia, P. Sevaka str.,7, Yerevan 0014, Armenia.
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4
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Robb E, McCammick EM, Wells D, McVeigh P, Gardiner E, Armstrong R, McCusker P, Mousley A, Clarke N, Marks NJ, Maule AG. Transcriptomic analysis supports a role for the nervous system in regulating growth and development of Fasciola hepatica juveniles. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010854. [PMCID: PMC9639813 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Fasciola spp. liver flukes have significant impacts in veterinary and human medicine. The absence of a vaccine and increasing anthelmintic resistance threaten sustainable control and underscore the need for novel flukicides. Functional genomic approaches underpinned by in vitro culture of juvenile Fasciola hepatica facilitate control target validation in the most pathogenic life stage. Comparative transcriptomics of in vitro and in vivo maintained 21 day old F. hepatica finds that 86% of genes are expressed at similar levels across maintenance treatments suggesting commonality in core biological functioning within these juveniles. Phenotypic comparisons revealed higher cell proliferation and growth rates in the in vivo juveniles compared to their in vitro counterparts. These phenotypic differences were consistent with the upregulation of neoblast-like stem cell and cell-cycle associated genes in in vivo maintained worms. The more rapid growth/development of in vivo juveniles was further evidenced by a switch in cathepsin protease expression profiles, dominated by cathepsin B in in vitro juveniles and by cathepsin L in in vivo juveniles. Coincident with more rapid growth/development was the marked downregulation of both classical and peptidergic neuronal signalling components in in vivo maintained juveniles, supporting a role for the nervous system in regulating liver fluke growth and development. Differences in the miRNA complements of in vivo and in vitro juveniles identified 31 differentially expressed miRNAs, including fhe-let-7a-5p, fhe-mir-124-3p and miRNAs predicted to target Wnt-signalling, which supports a key role for miRNAs in driving the growth/developmental differences in the in vitro and in vivo maintained juvenile liver fluke. Widespread differences in the expression of neuronal genes in juvenile fluke grown in vitro and in vivo expose significant interplay between neuronal signalling and the rate of growth/development, encouraging consideration of neuronal targets in efforts to dysregulate growth/development for parasite control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Robb
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (ER); (EMM); (AGM)
| | - Erin M. McCammick
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (ER); (EMM); (AGM)
| | - Duncan Wells
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Paul McVeigh
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Erica Gardiner
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Armstrong
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Paul McCusker
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Mousley
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan Clarke
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron G. Maule
- Microbes & Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (ER); (EMM); (AGM)
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5
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Wegener C, Chen J. Allatostatin A Signalling: Progress and New Challenges From a Paradigmatic Pleiotropic Invertebrate Neuropeptide Family. Front Physiol 2022; 13:920529. [PMID: 35812311 PMCID: PMC9263205 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.920529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides have gained broad attraction in insect neuroscience and physiology, as new genetic tools are increasingly uncovering their wide-ranging pleiotropic functions with high cellular resolution. Allatostatin A (AstA) peptides constitute one of the best studied insect neuropeptide families. In insects and other panarthropods, AstA peptides qualify as brain-gut peptides and have regained attention with the discovery of their role in regulating feeding, growth, activity/sleep and learning. AstA receptor homologs are found throughout the protostomia and group with vertebrate somatostatin/galanin/kisspeptin receptors. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge on the evolution and the pleiotropic and cell-specific non-allatostatic functions of AstA. We speculate about the core functions of AstA signalling, and derive open questions and challengesfor future research on AstA and invertebrate neuropeptides in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Wegener
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Würzburg Insect Research, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Christian Wegener,
| | - Jiangtian Chen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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6
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Chen Q, Liang Z, Yue Q, Wang X, Siu SWI, Pui-Man Hoi M, Lee SMY. A Neuropeptide Y/F-like Polypeptide Derived from the Transcriptome of Turbinaria peltata Suppresses LPS-Induced Astrocytic Inflammation. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 85:1569-1580. [PMID: 35694811 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are a group of neuronal signaling molecules that regulate physiological and behavioral processes in animals. Here, we used in silico mining to predict the polypeptide composition of available transcriptomic data of Turbinaria peltata. In total, 118 transcripts encoding putative peptide precursors were discovered. One neuropeptide Y/F-like peptide, named TpNPY, was identified and selected for in silico structural, in silico binding, and pharmacological studies. In our study, the anti-inflammation effect of TpNPY was evaluated using an LPS-stimulated C8-D1A astrocyte cell model. Our results demonstrated that TpNPY, at 0.75-3 μM, inhibited LPS-induced NO production and reduced the expression of iNOS in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, TpNPY reduced the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Additionally, treatment with TpNPY reduced LPS-mediated elevation of ROS production and the intracellular calcium concentration. Further investigation revealed that TpNPY downregulated the IKK/IκB/NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibited expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Through molecular docking and using an NPY receptor antagonist, TpNPY was shown to have the ability to interact with the NPY Y1 receptor. On the basis of these findings, we concluded that TpNPY might prevent LPS-induced injury in astrocytes through activation of the NPY-Y1R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Zirong Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Qian Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Xiufen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Shirley Weng In Siu
- Institute of Science and Environment, University of Saint Joseph, Macao, China
| | - Maggie Pui-Man Hoi
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
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7
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Preza M, Van Bael S, Temmerman L, Guarnaschelli I, Castillo E, Koziol U. Global analysis of neuropeptides in cestodes identifies Attachin, a SIFamide homolog, as a stimulant of parasite motility and attachment. J Neurochem 2022; 162:467-482. [PMID: 35689626 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many anthelmintics target the neuromuscular system, in particular by interfering with signaling mediated by classical neurotransmitters. Although peptidergic signaling has been proposed as a novel target for anthelmintics, current knowledge of the neuropeptide complement of many helminth groups is still limited, especially for parasitic flatworms (cestodes, trematodes, and monogeneans). In this work, we have characterized the neuropeptide complement of the model cestode Hymenolepis microstoma. Peptidomic characterization of adults of H. microstoma validated many of the neuropeptide precursor (npp) genes previously predicted in silico, and identified novel neuropeptides that are conserved in parasitic flatworms. Most neuropeptides from parasitic flatworms lack significant similarity to those from other animals, confirming the uniqueness of their peptidergic signaling. Analysis of gene expression of ten npp genes by in situ hybridization confirmed that all of them are expressed in the nervous system and identified cryptic features, including the first evidence of dorsoventral asymmetry, as well as a new population of peripheral peptidergic cells that appears to be conserved in the trematode Schistosoma mansoni. Finally, we characterized in greater detail Attachin, an SIFamide homolog. Although its expression is largely restricted to the longitudinal nerve cords and cerebral commissure in H. microstoma, it shows widespread localization in the larval nervous system of Echinococcus multilocularis and Mesocestoides corti. Exogenous addition of a peptide corresponding to the highly conserved C-terminus of Attachin stimulated motility and attachment of M. corti larvae. Altogether, this work provides a robust experimental foothold for the characterization of peptidergic signaling in parasitic flatworms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías Preza
- Sección Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sven Van Bael
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liesbet Temmerman
- Animal Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Inés Guarnaschelli
- Sección Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Estela Castillo
- Laboratorio de Biología Parasitaria, Instituto de Higiene, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Uriel Koziol
- Sección Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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8
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Analysis of rhodopsin G protein-coupled receptor orthologs reveals semiochemical peptides for parasite (Schistosoma mansoni) and host (Biomphalaria glabrata) interplay. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8243. [PMID: 35581232 PMCID: PMC9114394 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11996-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a medically significant disease caused by helminth parasites of the genus Schistosoma. The schistosome life cycle requires chemically mediated interactions with an intermediate (aquatic snail) and definitive (human) host. Blocking parasite development within the snail stage requires improved understanding of the interactions between the snail host and the Schistosoma water-borne free-living form (miracidium). Innovations in snail genomics and aquatic chemical communication provide an ideal opportunity to explore snail-parasite coevolution at the molecular level. Rhodopsin G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are of particular interest in studying how trematode parasites navigate towards their snail hosts. The potential role of GPCRs in parasites makes them candidate targets for new antihelminthics that disrupt the intermediate host life-cycle stages, thus preventing subsequent human infections. A genomic-bioinformatic approach was used to identify GPCR orthologs between the snail Biomphalaria glabrata and miracidia of its obligate parasite Schistosoma mansoni. We show that 8 S. mansoni rhodopsin GPCRs expressed within the miracidial stage share overall amino acid similarity with 8 different B. glabrata rhodopsin GPCRs, particularly within transmembrane domains, suggesting conserved structural features. These GPCRs include an orphan peptide receptor as well as several with strong sequence homologies with rhabdomeric opsin receptors, a serotonin receptor, a sulfakinin (SK) receptor, an allatostatin-A (buccalin) receptor and an FMRFamide receptor. Buccalin and FMRFa peptides were identified in water conditioned by B. glabrata, and we show synthetic buccalin and FMRFa can stimulate significant rates of change of direction and turn-back responses in S. mansoni miracidia. Ortholog GPCRs were identified in S. mansoni miracidia and B. glabrata. These GPCRs may detect similar ligands, including snail-derived odorants that could facilitate miracidial host finding. These results lay the foundation for future research elucidating the mechanisms by which GPCRs mediate host finding which can lead to the potential development of novel anti-schistosome interventions.
