Transcriptomic analysis of reduced sensitivity to praziquantel in Schistosoma mansoni.

Schistosomiasis is an intravascular parasitic infection estimated to affect over 206 million people, the majority of whom live in Africa where the trematode worms Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium are the major causative agents. While a number of drugs have been used to treat schistosomiasis, praziquantel (PZQ) is the only one that is widely available, relatively cheap, and easy to use. The reliance on a single drug for the treatment of such a prevalent disease is a cause for concern due to the potential for resistance to render PZQ ineffective.

The anthelmintic praziquantel is a human serotoninergic G-protein-coupled receptor ligand.

Schistosomiasis is a debilitating tropical disease caused by infection with parasitic blood flukes. Approximately 260 million people are infected worldwide, underscoring the clinical and socioeconomic impact of this chronic infection. Schistosomiasis is treated with the drug praziquantel (PZQ), which has proved the therapeutic mainstay for over three decades of clinical use.

Effect of praziquantel on the differential expression of mouse hepatic genes and parasite ATP binding cassette transporter gene family members during Schistosoma mansoni infection.

Schistosomiasis is a chronic parasitic disease caused by sexually dimorphic blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug widely available to treat the disease but does not kill juvenile parasites. Here we report the use of next generation sequencing to study the transcriptional effect of PZQ on murine hepatic inflammatory, immune and fibrotic responses to Schistosoma mansoni worms and eggs.

Praziquantel sensitivity of Kenyan Schistosoma mansoni isolates and the generation of a laboratory strain with reduced susceptibility to the drug.

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by blood-dwelling flukes of the genus Schistosoma. While the disease may affect as many as 249 million people, treatment largely relies on a single drug, praziquantel. The near exclusive use of this drug for such a prevalent disease has led to concerns regarding the potential for drug resistance to arise and the effect this would have on affected populations.

Design and synthesis of molecular probes for the determination of the target of the anthelmintic drug praziquantel.

Schistosomiasis is a highly prevalent neglected tropical disease caused by blood-dwelling helminths of the genus Schistosoma. Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug available widely for the treatment of this disease and is administered in racemic form, even though only the (R)-isomer has significant anthelmintic activity. Progress towards the development of a second generation of anthelmintics is hampered by a lack of understanding of the mechanism of action of PZQ.

Transcriptional analysis of Schistosoma mansoni treated with praziquantel in vitro.

Schistosomiasis is one of the foremost health problems in developing countries and has been estimated to account for the loss of up to 56 million annual disability-adjusted life years. Control of the disease relies almost exclusively on praziquantel (PZQ) but this drug does not kill juvenile worms during the early stages of infection or prevent post-treatment reinfection. As the use of PZQ continues to grow, there are fears that drug resistance may become problematic thus there is a need to develop a new generation of more broadly effective anti-schistosomal drugs, a task that will be made easier by having an understanding of why PZQ kills sexually mature worms but fails to kill juveniles.

Polymorphism associated with the Schistosoma mansoni tetraspanin-2 gene.

A vaccine against schistosomiasis would contribute significantly to reducing the 3-70 million disability-adjusted life years lost annually to the disease. Towards this end, inoculation with the large extracellular loop (EC-2) of Schistosoma mansoni tetraspanin-2 protein (Sm-TSP-2) has proved effective in reducing worm and egg burdens in S. mansoni-infected mice.

Towards an understanding of the mechanism of action of praziquantel.

Although praziquantel (PZQ) has been used to treat schistosomiasis for over 20 years its mechanism of action remains unknown. We have developed an assay based on the transcriptional response of Schistosoma mansoni PR-1 to heat shock to confirm that while 6-week post-infection (p.i.

A cDNA microarray for Crassostrea virginica and C. gigas.

The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and the Pacific oyster, C. gigas, are species of global economic significance as well as important components of estuarine ecosystems and models for genetic and environmental studies. To enhance the molecular tools available for oyster research, an international group of collaborators has constructed a 27,496-feature cDNA microarray containing 4460 sequences derived from C.

Characterization of two POU transcription factor family members from the urochordate Oikopleura dioica.

Three POU domain containing transcription factors have been cloned from the urochordate Oikopleura dioica. Phylogenetic analysis showed that two of these (OctA1 and OctA2) are closely related members of the class II POU domain family, and one (OctB) is a member of the class III POU domain family. All three transcription factors contained a highly conserved bipartite DNA-binding POU domain with POU specific and POU homeodomains, separated by a linker region.

New resources for marine genomics: bacterial artificial chromosome libraries for the Eastern and Pacific oysters (Crassostrea virginica and C. gigas).

Large-insert genomic bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries of two culturally and economically important oyster species, Crassostrea virginica and C. gigas, have been developed as part of an international effort to develop tools and reagents that will advance our ability to conduct genetic and genomic research. A total of 73,728 C.

Ikaros family members from the agnathan Myxine glutinosa and the urochordate Oikopleura dioica: emergence of an essential transcription factor for adaptive immunity.

The Ikaros multigene family encodes a number of zinc finger transcription factors that play key roles in vertebrate hemopoietic stem cell differentiation and the generation of B, T, and NK cell lineages. In this study, we describe the identification and characterization of an Ikaros family-like (IFL) protein from the agnathan hagfish Myxine glutinosa and the marine urochordate Oikopleura dioica, both of which lie on the evolutionary boundary between the vertebrates and invertebrates. The IFL molecules identified in these animals displayed high conservation in the zinc finger motifs critical for DNA binding and dimerization in comparison with those of jawed vertebrates.