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McCusker P, Clarke NG, Gardiner E, Armstrong R, McCammick EM, McVeigh P, Robb E, Wells D, Nowak-Roddy M, Albaqami A, Mousley A, Coulter JA, Harrington J, Marks NJ, Maule AG. Neoblast-like stem cells of Fasciola hepatica. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011903. [PMID: 38805551 PMCID: PMC11161113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The common liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) causes the disease fasciolosis, which results in considerable losses within the global agri-food industry. There is a shortfall in the drugs that are effective against both the adult and juvenile life stages within the mammalian host, such that new drug targets are needed. Over the last decade the stem cells of parasitic flatworms have emerged as reservoirs of putative novel targets due to their role in development and homeostasis, including at host-parasite interfaces. Here, we investigate and characterise the proliferating cells that underpin development in F. hepatica. We provide evidence that these cells are capable of self-renewal, differentiation, and are sensitive to ionising radiation- all attributes of neoblasts in other flatworms. Changes in cell proliferation were also noted during the early stages of in vitro juvenile growth/development (around four to seven days post excystment), which coincided with a marked reduction in the nuclear area of proliferating cells. Furthermore, we generated transcriptomes from worms following irradiation-based ablation of neoblasts, identifying 124 significantly downregulated transcripts, including known stem cell markers such as fgfrA and plk1. Sixty-eight of these had homologues associated with neoblast-like cells in Schistosoma mansoni. Finally, RNA interference mediated knockdown of histone h2b (a marker of proliferating cells), ablated neoblast-like cells and impaired worm development in vitro. In summary, this work demonstrates that the proliferating cells of F. hepatica are equivalent to neoblasts of other flatworm species and demonstrate that they may serve as attractive targets for novel anthelmintics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul McCusker
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan G. Clarke
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Erica Gardiner
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Armstrong
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Erin M. McCammick
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Paul McVeigh
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Robb
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan Wells
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Madelyn Nowak-Roddy
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Abdullah Albaqami
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Mousley
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | | | - John Harrington
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Duluth, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron G. Maule
- Understanding Health & Disease, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
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Mondal M, Carver M, Brown JK. Characteristics of environmental RNAi in potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae). Front Physiol 2022; 13:931951. [PMID: 36330211 PMCID: PMC9623324 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.931951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) has potential to become a major tool for integrated management of insect pests of agricultural crops based on sequence-specificity and low doses of rapidly biodegradable dsRNA. Deploying ‘environmental RNAi’ for control of insect vectors of plant pathogens is of increasing interest for combatting emerging plant diseases. Hemipteran insect vectors, including psyllids, are vascular feeders, making their development difficult to control specifically by targeting with pesticidal chemistries. Psyllids transmit “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” the causal organism of potato zebra chip and tomato vein greening diseases, transmitted, respectively, by the potato or tomato psyllid (PoP). Until now, the optimal effective concentration(s) of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) required for significant gene knockdown and RNAi persistence in PoP have not been determined. The objective of this study was to optimize RNAi in young PoP adults and 3rd instars for screening by oral delivery of dsRNAs. The minimal effective dsRNA concentrations required for robust knockdown and persistence were evaluated by delivering seven concentrations spanning 0.1 ng/μL to 500 ng/μL over post ingestion-access periods (IAP) ranging from 48 h to 12 days. The PoP gene candidates evaluated as targets were vacuolar ATPase subunit A, clathrin heavy chain, and non-fermenting protein 7, which were evaluated for knockdown by qPCR amplification. The minimum and/or the second most effective dsRNA concentration resulting in effective levels of gene knockdown was 100 ng/μL for all three targets. Higher concentrations did not yield further knockdown, indicating potential RISC saturation at the higher doses. Gene silencing post-IAP of 100 ng/μL dsRNA persisted for 3–5 days in adults and nymphs, with the PoP 3rd instar, followed by teneral and mature adults, respectively, exhibiting the most robust RNAi-response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mosharrof Mondal
- School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- RNAissance Ag LLC, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Megan Carver
- School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Judith K. Brown
- School of Plant Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- *Correspondence: Judith K. Brown,
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Fernandez-Baca MV, Hoban C, Ore RA, Ortiz P, Choi YJ, Murga-Moreno C, Mitreva M, Cabada MM. The Differences in the Susceptibility Patterns to Triclabendazole Sulfoxide in Field Isolates of Fasciola hepatica Are Associated with Geographic, Seasonal, and Morphometric Variations. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11060625. [PMID: 35745479 PMCID: PMC9227168 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11060625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Triclabendazole (TCBZ) resistance is an emerging problem in fascioliasis that is not well understood. Studies including small numbers of parasites fail to capture the complexity of susceptibility variations between and within Fasciolahepatica populations. As the first step to studying the complex resistant phenotype−genotype associations, we characterized a large sample of adult F. hepatica with diverging TCBZ susceptibility. We collected parasites from naturally infected livestock slaughtered in the Cusco and Cajamarca regions of Peru. These parasites were exposed to TCBZ sulfoxide (TCBZ.SO) in vitro to determine their susceptibility. We used a motility score to determine the parasite’s viability. We titrated drug concentrations and times to detect 20% non-viable (susceptible conditions) or 80% non-viable (resistant conditions) parasites. We exposed 3348 fully motile parasites to susceptible (n = 1565) or resistant (n = 1783) conditions. Three hundred and forty-one (21.8%) were classified as susceptible and 462 (25.9%) were classified as resistant. More resistant parasites were found in Cusco than in Cajamarca (p < 0.001). Resistant parasites varied by slaughterhouse (p < 0.001), month of the year (p = 0.008), fluke length (p = 0.016), and year of collection (p < 0.001). The in vitro susceptibility to TCBZ.SO in wildtype F. hepatica was associated with geography, season, and morphometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha V. Fernandez-Baca
- Sede Cusco, Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Calle Jose Carlos Mariategui J-6, Wanchaq, Cusco 08002, Peru; (M.V.F.-B.); (R.A.O.)