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Kaur R, Arora N, Nair MG, Prasad A. The interplay of helminthic neuropeptides and proteases in parasite survival and host immunomodulation. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:107-118. [PMID: 35076687 PMCID: PMC9042389 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides comprise a diverse and broad group of neurotransmitters in vertebrates and invertebrates, with critical roles in neuronal signal transduction. While their role in controlling learning and memory in the brains of mammals is known, their extra-synaptic function in infection and inflammation with effects on distinct tissues and immune cells is increasingly recognized. Helminth infections especially of the central nervous system (CNS), such as neurocysticercosis, induce neuropeptide production by both host and helminth, but their role in host-parasite interplay or host inflammatory response is unclear. Here, we review the neurobiology of helminths, and discuss recent studies on neuropeptide synthesis and function in the helminth as well as the host CNS and immune system. Neuropeptides are summarized according to structure and function, and we discuss the complex enzyme processing for mature neuropeptides, focusing on helminth enzymes as potential targets for novel anthelminthics. We next describe known immunomodulatory effects of mammalian neuropeptides discovered from mouse infection models and draw functional parallels with helminth neuropeptides. Last, we discuss the anti-microbial properties of neuropeptides, and how they may be involved in host-microbiota changes in helminth infection. Overall, a better understanding of the biology of helminth neuropeptides, and whether they affect infection outcomes could provide diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities for helminth infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimanpreet Kaur
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh 175005, India
| | - Naina Arora
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh 175005, India
| | - Meera G. Nair
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, U.S.A
| | - Amit Prasad
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh 175005, India
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10
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Landeryou T, Rabone M, Allan F, Maddren R, Rollinson D, Webster BL, Tchuem-Tchuenté LA, Anderson RM, Emery AM. Genome-wide insights into adaptive hybridisation across the Schistosoma haematobium group in West and Central Africa. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010088. [PMID: 35100291 PMCID: PMC8803156 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis remains a public health concern across sub-Saharan Africa; current control programmes rely on accurate mapping and high mass drug administration (MDA) coverage to attempt disease elimination. Inter-species hybridisation can occur between certain species, changing epidemiological dynamics within endemic regions, which has the potential to confound control interventions. The impact of hybridisation on disease dynamics is well illustrated in areas of Cameroon where urogenital schistosomiasis, primarily due to Schistosoma haematobium and hybrid infections, now predominate over intestinal schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma guineensis. Genetic markers have shown the ability to identify hybrids, however the underlying genomic architecture of divergence and introgression between these species has yet to be established. In this study, restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) was used on archived adult worms initially identified as; Schistosoma bovis (n = 4), S. haematobium (n = 9), S. guineensis (n = 3) and S. guineensis x S. haematobium hybrids (n = 4) from Mali, Senegal, Niger, São Tomé and Cameroon. Genome-wide evidence supports the existence of S. guineensis and S. haematobium hybrid populations across Cameroon. The hybridisation of S. guineensis x S. haematobium has not been demonstrated on the island of São Tomé, where all samples showed no introgression with S. haematobium. Additionally, all S. haematobium isolates from Nigeria, Mali and Cameroon indicated signatures of genomic introgression from S. bovis. Adaptive loci across the S. haematobium group showed that voltage-gated calcium ion channels (Cav) could play a key role in the ability to increase the survivability of species, particularly in host systems. Where admixture has occurred between S. guineensis and S. haematobium, the excess introgressive influx of tegumental (outer helminth body) and antigenic genes from S. haematobium has increased the adaptive response in hybrids, leading to increased hybrid population fitness and viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby Landeryou
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- The Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Muriel Rabone
- The Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Allan
- The Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rosie Maddren
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Rollinson
- The Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bonnie L. Webster
- The Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Roy M. Anderson
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aidan M. Emery
- The Natural History Museum, Department of Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Tkach VV. Presidential Address: Parasitology and Technology: A Perfect Symbiosis. J Parasitol 2021. [DOI: 10.1645/21-115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vasyl V. Tkach
- Biology Department, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Stop 9019, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9019
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12
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Terenina N, Kreshchenko N, Movsesyan S. Musculature and neurotransmitters of internal organs of trematodes (the digestive, reproductive and excretory systems). ZOOLOGY 2021; 150:125986. [PMID: 34929537 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The article analyzes the results on the presence and organization of the muscle elements in the visceral organs of parasitic flatworms, trematodes, as well as their innervations. The different regions of the digestive, reproductive and excretory systems of trematodes contain circular, longitudinal and diagonal muscle fibers. The results of immunocytochemical investigations and confocal scanning laser microscopy show the presence of serotonin and FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity in the nervous system elements in various parts of the digestive, reproductive and excretory systems of trematodes. The data suggest that serotonergic and FMRFamide-immunopositive components of parasite's nervous system are involved in the regulation of the muscle activity of the digestive, reproductive and excretory systems. Comparative analysis of the results presented for trematodes from different taxonomic groups indicates that the organization of muscle elements in the visceral organs in trematodes and their innervation by serotonergic and peptidergic components are highly conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda Terenina
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
| | - Natalia Kreshchenko
- Institute of Cell Biophysics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya str., 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.
| | - Sergey Movsesyan
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow, 119071, Russia
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13
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Rolón-Martínez S, Habib MR, Mansour TA, Díaz-Ríos M, Rosenthal JJC, Zhou XN, Croll RP, Miller MW. FMRF-NH 2 -related neuropeptides in Biomphalaria spp., intermediate hosts for schistosomiasis: Precursor organization and immunohistochemical localization. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3336-3358. [PMID: 34041754 PMCID: PMC8273141 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25195] [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: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria serve as intermediate hosts for the digenetic trematode Schistosoma mansoni, the etiological agent for the most widespread form of intestinal schistosomiasis. As neuropeptide signaling in host snails can be altered by trematode infection, a neural transcriptomics approach was undertaken to identify peptide precursors in Biomphalaria glabrata, the major intermediate host for S. mansoni in the Western Hemisphere. Three transcripts that encode peptides belonging to the FMRF-NH2 -related peptide (FaRP) family were identified in B. glabrata. One transcript encoded a precursor polypeptide (Bgl-FaRP1; 292 amino acids) that included eight copies of the tetrapeptide FMRF-NH2 and single copies of FIRF-NH2 , FLRF-NH2 , and pQFYRI-NH2 . The second transcript encoded a precursor (Bgl-FaRP2; 347 amino acids) that comprised 14 copies of the heptapeptide GDPFLRF-NH2 and 1 copy of SKPYMRF-NH2 . The precursor encoded by the third transcript (Bgl-FaRP3; 287 amino acids) recapitulated Bgl-FaRP2 but lacked the full SKPYMRF-NH2 peptide. The three precursors shared a common signal peptide, suggesting a genomic organization described previously in gastropods. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on the nervous systems of B. glabrata and B. alexandrina, a major intermediate host for S. mansoni in Egypt. FMRF-NH2 -like immunoreactive (FMRF-NH2 -li) neurons were located in regions of the central nervous system associated with reproduction, feeding, and cardiorespiration. Antisera raised against non-FMRF-NH2 peptides present in the tetrapeptide and heptapeptide precursors labeled independent subsets of the FMRF-NH2 -li neurons. This study supports the participation of FMRF-NH2 -related neuropeptides in the regulation of vital physiological and behavioral systems that are altered by parasitism in Biomphalaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solymar Rolón-Martínez
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Mohamed R Habib
- Medical Malacology Laboratory, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
| | - Tamer A Mansour
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Clinical Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, Egypt
| | | | | | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Roger P Croll
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Mark W Miller
- Institute of Neurobiology and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Nefedova D, Terenina N, Mochalova N, Poddubnaya L, Movsesyan S, Gordeev I, Kuchin A, Kreshchenko N. The neuromuscular system in flatworms: serotonin and FMRFamide immunoreactivities and musculature in Prodistomum alaskense (Digenea: Lepocreadiidae), an endemic fish parasite of the northwestern Pacific. CAN J ZOOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Using the immunocytochemical method and confocal scanning laser microscopy, we obtained pioneering data on the muscle system organization and presence and localization of biogenic amine serotonin and FMRFamide-related peptides in the nervous system of the trematode Prodistomum alaskense (Ward and Fillingham, 1934) Bray and Merrett 1998 (family Lepocreadiidae). This flatworm is an intestinal parasite of endemic representatives of the marine fauna of the northwestern Pacific Ocean — the prowfish (Zaprora silenus Jordan, 1896) and the lumpfish (Aptocyclus ventricosus (Pallas, 1769)). We provide data of scanning electron microscopy on the tegumental topography of P. alaskense. The body wall musculature of P. alaskense has three layers of muscle fibres — the outer circular, intermediate longitudinal, and inner diagonal. The muscle system elements are well developed in the attachment organs, digestive and reproductive systems, and in the excretory sphincter. Serotonin– and FMRFamide–immunopositive neurons and neurites are found in the head ganglia, circular commissure, longitudinal nerve cords, and in the transversal connective commissures. The innervation of the oral and ventral suckers, pharynx, and the reproductive system compartments by the serotonergic and FMRFamide–immunopositive neurites is revealed. The results discus connection with the published data on the presence and functional roles of the serotonin and FMRFamide-related peptides in Platyhelminthes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D.A. Nefedova
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr., 33, Moscow, Russia, 119071
| | - N.B. Terenina
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr., 33, Moscow, Russia, 119071
| | - N.V. Mochalova
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr., 33, Moscow, Russia, 119071
| | - L.G. Poddubnaya
- I.D. Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters of Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok 119, Yaroslavl Province, Russia, 152742
| | - S.O. Movsesyan
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr., 33, Moscow, Russia, 119071
| | - I.I. Gordeev
- Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, Verkhn. Krasnoselskaya Str. 17, Moscow, Russia, 107140
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory 1, Moscow, Russia, 119234
| | - A.V. Kuchin
- Institute of Cell Biophysics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya Str. 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia, 142290
| | - N.D. Kreshchenko
- Institute of Cell Biophysics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya Str. 3, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia, 142290
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15
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Caña-Bozada V, Chapa-López M, Díaz-Martín RD, García-Gasca A, Huerta-Ocampo JÁ, de Anda-Jáuregui G, Morales-Serna FN. In silico identification of excretory/secretory proteins and drug targets in monogenean parasites. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 93:104931. [PMID: 34023509 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The Excretory/Secretory (ES) proteins of parasites are involved in invasion and colonization of their hosts. In addition, since ES proteins circulate in the extracellular space, they can be more accessible to drugs than other proteins, which makes ES proteins optimal targets for the development of new and better pharmacological strategies. Monogeneans are a group of parasitic Platyhelminthes that includes some pathogenic species problematic for finfish aquaculture. In the present study, 8297 putative ES proteins from four monogenean species which genomic resources are publicly available were identified and functionally annotated by bioinformatic tools. Additionally, for comparative purposes, ES proteins in other parasitic and free-living platyhelminths were identified. Based on data from the monogenean Gyrodactylus salaris, 15 ES proteins are considered potential drug targets. One of them showed homology to 10 cathepsins with known 3D structure. A docking molecular analysis uncovered that the anthelmintic emodepside shows good affinity to these cathepsins suggesting that emodepside can be experimentally tested as a monogenean's cathepsin inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Caña-Bozada
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Mazatlán 82112, Sinaloa, Mexico
| | - Martha Chapa-López
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Mazatlán 82112, Sinaloa, Mexico
| | - Rubén D Díaz-Martín
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Mazatlán 82112, Sinaloa, Mexico
| | | | - José Ángel Huerta-Ocampo
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Guillermo de Anda-Jáuregui
- Computational Genomics Division, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - F Neptalí Morales-Serna
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Mazatlán 82112, Sinaloa, Mexico; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), Ciudad de México, Mexico; Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mazatlán 82040, Sinaloa, Mexico.
