Simple preservation of schistosome eggs with high infectivity up to 12 weeks.

The lifecycle of schistosomes must be continuously maintained to clarify and understand this parasite in various aspects in laboratory settings. In the previous studies by other researchers, preservation of schistosome larvae or eggs was attempted by freezing with liquid nitrogen or organic chemicals, but frozen schistosomes were substantially impaired. The present study was conducted to determine whether schistosome eggs can be preserved under a non-frozen condition.

Labeling of miracidium using fluorescent agents to visualize infection of schistosome in intermediate host snails.

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease affecting more than 250 million people worldwide. Schistosomes infect humans by cercariae penetrating the skin in a freshwater environment. Findings obtained more than 100 years prior showed that miracidium develops into cercaria in freshwater snails, though detailed development dynamics have not been elucidated.

In vitro evaluation of the effect of galectins on Schistosoma mansoni motility.

Objective: Galectins are sugar-binding proteins that participate in many biological processes, such as immunity, by regulating host immune cells and their direct interaction with pathogens. They are involved in mediating infection by Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic trematode that causes schistosomiasis. However, their direct effects on schistosomes have not been investigated.

Galectin-2 suppresses nematode development by binding to the invertebrate-specific galactoseβ1-4fucose glyco-epitope.

Galactoseβ1-4Fucose (GalFuc) is a unique disaccharide found in invertebrates including nematodes. A fungal galectin CGL2 suppresses nematode development by recognizing the galactoseβ1-4fucose epitope. The Caenorhabditis elegans galectin LEC-6 recognizes it as an endogenous ligand and the Glu67 residue of LEC-6 is responsible for this interaction.