| | - Cristian Hoban
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca, Avenida Atahualpa 1050, Cajamarca 06001, Peru; (C.H.); (P.O.); (C.M.-M.)
| | - Rodrigo A. Ore
- Sede Cusco, Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Calle Jose Carlos Mariategui J-6, Wanchaq, Cusco 08002, Peru; (M.V.F.-B.); (R.A.O.)
| | - Pedro Ortiz
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca, Avenida Atahualpa 1050, Cajamarca 06001, Peru; (C.H.); (P.O.); (C.M.-M.)
| | - Young-Jun Choi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, 4523 Clayton Avenue, MSC 8051-0043-15, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - César Murga-Moreno
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca, Avenida Atahualpa 1050, Cajamarca 06001, Peru; (C.H.); (P.O.); (C.M.-M.)
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, 4523 Clayton Avenue, MSC 8051-0043-15, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (M.M.C.)
| | - Miguel M. Cabada
- Sede Cusco, Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Calle Jose Carlos Mariategui J-6, Wanchaq, Cusco 08002, Peru; (M.V.F.-B.); (R.A.O.)
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (M.M.C.)
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McCusker P, Toet H, Rathinasamy V, Young N, Beddoe T, Anderson G, Dempster R, McVeigh P, McCammick E, Wells D, Mousley A, Marks NJ, Maule AG, Spithill TW. Molecular characterisation and vaccine efficacy of two novel developmentally regulated surface tegument proteins of Fasciola hepatica. Vet Parasitol 2020; 286:109244. [PMID: 32971381 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The surface tegument of Fasciola hepatica is a crucial tissue due to its key role at the host-parasite interface. We characterised three novel proteins, termed Fhteg1, Fhteg5 and Fhteg8, that are found in the tegument membrane fraction of adult F. hepatica. Bioinformatic analysis of proteomic datasets identified Fhteg5 and Fhteg8 as tegumental glycoproteins and revealed that Fhteg1, Fhteg5 and Fhteg8 are associated with exosomes of adult F. hepatica. Fhteg1, Fhteg5 and Fhteg8 appear to be related to uncharacterised sequences in F. gigantica, Fasciolopsis buski, Echinostoma caproni, Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini, Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni, although F. hepatica appears to have expanded this family. Fhteg1 and Fhteg5 were characterised in detail. The Fhteg1 and Fhteg5 gene transcripts each demonstrate significant upregulation in juvenile fluke 2-4 days post-excystment, with transcript levels maintained during development over 3 weeks in vitro. RNAseq data showed that both Fhtegs are expressed in the adult life stage, although the transcript levels were about 8 fold lower than those in juveniles (3 week post infection). Using immunocytochemistry, Fhteg1 and Fhteg5 were each shown to be expressed in cells adjacent to the muscle layer as well as on the surface of 1 week old juveniles, whilst Fhteg5 was also present in cells at the base of the pharynx. RNAi mediated knockdown of Fhteg1 and Fhteg5 transcripts in 4-10 day old juveniles had no effect on parasite survival, movement or growth in vitro. Although no IgG responses were observed for Fhteg1 or Fhteg5 during infection in sheep and cattle, both proteins elicited a low IgG response in a proportion of infected rats. Rats vaccinated with Fhteg1 and Fhteg5 showed good IgG responses to both proteins and a mean 48.2 % reduction in worm burden following parasite challenge. Although vaccination of cattle with both proteins induced a range of IgG responses, no protection was observed against parasite challenge. This is the first study to provide insights into the molecular properties of two novel, developmentally regulated surface tegument proteins in F. hepatica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul McCusker
- Microbe and Pathogen Biology, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Hayley Toet
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vignesh Rathinasamy
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Neil Young
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Travis Beddoe
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Glenn Anderson
- Intensive Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture R, D & E, Dept of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert Dempster
- Virbac (Australia) Pty Ltd, Milperra, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul McVeigh
- Microbe and Pathogen Biology, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Erin McCammick
- Microbe and Pathogen Biology, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Duncan Wells
- Microbe and Pathogen Biology, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Angela Mousley
- Microbe and Pathogen Biology, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Nikki J Marks
- Microbe and Pathogen Biology, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Aaron G Maule
- Microbe and Pathogen Biology, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Terry W Spithill
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences and Centre for AgriBioscience, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
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