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16
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Kreshchenko ND. A Study of the Mechanisms of Action of FMRF-Like Peptides in Inducing Muscle Contraction in Planarians (Platyhelminthes). Biophysics (Nagoya-shi) 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s000635092103009x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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17
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Nässel DR, Wu SF. Leucokinins: Multifunctional Neuropeptides and Hormones in Insects and Other Invertebrates. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1531. [PMID: 33546414 PMCID: PMC7913504 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Leucokinins (LKs) constitute a neuropeptide family first discovered in a cockroach and later identified in numerous insects and several other invertebrates. The LK receptors are only distantly related to other known receptors. Among insects, there are many examples of species where genes encoding LKs and their receptors are absent. Furthermore, genomics has revealed that LK signaling is lacking in several of the invertebrate phyla and in vertebrates. In insects, the number and complexity of LK-expressing neurons vary, from the simple pattern in the Drosophila larva where the entire CNS has 20 neurons of 3 main types, to cockroaches with about 250 neurons of many different types. Common to all studied insects is the presence or 1-3 pairs of LK-expressing neurosecretory cells in each abdominal neuromere of the ventral nerve cord, that, at least in some insects, regulate secretion in Malpighian tubules. This review summarizes the diverse functional roles of LK signaling in insects, as well as other arthropods and mollusks. These functions include regulation of ion and water homeostasis, feeding, sleep-metabolism interactions, state-dependent memory formation, as well as modulation of gustatory sensitivity and nociception. Other functions are implied by the neuronal distribution of LK, but remain to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R. Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, S-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shun-Fan Wu
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
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Mair GR, Halton DW, Maule AG. The neuromuscular system of the sheep tapeworm Moniezia expansa. INVERTEBRATE NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 20:17. [PMID: 32978688 DOI: 10.1007/s10158-020-00246-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cestodes are common gastrointestinal parasites of humans and livestock. They attach to the host gut and, without a mouth or intestinal system, absorb nutrients through their epidermis. Here we show that despite this simplified anatomy and sessile lifestyle, they maintain a complex neuromuscular system. We used fluorescently labelled phalloidin as a specific probe for filamentous actin to define the overall organisation of several distinct muscle systems in the cyclophyllidean Moniezia expansa. Like all flatworms, the body wall musculature below the neodermis of this intestinal parasite of sheep is characterised by outer circular and inner longitudinal muscle fibres. Diagonal fibres, typically found in free-living and trematode platyhelminths, on the other hand, are notably absent. Prominent longitudinal sheaths dominate the parenchyma and provide retractor muscles to the four acetabula in the scolex; they attach at the bottom of each cup-shaped holdfast. Within sexually mature proglottids, circular fibres dominate the duct walls of the male and female reproductive systems. Nerve cells and fibres that express serotonin or neuropeptide F supply well-developed innervation to several of the described muscle systems: emanating from the central nervous system, fibres in the periphery develop pervasive nerve nets that anastomose within body wall musculature as well as the parenchymal longitudinal and oblique muscle fibres, and innervate the sexual organs and gonopore in mature proglottids. Using homology searches, we provide evidence for 20 neuropeptide precursors together with four prepropeptide processing enzymes as well as several 5-HT signalling components to be represented in the Moniezia transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar R Mair
- Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, 1800 Christensen Drive, 2008 Vet Med, Ames, IA, 50011-1134, USA.
| | - David W Halton
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Aaron G Maule
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
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Kreshchenko N, Terenina N, Nefedova D, Mochalova N, Voropaeva E, Movsesyan S. The neuroactive substances and associated muscle system in Rhipidocotyle campanula (Digenea, Bucephalidae) from the intestine of the pike Esox lucius. J Morphol 2020; 281:1047-1058. [PMID: 32574422 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
We report about the muscular system and the serotonergic and FMRFamidergic components of the nervous system of the Bucephalidae trematode, Rhipidocotyle campanula, an intestinal parasite of the pike. We use immunocytochemical methods and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM). The musculature is identified by histochemical staining with fluorescently labeled phalloidin. The body wall musculature of R. campanula contains three layers of muscle fibres - the outer thin circular, intermediate longitudinal and inner diagonal muscle fibres running in two opposite directions. The digestive system of R. campanula possess of a well-developed musculature: radial, longitudinal and circular muscle elements are detected in the pharynx, circular and longitudinal muscle filaments seen in the oesophagus, and longitudinal and the circular muscle fibres were found in the intestinal wall. Specific staining indicating the presence of actin muscle filaments occurs in the cirrus sac localized in the posterior body region. The frontal region of anterior attachment organ, the rhynchus, in R. campanula is represented by radial muscle fibres. The posterior part of the rhynchus comprise of radial muscles forming the organ's wall, and several strong longitudinal muscle bundles. Serotonergic and FMRFamidergic structures are detected in the central and peripheral compartments of the nervous system of R. campanula, that is, in the paired brain ganglia, the brain commissure, the longitudinal nerve cords, and connective nerve commissures. The innervations of the rhynchus, pharynx, oesophagus and distal regions of the reproductive system by the serotonergic and FMRFamidergic nervous elements are revealed. We compare our findings obtained on R. campanula with related data for other trematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kreshchenko
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Nadezhda Terenina
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Darya Nefedova
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia Mochalova
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Voropaeva
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Tobolsk complex scientific station, Ural Department of Russian Academy of Sciences (Ural Department of RAS), Tobolsk, Russia
| | - Sergey Movsesyan
- Center of Parasitology, А.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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The New Data on the Serotonin and FMRFamide Localization in the Nervous System of Opisthorchis felineus Metacercaria. Acta Parasitol 2020; 65:361-374. [PMID: 32002774 DOI: 10.2478/s11686-019-00165-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trematoda Opisthorchis felineus Rivolta, 1884 is the causative agent of dangerous parasite disease-opisthorchiasis, widespread in the Russian Federation. The details of the neuroanatomical localization of the serotoninergic and FMRFamidergic neurotransmitter elements as well as their functional roles remain not studied enough in both adult and larval forms of O. felineus. The studies in this area are important in term of the development of a new pharmacological strategy of the struggle with the causative agent of opisthorchiasis affecting the neuronal signal substances and the function of its nervous system. PURPOSE The aim of this work was the immunocytochemical study of the neurotransmitters serotonin (5-HT, 5-Hydroxitryptamine) and neuropeptide FMRFamide localization in the nervous system of the opisthorchiasis causative agent-O. felineus metacercaria. To study the relationship between the detected neurotransmitters and the muscular elements of the parasite, the muscle staining was carried out simultaneously using fluorophore-conjugated phalloidin. METHODS The localization of 5-HTergic and FMRFamidergic nerve structures was determined by immunocytochemical method. The staining samples were analyzed using a fluorescent and confocal laser scanning microscopies. RESULTS The new data on the presence and distribution of the serotonin-immunopositive (IP)- and FMRFa-IP components in the central and peripheral departments of the nervous system of O. felineus metacercaria has been obtained. Besides that a number of the new anatomical details of the nervous system organization and of the innervation of the organs and tissues in the investigated parasite have been revealed. CONCLUSION The data obtained on the presence and localization of the 5-HTergic and peptidergic (FMRFamide) components in central and peripheral departments of the nervous system of O. felineus metacercaria elaborated and expanded the existing information about the nervous system as well as the innervations of the tissues and organs in the causative agent of opistchorchiasis.
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Towards deorphanizing G protein-coupled receptors of Schistosoma mansoni using the MALAR yeast two-hybrid system. Parasitology 2019; 147:865-872. [PMID: 31840628 PMCID: PMC7284817 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019001756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms of the genus Schistosoma. Treatment is solely dependent on praziquantel. In the face of the worldwide dimension, projects have been initiated to develop new chemotherapies. Due to their proven druggability, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are promising targets for anthelmintics. However, to identify candidate receptors, a deeper understanding of GPCR signalling in schistosome biology is essential. Comparative transcriptomics of paired and unpaired worms and their gonads revealed 59 differentially regulated GPCR-coding genes putatively involved in neuronal processes. In general, the diversity among GPCRs and their integral membrane topology make it difficult to characterize and deorphanize these receptors. To overcome existing limitations, we performed a pilot approach and utilized the innovative Membrane-Anchored Ligand And Receptor yeast two-hybrid system (MALAR-Y2H) to associate potential neuropeptide ligands with their cognate receptors. Here, we demonstrated the ability to express full-length GPCRs of Schistosoma mansoni in a heterologous yeast-based system. Additionally, we localized GPCRs and chimeras of neuropeptides fused to the WBP1 transmembrane domain of yeast to the plasma membrane of yeast cells. Reporter gene assays indicated ligand-receptor binding, which allowed us to identify certain neuropeptides as potential ligands for two GPCRs, which had been found before to be differentially expressed in schistosomes in a pairing-dependent manner. Thus, the MALAR-Y2H system appears suitable to unravel schistosome GPCR–ligand interactions. Besides its relevance for understanding schistosome biology, identifying and characterizing GPCR–ligand interaction will also contribute to applied research aspects.
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Buddenborg SK, Kamel B, Bu L, Zhang SM, Mkoji GM, Loker ES. Transcriptional responses of Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Schistosoma mansoni following exposure to niclosamide, with evidence for a synergistic effect on snails following exposure to both stressors. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0006927. [PMID: 31841501 PMCID: PMC6936870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is one of the world's most common NTDs. Successful control operations often target snail vectors with the molluscicide niclosamide. Little is known about how niclosamide affects snails, including for Biomphalaria pfeifferi, the most important vector for Schistosoma mansoni in Africa. We used Illumina technology to explore how field-derived B. pfeifferi, either uninfected or harboring cercariae-producing S. mansoni sporocysts, respond to a sublethal treatment of niclosamide. This study afforded the opportunity to determine if snails respond differently to biotic or abiotic stressors, and if they reserve unique responses for when presented with both stressors in combination. We also examined how sporocysts respond when their snail host is treated with niclosamide. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Cercariae-producing sporocysts within snails treated with niclosamide express ~68% of the genes in the S. mansoni genome, as compared to 66% expressed by intramolluscan stages of S. mansoni in snails not treated with niclosamide. Niclosamide does not disable sporocysts nor does it seem to provoke from them distinctive responses associated with detoxifying a xenobiotic. For uninfected B. pfeifferi, niclosamide treatment alone increases expression of several features not up-regulated in infected snails including particular cytochrome p450s and heat shock proteins, glutathione-S-transferases, antimicrobial factors like LBP/BPI and protease inhibitors, and also provokes strong down regulation of proteases. Exposure of infected snails to niclosamide resulted in numerous up-regulated responses associated with apoptosis along with down-regulated ribosomal and defense functions, indicative of a distinctive, compromised state not achieved with either stimulus alone. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This study helps define the transcriptomic responses of an important and under-studied schistosome vector to S. mansoni sporocysts, to niclosamide, and to both in combination. It suggests the response of S. mansoni sporocysts to niclosamide is minimal and not reflective of a distinct repertoire of genes to handle xenobiotics while in the snail host. It also offers new insights for how niclosamide affects snails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K. Buddenborg
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM United States of America
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton United Kingdom
| | - Bishoy Kamel
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM United States of America
| | - Lijing Bu
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM United States of America
| | - Si-Ming Zhang
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM United States of America
| | - Gerald M. Mkoji
- Center for Biotechnology Research and Development, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi KEN
| | - Eric S. Loker
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM United States of America
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Nässel DR, Zandawala M, Kawada T, Satake H. Tachykinins: Neuropeptides That Are Ancient, Diverse, Widespread and Functionally Pleiotropic. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1262. [PMID: 31824255 PMCID: PMC6880623 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tachykinins (TKs) are ancient neuropeptides present throughout the bilaterians and are, with some exceptions, characterized by a conserved FX1GX2Ramide carboxy terminus among protostomes and FXGLMamide in deuterostomes. The best-known TK is the vertebrate substance P, which in mammals, together with other TKs, has been implicated in health and disease with important roles in pain, inflammation, cancer, depressive disorder, immune system, gut function, hematopoiesis, sensory processing, and hormone regulation. The invertebrate TKs are also known to have multiple functions in the central nervous system and intestine and these have been investigated in more detail in the fly Drosophila and some other arthropods. Here, we review the protostome and deuterostome organization and evolution of TK precursors, peptides and their receptors, as well as their functions, which appear to be partly conserved across Bilateria. We also outline the distribution of TKs in the brains of representative organisms. In Drosophila, recent studies have revealed roles of TKs in early olfactory processing, neuromodulation in circuits controlling locomotion and food search, nociception, aggression, metabolic stress, and hormone release. TK signaling also regulates lipid metabolism in the Drosophila intestine. In crustaceans, TK is an important neuromodulator in rhythm-generating motor circuits in the stomatogastric nervous system and a presynaptic modulator of photoreceptor cells. Several additional functional roles of invertebrate TKs can be inferred from their distribution in various brain circuits. In addition, there are a few interesting cases where invertebrate TKs are injected into prey animals as vasodilators from salivary glands or paralyzing agents from venom glands. In these cases, the peptides are produced in the glands of the predator with sequences mimicking the prey TKs. Lastly, the TK-signaling system appears to have duplicated in Panarthropoda (comprising arthropods, onychophores, and tardigrades) to give rise to a novel type of peptides, natalisins, with a distinct receptor. The distribution and functions of natalisins are distinct from the TKs. In general, it appears that TKs are widely distributed and act in circuits at short range as neuromodulators or cotransmitters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick R. Nässel
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Meet Zandawala
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Tsuyoshi Kawada
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Kyoto, Japan
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Buddenborg SK, Kamel B, Hanelt B, Bu L, Zhang SM, Mkoji GM, Loker ES. The in vivo transcriptome of Schistosoma mansoni in the prominent vector species Biomphalaria pfeifferi with supporting observations from Biomphalaria glabrata. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007013. [PMID: 31568484 PMCID: PMC6797213 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The full scope of the genes expressed by schistosomes during intramolluscan development has yet to be characterized. Understanding the gene products deployed by larval schistosomes in their snail hosts will provide insights into their establishment, maintenance, asexual reproduction, ability to castrate their hosts, and their prolific production of human-infective cercariae. Using the Illumina platform, the intramolluscan transcriptome of Schistosoma mansoni was investigated in field-derived specimens of the prominent vector species Biomphalaria pfeifferi at 1 and 3 days post infection (d) and from snails shedding cercariae. These S. mansoni samples were derived from the same snails used in our complementary B. pfeifferi transcriptomic study. We supplemented this view with microarray analyses of S. mansoni from B. glabrata at 2d, 4d, 8d, 16d, and 32d to highlight robust features of S. mansoni transcription, even when a different technique and vector species was used. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Transcripts representing at least 7,740 (66%) of known S. mansoni genes were expressed during intramolluscan development, with the greatest number expressed in snails shedding cercariae. Many transcripts were constitutively expressed throughout development featuring membrane transporters, and metabolic enzymes involved in protein and nucleic acid synthesis and cell division. Several proteases and protease inhibitors were expressed at all stages, including some proteases usually associated with cercariae. Transcripts associated with G-protein coupled receptors, germ cell perpetuation, and stress responses and defense were well represented. We noted transcripts homologous to planarian anti-bacterial factors, several neural development or neuropeptide transcripts including neuropeptide Y, and receptors that may be associated with schistosome germinal cell maintenance that could also impact host reproduction. In at least one snail the presence of larvae of another digenean species (an amphistome) was associated with repressed S. mansoni transcriptional activity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This in vivo study, emphasizing field-derived snails and schistosomes, but supplemented with observations from a lab model, provides a distinct view from previous studies of development of cultured intramolluscan stages from lab-maintained organisms. We found many highly represented transcripts with suspected or unknown functions, with connection to intramolluscan development yet to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K. Buddenborg
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Bishoy Kamel
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Ben Hanelt
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Lijing Bu
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Si-Ming Zhang
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Gerald M. Mkoji
- Center for Biotechnology Research and Development, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairob,i Kenya
| | - Eric S. Loker
- Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
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Lu Z, Spänig S, Weth O, Grevelding CG. Males, the Wrongly Neglected Partners of the Biologically Unprecedented Male-Female Interaction of Schistosomes. Front Genet 2019; 10:796. [PMID: 31552097 PMCID: PMC6743411 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosomes are the only platyhelminths that have evolved separate sexes, and they exhibit a unique reproductive biology because the female's sexual maturation depends on a constant pairing contact with the male. In the female, pairing leads to gonad differentiation, which is associated with substantial morphological changes, and controls among others the expression of gonad-associated genes. In the male, no morphological changes have been observed after pairing, although first data indicated an effect of pairing on gene transcription. Comprehensive transcriptomic approaches have revealed an unexpected high number of genes that are differentially transcribed in the male after pairing. Their identities suggest roles for the male that are not restricted to feeding and enhanced muscular power to transport paired female and, as assumed before, to induce its sexual maturation by one "magic" factor. Instead, a more complex picture emerges in which both partners live in a reciprocal sender-recipient relationship that not only affects the gonads of both genders but may also involve tactile stimuli, transforming growth factor β signaling, nutritional parts, and neuronal processes, including neuropeptides and G protein-coupled receptor signaling. This review provides a summary of transcriptomics including an overview of genes expressed in a pairing-dependent manner in schistosome males. This may stimulate further research in understanding the role of the male as the recipient of the female's signals upon pairing, the male's "capacitation," and its subsequent competence as a sender of information. The latter process finally transforms a sexually immature, autonomous female without completely developed gonads into a sexually mature, partially non-autonomous female with fully differentiated gonads and enormous egg production capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Lu
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Insitute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Spänig
- Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Weth
- Insitute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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Thiel D, Franz-Wachtel M, Aguilera F, Hejnol A. Xenacoelomorph Neuropeptidomes Reveal a Major Expansion of Neuropeptide Systems during Early Bilaterian Evolution. Mol Biol Evol 2018. [PMCID: PMC6188537 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides are neurosecretory signaling molecules in protostomes and deuterostomes (together Nephrozoa). Little, however, is known about the neuropeptide complement of the sister group of Nephrozoa, the Xenacoelomorpha, which together form the Bilateria. Because members of the xenacoelomorph clades Xenoturbella, Nemertodermatida, and Acoela differ extensively in their central nervous system anatomy, the reconstruction of the xenacoelomorph and bilaterian neuropeptide complements may provide insights into the relationship between nervous system evolution and peptidergic signaling. Here, we analyzed transcriptomes of seven acoels, four nemertodermatids, and two Xenoturbella species using motif searches, similarity searches, mass spectrometry and phylogenetic analyses to characterize neuropeptide precursors and neuropeptide receptors. Our comparison of these repertoires with previously reported nephrozoan and cnidarian sequences shows that the majority of annotated neuropeptide GPCRs in cnidarians are not orthologs of specific bilaterian neuropeptide receptors, which suggests that most of the bilaterian neuropeptide systems evolved after the cnidarian–bilaterian evolutionary split. This expansion of more than 20 peptidergic systems in the stem leading to the Bilateria predates the evolution of complex nephrozoan organs and nervous system architectures. From this ancient set of neuropeptides, acoels show frequent losses that correlate with their divergent central nervous system anatomy. We furthermore detected the emergence of novel neuropeptides in xenacoelomorphs and their expansion along the nemertodermatid and acoel lineages, the two clades that evolved nervous system condensations. Together, our study provides fundamental insights into the early evolution of the bilaterian peptidergic systems, which will guide future functional and comparative studies of bilaterian nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Thiel
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Felipe Aguilera
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Andreas Hejnol
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Serotonin and Neuropeptide FMRFamide in the Attachment Organs of Trematodes. Helminthologia 2018; 55:185-194. [PMID: 31662646 PMCID: PMC6662011 DOI: 10.2478/helm-2018-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The serotoninergic and FMRFamidergic nervous system of the attachment organs of trematodes were examined using immunocytochemical techniques and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Adult trematodes from eight families as well as cercariae and metacercariae from ten families were studied. TRITC-conjugated phalloidin was used to stain the muscle fibres. The serotonin- and FMRFamide-immunoreactive (IR) nerve cells and fibres were revealed to be near the muscle fibres of the oral and ventral suckers of the trematodes and their larvae. The results indicate the important role of neurotransmitters, serotonin and neuropeptide FMRFamide in the regulation of muscle activity in the attachment organs of trematodes and can be considered in perspective for the development of new anthelmintic drugs, which can interrupt the function of the attachment organs of the parasites.
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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] [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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DeLaney K, Buchberger AR, Atkinson L, Gründer S, Mousley A, Li L. New techniques, applications and perspectives in neuropeptide research. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:221/3/jeb151167. [PMID: 29439063 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.151167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are one of the most diverse classes of signaling molecules and have attracted great interest over the years owing to their roles in regulation of a wide range of physiological processes. However, there are unique challenges associated with neuropeptide studies stemming from the highly variable molecular sizes of the peptides, low in vivo concentrations, high degree of structural diversity and large number of isoforms. As a result, much effort has been focused on developing new techniques for studying neuropeptides, as well as novel applications directed towards learning more about these endogenous peptides. The areas of importance for neuropeptide studies include structure, localization within tissues, interaction with their receptors, including ion channels, and physiological function. Here, we discuss these aspects and the associated techniques, focusing on technologies that have demonstrated potential in advancing the field in recent years. Most identification and structural information has been gained by mass spectrometry, either alone or with confirmations from other techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and other spectroscopic tools. While mass spectrometry and bioinformatic tools have proven to be the most powerful for large-scale analyses, they still rely heavily on complementary methods for confirmation. Localization within tissues, for example, can be probed by mass spectrometry imaging, immunohistochemistry and radioimmunoassays. Functional information has been gained primarily from behavioral studies coupled with tissue-specific assays, electrophysiology, mass spectrometry and optogenetic tools. Concerning the receptors for neuropeptides, the discovery of ion channels that are directly gated by neuropeptides opens up the possibility of developing a new generation of tools for neuroscience, which could be used to monitor neuropeptide release or to specifically change the membrane potential of neurons. It is expected that future neuropeptide research will involve the integration of complementary bioanalytical technologies and functional assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellen DeLaney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Amanda R Buchberger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Louise Atkinson
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Stefan Gründer
- Institute of Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Angela Mousley
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Lingjun Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA .,School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1450 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Some details of muscles innervations by FMRF-like nerve elements in planarian Girardia tigrina. ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-017-0392-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Liang D, Zhao M, Wang T, McManus DP, Cummins SF. GPCR and IR genes in Schistosoma mansoni miracidia. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:563. [PMID: 27784323 PMCID: PMC5080760 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1837-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Schistosoma species are responsible for the disease schistosomiasis, a highly prevalent helminthic disease that requires a freshwater snail as intermediate host. The S. mansoni free-living miracidium must utilize olfaction to find a suitable snail host, and certain types of rhodopsin G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ionotropic receptors (IRs) have been identified as olfactory receptors in other animal phyla. The Schistosoma genome project, together with the recent availability of proteomic databases, allowed for studies to explore receptors within S. mansoni, some of which may contribute to host finding. Results We have identified 17 rhodopsin-type GPCR sequences in S. mansoni belonging to four subclasses, including ligand-specific GPCRs (i.e. neuropeptide and opsin). RT-PCR demonstrated the expression of nine out of the 17 GPCRs in the free-living miracidia, each of which have been characterized for homology to S. haematobium. Among the nine GPCRs, two are predicted as Gq-opsins. We also describe the characterization of a Schistosoma-encoded IR based on similarity with other species IR and conservation of IR-like domains. Schistosoma mansoni IR is expressed in miracidia at 3 and 6 h post-hatch. Conclusions The identification of receptors in S. mansoni miracidia, presented here, contributes not only to further understanding of Schistosoma biology and signal transduction but also provides a basis for approaches that may modify parasite behaviour. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1837-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Liang
- Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, 4558, Australia
| | - Min Zhao
- Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, 4558, Australia
| | - Tianfang Wang
- Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, 4558, Australia
| | - Donald P McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Q4006, Australia
| | - Scott F Cummins
- Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, 4558, Australia.
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Picard MAL, Boissier J, Roquis D, Grunau C, Allienne JF, Duval D, Toulza E, Arancibia N, Caffrey CR, Long T, Nidelet S, Rohmer M, Cosseau C. Sex-Biased Transcriptome of Schistosoma mansoni: Host-Parasite Interaction, Genetic Determinants and Epigenetic Regulators Are Associated with Sexual Differentiation. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004930. [PMID: 27677173 PMCID: PMC5038963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Among more than 20,000 species of hermaphroditic trematodes, Schistosomatidae are unusual since they have evolved gonochorism. In schistosomes, sex is determined by a female heterogametic system, but phenotypic sexual dimorphism appears only after infection of the vertebrate definitive host. The completion of gonad maturation occurs even later, after pairing. To date, the molecular mechanisms that trigger the sexual differentiation in these species remain unknown, and in vivo studies on the developing schistosomulum stages are lacking. To study the molecular basis of sex determination and sexual differentiation in schistosomes, we investigated the whole transcriptome of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni in a stage- and sex-comparative manner. Methodology/ Principal Findings We performed a RNA-seq on males and females for five developmental stages: cercariae larvae, three in vivo schistosomulum stages and adults. We detected 7,168 genes differentially expressed between sexes in at least one of the developmental stages, and 4,065 of them were functionally annotated. Transcriptome data were completed with H3K27me3 histone modification analysis using ChIP-Seq before (in cercariae) and after (in adults) the phenotypic sexual dimorphism appearance. In this paper we present (i) candidate determinants of the sexual differentiation, (ii) sex-biased players of the interaction with the vertebrate host, and (iii) different dynamic of the H3K27me3 histone mark between sexes as an illustration of sex-biased epigenetic landscapes. Conclusions/ Significance Our work presents evidence that sexual differentiation in S. mansoni is accompanied by distinct male and female transcriptional landscapes of known players of the host-parasite crosstalk, genetic determinants and epigenetic regulators. Our results suggest that such combination could lead to the optimized sexual dimorphism of this parasitic species. As S. mansoni is pathogenic for humans, this study represents a promising source of therapeutic targets, providing not only data on the parasite development in interaction with its vertebrate host, but also new insights on its reproductive function. Parasitic flatworms include more than 20,000 species that are classically hermaphrodites. Among them, the roughly hundred species of Schistosomatidae are intriguing because they are gonochoric. Schistosomes are responsible of the second most important parasitic disease worldwide, and eggs are the main cause of the inflammatory symptoms. Thus, studying the sexual reproduction mechanisms of schistosomes is of particular interest for drug development. Schistosome’s sex is genetically determined by the presence of sex chromosomes: ZZ in males or ZW in females. There is, however, no phenotypic dimorphism in the larval stages: sexual dimorphism appears only in the vertebrate host. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypic sexual dimorphism, we performed a transcriptome analysis (RNA-Seq) in five different stages of the parasite lifecycle as well as a chromatin status analysis (ChIP-Seq) in the non-differentiated stage cercariae and in the adult differentiated stage, for males and females separately. Our work presents evidence that sexual differentiation in S. mansoni is accompanied by distinct male and female transcriptional landscapes of known players of the host-parasite crosstalk, developmental pathways and epigenetic regulators. Our sex-comparative approach provides therefore new potential therapeutic targets to affect development and sexual reproduction of parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion A. L. Picard
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Jérôme Boissier
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - David Roquis
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Christoph Grunau
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Jean-François Allienne
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - David Duval
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Eve Toulza
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Nathalie Arancibia
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
| | - Conor R. Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Thavy Long
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | | | | | - Céline Cosseau
- Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, IHPE UMR 5244, CNRS, IFREMER, Univ. Montpellier, Perpignan, France
- * E-mail:
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Lu Z, Sessler F, Holroyd N, Hahnel S, Quack T, Berriman M, Grevelding CG. Schistosome sex matters: a deep view into gonad-specific and pairing-dependent transcriptomes reveals a complex gender interplay. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31150. [PMID: 27499125 PMCID: PMC4976352 DOI: 10.1038/srep31150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
As a key event for maintaining life cycles, reproduction is a central part of platyhelminth biology. In case of parasitic platyhelminths, reproductive processes can also contribute to pathology. One representative example is the trematode Schistosoma, which causes schistosomiasis, an infectious disease, whose pathology is associated with egg production. Among the outstanding features of schistosomes is their dioecious lifestyle and the pairing-dependent differentiation of the female gonads which finally leads to egg synthesis. To analyze the reproductive biology of Schistosoma mansoni in-depth we isolated complete ovaries and testes from paired and unpaired schistosomes for comparative RNA-seq analyses. Of >7,000 transcripts found in the gonads, 243 (testes) and 3,600 (ovaries) occurred pairing-dependently. Besides the detection of genes transcribed preferentially or specifically in the gonads of both genders, we uncovered pairing-induced processes within the gonads including stem cell-associated and neural functions. Comparisons to work on neuropeptidergic signaling in planarian showed interesting parallels but also remarkable differences and highlights the importance of the nervous system for flatworm gonad differentiation. Finally, we postulated first functional hints for 235 hypothetical genes. Together, these results elucidate key aspects of flatworm reproductive biology and will be relevant for basic as well as applied, exploitable research aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Lu
- BFS, Institute of Parasitology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Florian Sessler
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Nancy Holroyd
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Steffen Hahnel
- BFS, Institute of Parasitology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Quack
- BFS, Institute of Parasitology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Matthew Berriman
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
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Koziol U, Koziol M, Preza M, Costábile A, Brehm K, Castillo E. De novo discovery of neuropeptides in the genomes of parasitic flatworms using a novel comparative approach. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:709-21. [PMID: 27388856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptide mediated signalling is an ancient mechanism found in almost all animals and has been proposed as a promising target for the development of novel drugs against helminths. However, identification of neuropeptides from genomic data is challenging, and knowledge of the neuropeptide complement of parasitic flatworms is still fragmentary. In this work, we have developed an evolution-based strategy for the de novo discovery of neuropeptide precursors, based on the detection of localised sequence conservation between possible prohormone convertase cleavage sites. The method detected known neuropeptide precursors with good precision and specificity in the models Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, it identified novel putative neuropeptide precursors in nematodes, including the first description of allatotropin homologues in this phylum. Our search for neuropeptide precursors in the genomes of parasitic flatworms resulted in the description of 34 conserved neuropeptide precursor families, including 13 new ones, and of hundreds of new homologues of known neuropeptide precursor families. Most neuropeptide precursor families show a wide phylogenetic distribution among parasitic flatworms and show little similarity to neuropeptide precursors of other bilaterian animals. However, we could also find orthologs of some conserved bilaterian neuropeptides including pyrokinin, crustacean cardioactive peptide, myomodulin, neuropeptide-Y, neuropeptide KY and SIF-amide. Finally, we determined the expression patterns of seven putative neuropeptide precursor genes in the protoscolex of Echinococcus multilocularis. All genes were expressed in the nervous system with different patterns, indicating a hidden complexity of peptidergic signalling in cestodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uriel Koziol
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, CP11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Miguel Koziol
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, CP11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Matías Preza
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, CP11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alicia Costábile
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, CP11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Klaus Brehm
- University of Würzburg, Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2 / Bau E1, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Estela Castillo
- Sección Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, CP11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
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Reda ES, El-Shabasy EA, Said AE, Mansour MFA, Saleh MA. Cholinergic components of nervous system of Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium (Digenea: Schistosomatidae). Parasitol Res 2016; 115:3127-37. [PMID: 27130318 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5070-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A comparison has been made for the first time between the cholinergic components of the nervous system of important human digeneans namely Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium from infected hamster (Cricentus auratus) in Egypt. In each parasite, the central nervous system consists of two cerebral ganglia and three pairs of nerve cords (ventral, lateral, and dorsal) linked together by some transverse connectives and numerous ring commissures. Peripheral cholinergic innervation was detected in oral and ventral suckers and in some parts of female reproductive system in both species, but there were some differences. The possible functions of some of these nervous components are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enayat S Reda
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Eman A El-Shabasy
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
| | - Ashraf E Said
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt
| | - Mohamed F A Mansour
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Mai A Saleh
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Cai P, Gobert GN, You H, McManus DP. The Tao survivorship of schistosomes: implications for schistosomiasis control. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:453-63. [PMID: 26873753 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, is a major public health problem which contributes substantially to the economic and financial burdens of many nations in the developing world. An array of survival strategies, such as the unique structure of the tegument which acts as a major host-parasite interface, immune modulation mechanisms, gene regulation, and apoptosis and self-renewal have been adopted by schistosome parasites over the course of long-term evolution with their mammalian definitive hosts. Recent generation of complete schistosome genomes together with numerous biological, immunological, high-throughput "-omics" and gene function studies have revealed the Tao or strategies that schistosomes employ not only to promote long-term survival, but also to ensure effective life cycle transmission. New scenarios for the future control of this important neglected tropical disease will present themselves as our understanding of these Tao increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Cai
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Geoffrey N Gobert
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hong You
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia
| | - Donald P McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia.
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Osugi T, Son YL, Ubuka T, Satake H, Tsutsui K. RFamide peptides in agnathans and basal chordates. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 227:94-100. [PMID: 26130238 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since a peptide with a C-terminal Arg-Phe-NH2 (RFamide peptide) was first identified in the ganglia of the venus clam in 1977, RFamide peptides have been found in the nervous system of both invertebrates and vertebrates. In vertebrates, the RFamide peptide family includes gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), neuropeptide FF (NPFF), prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP), pyroglutamylated RFamide peptide/26RFamide peptide (QRFP/26RFa), and kisspeptins (kiss1 and kiss2). They are involved in important functions such as the release of hormones, regulation of sexual or social behavior, pain transmission, reproduction, and feeding. In contrast to tetrapods and jawed fish, the information available on RFamide peptides in agnathans and basal chordates is limited, thus preventing further insights into the evolution of RFamide peptides in vertebrates. In this review, we focus on the previous research and recent advances in the studies on RFamide peptides in agnathans and basal chordates. In agnathans, the genes encoding GnIH, NPFF, and PrRP precursors and the mature peptides have been identified in lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and hagfish (Paramyxine atami). Putative kiss1 and kiss2 genes have also been found in the genome database of lamprey. In basal chordates, namely, in amphioxus (Branchiostoma japonicum), a common ancestral form of GnIH and NPFF genes and their mature peptides, as well as the ortholog of the QRFP gene have been identified. The studies revealed that the number of orthologs of vertebrate RFamide peptides present in agnathans and basal chordates is greater than expected, suggesting that the vertebrate RFamide peptides might have emerged and expanded at an early stage of chordate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Osugi
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan.
| | - You Lee Son
- Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Ubuka
- Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Honoo Satake
- Bioorganic Research Institute, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Department of Biology and Center for Medical Life Science, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
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Wang T, Zhao M, Rotgans BA, Strong A, Liang D, Ni G, Limpanont Y, Ramasoota P, McManus DP, Cummins SF. Proteomic Analysis of the Schistosoma mansoni Miracidium. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147247. [PMID: 26799066 PMCID: PMC4723143 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive control efforts, schistosomiasis continues to be a major public health problem in developing nations in the tropics and sub-tropics. The miracidium, along with the cercaria, both of which are water-borne and free-living, are the only two stages in the life-cycle of Schistosoma mansoni which are involved in host invasion. Miracidia penetrate intermediate host snails and develop into sporocysts, which lead to cercariae that can infect humans. Infection of the snail host by the miracidium represents an ideal point at which to interrupt the parasite’s life-cycle. This research focuses on an analysis of the miracidium proteome, including those proteins that are secreted. We have identified a repertoire of proteins in the S. mansoni miracidium at 2 hours post-hatch, including proteases, venom allergen-like proteins, receptors and HSP70, which might play roles in snail-parasite interplay. Proteins involved in energy production and conservation were prevalent, as were proteins predicted to be associated with defence. This study also provides a strong foundation for further understanding the roles that neurohormones play in host-seeking by schistosomes, with the potential for development of novel anthelmintics that interfere with its various life-cycle stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfang Wang
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - Min Zhao
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - Bronwyn A. Rotgans
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - April Strong
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - Di Liang
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - Guoying Ni
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
- School of Medical Science, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4222, Australia
| | - Yanin Limpanont
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Pongrama Ramasoota
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Donald P. McManus
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4006, Australia
| | - Scott F. Cummins
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Hirst NL, Lawton SP, Walker AJ. Protein kinase A signalling in Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and schistosomules. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:425-37. [PMID: 26777870 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase/protein kinase A regulates multiple processes in eukaryotes by phosphorylating diverse cellular substrates, including metabolic and signalling enzymes, ion channels and transcription factors. Here we provide insight into protein kinase A signalling in cercariae and 24h in vitro cultured somules of the blood parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, which causes human intestinal schistosomiasis. Functional mapping of activated protein kinase A using anti-phospho protein kinase A antibodies and confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed activated protein kinase A in the central and peripheral nervous system, oral-tip sensory papillae, oesophagus and excretory system of intact cercariae. Cultured 24h somules, which biologically represent the skin-resident stage of the parasite, exhibited similar activation patterns in oesophageal and nerve tissues but also displayed striking activation at the tegument and activation in a region resembling the germinal 'stem' cell cluster. The adenylyl cyclase activator, forskolin, stimulated somule protein kinase A activation and produced a hyperkinesia phenotype. The biogenic amines, serotonin and dopamine known to be present in skin also induced protein kinase A activation in somules, whereas neuropeptide Y or [Leu(31),Pro(34)]-neuropeptide Y attenuated protein kinase A activation. However, neuropeptide Y did not block the forskolin-induced somule hyperkinesia. Bioinformatic investigation of potential protein associations revealed 193 medium confidence and 59 high confidence protein kinase A interacting partners in S. mansoni, many of which possess putative protein kinase A phosphorylation sites. These data provide valuable insight into the intricacies of protein kinase A signalling in S. mansoni and a framework for further physiological investigations into the roles of protein kinase A in schistosomes, particularly in the context of interactions between the parasite and the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha L Hirst
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK
| | - Scott P Lawton
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK
| | - Anthony J Walker
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK.
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Parker-Manuel SJ, Hahnel S, Grevelding CG. Inhibition of Schistosoma mansoni ether-a-go-go related gene-encoded potassium channels leads to hypermotility and impaired egg production. Exp Parasitol 2015; 158:48-54. [PMID: 26188142 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Revised: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of ether-a-go-go related gene (ERG) potassium channel inhibition on Schistosoma mansoni. Use of dofetilide to block the schistosome ERGs resulted in a striking 'corkscrew' effect. The worms were unable to control their motility; they were hypermotile. The treated worms produced abnormal eggs, some of which consisted of little more than a spine. One of the S. mansoni ERGs (SmERGs), Smp_161140, was chosen for further study by RNAi. The transcript was knocked down to 50% compared to the controls. These RNAi-treated worms demonstrated seizure-like movements. In S. mansoni, as in other organisms, ERG channels seem to play a role in regulating muscle excitability. This work shows that egg production can be greatly reduced by effectively targeting muscle coordination in these important parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Parker-Manuel
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany.
| | - S Hahnel
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany
| | - C G Grevelding
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany
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Arbore R, Sekii K, Beisel C, Ladurner P, Berezikov E, Schärer L. Positional RNA-Seq identifies candidate genes for phenotypic engineering of sexual traits. Front Zool 2015; 12:14. [PMID: 26146508 PMCID: PMC4490696 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-015-0106-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION RNA interference (RNAi) of trait-specific genes permits the manipulation of specific phenotypic traits ("phenotypic engineering") and thus represents a powerful tool to test trait function in evolutionary studies. The identification of suitable candidate genes, however, often relies on existing functional gene annotation, which is usually limited in emerging model organisms, especially when they are only distantly related to traditional genetic model organisms. A case in point is the free-living flatworm Macrostomum lignano (Lophotrochozoa: Platyhelminthes: Rhabditophora), an increasingly powerful model organism for evolutionary studies of sex in simultaneous hermaphrodites. To overcome the limitation of sparse functional annotation, we have performed a positional RNA-Seq analysis on different body fragments in order to identify organ-specific candidate transcripts. We then performed gene expression (in situ hybridization) and gene function (RNAi) analyses on 23 candidate transcripts, both to evaluate the predictive potential of this approach and to obtain preliminary functional characterizations of these candidate genes. RESULTS We identified over 4000 transcripts that could be expected to show specific expression in different reproductive organs (including testis, ovary and the male and female genital systems). The predictive potential of the method could then be verified by confirming organ-specific expression for several candidate transcripts, some of which yielded interesting trait-specific knock-down phenotypes that can now be followed up in future phenotypic engineering studies. CONCLUSIONS Our positional RNA-Seq analysis represents a highly useful resource for the identification of candidate transcripts for functional and phenotypic engineering studies in M. lignano, and it has already been used successfully in several studies. Moreover, this approach can overcome some inherent limitations of homology-based candidate selection and thus should be applicable to a broad range of emerging model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Arbore
- />Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kiyono Sekii
- />Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Peter Ladurner
- />Institute of Zoology and CMBI, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Eugene Berezikov
- />ERIBA, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lukas Schärer
- />Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland
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De Haes W, Van Sinay E, Detienne G, Temmerman L, Schoofs L, Boonen K. Functional neuropeptidomics in invertebrates. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2014; 1854:812-26. [PMID: 25528324 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides are key messengers in almost all physiological processes. They originate from larger precursors and are extensively processed to become bioactive. Neuropeptidomics aims to comprehensively identify the collection of neuropeptides in an organism, organ, tissue or cell. The neuropeptidome of several invertebrates is thoroughly explored since they are important model organisms (and models for human diseases), disease vectors and pest species. The charting of the neuropeptidome is the first step towards understanding peptidergic signaling. This review will first discuss the latest developments in exploring the neuropeptidome. The physiological roles and modes of action of neuropeptides can be explored in two ways, which are largely orthogonal and therefore complementary. The first way consists of inferring the functions of neuropeptides by a forward approach where neuropeptide profiles are compared under different physiological conditions. Second is the reverse approach were neuropeptide collections are used to screen for receptor-binding. This is followed by localization studies and functional tests. This review will focus on how these different functional screening methods contributed to the field of invertebrate neuropeptidomics and expanded our knowledge of peptidergic signaling. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Neuroproteomics: Applications in Neuroscience and Neurology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter De Haes
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elien Van Sinay
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Giel Detienne
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liesbet Temmerman
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liliane Schoofs
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kurt Boonen
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Department of Biology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Osugi T, Okamura T, Son YL, Ohkubo M, Ubuka T, Henmi Y, Tsutsui K. Evolutionary origin of GnIH and NPFF in chordates: insights from novel amphioxus RFamide peptides. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100962. [PMID: 24983238 PMCID: PMC4077772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2014] [Accepted: 05/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a newly identified hypothalamic neuropeptide that inhibits pituitary hormone secretion in vertebrates. GnIH has an LPXRFamide (X = L or Q) motif at the C-terminal in representative species of gnathostomes. On the other hand, neuropeptide FF (NPFF), a neuropeptide characterized as a pain-modulatory neuropeptide, in vertebrates has a PQRFamide motif similar to the C-terminal of GnIH, suggesting that GnIH and NPFF have diverged from a common ancestor. Because GnIH and NPFF belong to the RFamide peptide family in vertebrates, protochordate RFamide peptides may provide important insights into the evolutionary origin of GnIH and NPFF. In this study, we identified a novel gene encoding RFamide peptides and two genes of their putative receptors in the amphioxus Branchiostoma japonicum. Molecular phylogenetic analysis and synteny analysis indicated that these genes are closely related to the genes of GnIH and NPFF and their receptors of vertebrates. We further identified mature RFamide peptides and their receptors in protochordates. The identified amphioxus RFamide peptides inhibited forskolin induced cAMP signaling in the COS-7 cells with one of the identified amphioxus RFamide peptide receptors expressed. These results indicate that the identified protochordate RFamide peptide gene is a common ancestral form of GnIH and NPFF genes, suggesting that the origin of GnIH and NPFF may date back to the time of the emergence of early chordates. GnIH gene and NPFF gene may have diverged by whole-genome duplication in the course of vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Osugi
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoki Okamura
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - You Lee Son
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Ohkubo
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Ubuka
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Henmi
- Aitsu Marine Station, Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Campos TDL, Young ND, Korhonen PK, Hall RS, Mangiola S, Lonie A, Gasser RB. Identification of G protein-coupled receptors in Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni by comparative genomics. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:242. [PMID: 24884876 PMCID: PMC4100253 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease affecting ~200 million people worldwide. Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni are two relatively closely related schistosomes (blood flukes), and the causative agents of urogenital and hepatointestinal schistosomiasis, respectively. The availability of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data sets for these two schistosomes now provides unprecedented opportunities to explore their biology, host interactions and schistosomiasis at the molecular level. A particularly important group of molecules involved in a range of biological and developmental processes in schistosomes and other parasites are the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Although GPCRs have been studied in schistosomes, there has been no detailed comparison of these receptors between closely related species. Here, using a genomic-bioinformatic approach, we identified and characterised key GPCRs in S. haematobium and S. mansoni (two closely related species of schistosome). METHODS Using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based pipeline, we classified and sub-classified GPCRs of S. haematobium and S. mansoni, combined with phylogenetic and transcription analyses. RESULTS We identified and classified classes A, B, C and F as well as an unclassified group of GPCRs encoded in the genomes of S. haematobium and S. mansoni. In addition, we characterised ligand-specific subclasses (i.e. amine, peptide, opsin and orphan) within class A (rhodopsin-like). CONCLUSIONS Most GPCRs shared a high degree of similarity and conservation, except for members of a particular clade (designated SmGPR), which appear to have diverged between S. haematobium and S. mansoni and might explain, to some extent, some of the underlying biological differences between these two schistosomes. The present set of annotated GPCRs provides a basis for future functional genomic studies of cellular GPCR-mediated signal transduction and a resource for future drug discovery efforts in schistosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neil D Young
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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New insights into the FLPergic complements of parasitic nematodes: Informing deorphanisation approaches. EUPA OPEN PROTEOMICS 2014; 3:262-272. [PMID: 26366373 PMCID: PMC4405611 DOI: 10.1016/j.euprot.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
We report the identification of flp and flp-GPCR gene homologues in parasitic nematodes. We provide data to support re-evaluation of the number of flp-genes in nematodes. Post BLAST phylogenetic analysis facilitates identification of putative flp-GPCRs in nematode parasites. We expose the most highly conserved flp and flp-GPCR genes in key pathogens within phylum Nematoda.
FMRFamide-like peptide (FLP) receptors are appealing as putative anthelmintic targets. To date, 31 flp-encoding genes have been identified in Caenorhabditis elegans and thirteen FLP-activated G-protein coupled receptors (FLP-GPCRs) have been reported. The lack of knowledge on FLPs and FLP-GPCRs in parasites impedes their functional characterisation and chemotherapeutic exploitation. Using homology-based BLAST searches and phylogenetic analyses this study describes the identification of putative flp and flp-GPCR gene homologues in 17 nematode parasites providing the first pan-phylum genome-based overview of the FLPergic complement. These data will facilitate FLP-receptor deorphanisation efforts in the quest for novel control targets for nematode parasites.
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Conzelmann M, Williams EA, Krug K, Franz-Wachtel M, Macek B, Jékely G. The neuropeptide complement of the marine annelid Platynereis dumerilii. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:906. [PMID: 24359412 PMCID: PMC3890597 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The marine annelid Platynereis dumerilii is emerging as a powerful lophotrochozoan experimental model for evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) and neurobiology. Recent studies revealed the presence of conserved neuropeptidergic signaling in Platynereis, including vasotocin/neurophysin, myoinhibitory peptide and opioid peptidergic systems. Despite these advances, comprehensive peptidome resources have yet to be reported. Results The present work describes the neuropeptidome of Platynereis. We established a large transcriptome resource, consisting of stage-specific next-generation sequencing datasets and 77,419 expressed sequence tags. Using this information and a combination of bioinformatic searches and mass spectrometry analyses, we increased the known proneuropeptide (pNP) complement of Platynereis to 98. Based on sequence homology to metazoan pNPs, Platynereis pNPs were grouped into ancient eumetazoan, bilaterian, protostome, lophotrochozoan, and annelid families, and pNPs only found in Platynereis. Compared to the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, the only other lophotrochozoan with a large-scale pNP resource, Platynereis has a remarkably full complement of conserved pNPs, with 53 pNPs belonging to ancient eumetazoan or bilaterian families. Our comprehensive search strategy, combined with analyses of sequence conservation, also allowed us to define several novel lophotrochozoan and annelid pNP families. The stage-specific transcriptome datasets also allowed us to map changes in pNP expression throughout the Platynereis life cycle. Conclusion The large repertoire of conserved pNPs in Platynereis highlights the usefulness of annelids in comparative neuroendocrinology. This work establishes a reference dataset for comparative peptidomics in lophotrochozoans and provides the basis for future studies of Platynereis peptidergic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Conzelmann
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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Current drug targets for helminthic diseases. Parasitol Res 2013; 112:1819-31. [PMID: 23529336 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-013-3383-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
More than 2 billion people are infected with helminth parasites across the globe. The burgeoning drug resistance against current anthelmintics in parasitic worms of humans and livestock requires urgent attention to tackle these recalcitrant worms. This review focuses on the advancements made in the area of helminth drug target discovery especially from the last few couple of decades. It highlights various approaches made in this field and enlists the potential drug targets currently being pursued to target economically important helminth species both from human as well as livestock to combat disease pathology of schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, and other important macroparasitic diseases. Research in the helminths study is trending to identify potential and druggable targets through genomic, proteomic, biochemical, biophysical, in vitro experiments, and in vivo experiments in animal models. The availability of major helminths genome sequences and the subsequent availability of genome-scale functional datasets through in silico search and prioritization are expected to guide the experimental work necessary for target-based drug discovery. Organized and documented list of drug targets from various helminths of economic importance have been systematically covered in this review for further exploring their use and applications, which can give physicians and veterinarians effective drugs in hand to enable them control worm infections.
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Perez Y, Rieger V, Martin E, Müller CHG, Harzsch S. Neurogenesis in an early protostome relative: progenitor cells in the ventral nerve center of chaetognath hatchlings are arranged in a highly organized geometrical pattern. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2013; 320:179-93. [PMID: 23483730 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Revised: 12/29/2012] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that Chaetognatha represent an evolutionary lineage that is the sister group to all other Protostomia thus promoting these animals as a pivotal model for our understanding of bilaterian evolutionary history. We have analyzed the proliferation of neuronal progenitor cells in the developing ventral nerve center (VNC) of Spadella cephaloptera hatchlings. To that end, for the first time in Chaetognatha, we performed in vivo incorporation experiments with the S-phase specific mitosis marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Our experiments provide evidence for a high level of mitotic activity in the VNC for ca. 3 days after hatching. Neurogenesis is carried by presumptive neuronal progenitor cells that cycle rapidly and most likely divide asymmetrically. These progenitors are arranged in a distinct grid-like geometrical pattern including about 35 transverse rows. Considering Chaetognaths to be an early offshoot of the protostome lineage we conclude that the presence of neuronal progenitor cells with asymmetric division seems to be a feature that is rooted deeply in the Metazoa. In the light of previous evidence indicating the presence of serially iterated peptidergic neurons with individual identities in the chaetognath VNC, we discuss if these neuronal progenitor cells give rise to distinct lineages. Furthermore, we evaluate the serially iterated arrangement of the progenitor cells in the light of evolution of segmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvan Perez
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Evolution Genome Environment, IMBE-UMR CNRS 7263/IRD 237 Aix-Marseille Université/Centre St Charles, Marseille cedex 3, France
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Adult somatic stem cells in the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni. Nature 2013; 494:476-9. [PMID: 23426263 PMCID: PMC3586782 DOI: 10.1038/nature11924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is among the most prevalent human parasitic diseases, affecting more than 200 million people worldwide1. The etiological agents of this disease are trematode flatworms (Schistosoma) that live and lay eggs within the vasculature of the host. These eggs lodge in host tissues, causing inflammatory responses that are the primary cause of morbidity. Because these parasites can live and reproduce within human hosts for decades2, elucidating the mechanisms that promote their longevity is of fundamental importance. Although adult pluripotent stem cells, called neoblasts, drive long-term homeostatic tissue maintenance in long-lived free-living flatworms3,4 (e.g., planarians), and neoblast-like cells have been described in some parasitic tapeworms5, little is known about whether similar cell types exist in any trematode species. Here, we describe a population of neoblast-like cells in the trematode Schistosoma mansoni. These cells resemble planarian neoblasts morphologically and share their ability to proliferate and differentiate into derivatives of multiple germ layers. Capitalizing on available genomic resources6,7 and RNAseq-based gene expression profiling, we find that these schistosome neoblast-like cells express a fibroblast growth factor receptor ortholog. Using RNA interference we demonstrate that this gene is required for the maintenance of these neoblast-like cells. Our observations suggest that adaptation of developmental strategies shared by free-living ancestors to modern-day schistosomes likely contributed to the success of these animals as long-lived obligate parasites. We expect that future studies deciphering the function of these neoblast-like cells will have important implications for understanding the biology of these devastating parasites.
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McVeigh P, Atkinson L, Marks NJ, Mousley A, Dalzell JJ, Sluder A, Hammerland L, Maule AG. Parasite neuropeptide biology: Seeding rational drug target selection? Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2012; 2:76-91. [PMID: 24533265 PMCID: PMC3862435 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2011.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2011] [Revised: 10/25/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The rationale for identifying drug targets within helminth neuromuscular signalling systems is based on the premise that adequate nerve and muscle function is essential for many of the key behavioural determinants of helminth parasitism, including sensory perception/host location, invasion, locomotion/orientation, attachment, feeding and reproduction. This premise is validated by the tendency of current anthelmintics to act on classical neurotransmitter-gated ion channels present on helminth nerve and/or muscle, yielding therapeutic endpoints associated with paralysis and/or death. Supplementary to classical neurotransmitters, helminth nervous systems are peptide-rich and encompass associated biosynthetic and signal transduction components - putative drug targets that remain to be exploited by anthelmintic chemotherapy. At this time, no neuropeptide system-targeting lead compounds have been reported, and given that our basic knowledge of neuropeptide biology in parasitic helminths remains inadequate, the short-term prospects for such drugs remain poor. Here, we review current knowledge of neuropeptide signalling in Nematoda and Platyhelminthes, and highlight a suite of 19 protein families that yield deleterious phenotypes in helminth reverse genetics screens. We suggest that orthologues of some of these peptidergic signalling components represent appealing therapeutic targets in parasitic helminths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul McVeigh
- Molecular Biosciences–Parasitology, Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Louise Atkinson
- Molecular Biosciences–Parasitology, Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- Molecular Biosciences–Parasitology, Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Angela Mousley
- Molecular Biosciences–Parasitology, Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Johnathan J. Dalzell
- Molecular Biosciences–Parasitology, Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Ann Sluder
- Scynexis Inc., P.O. Box 12878, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2878, USA
| | | | - Aaron G. Maule
- Molecular Biosciences–Parasitology, Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
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