Publications by authors named "Tunika I Okatcha"
Genome sequences for Schistosoma japonicum and Schistosoma mansoni are now available. The schistosome genome encodes ~13,000 protein encoding genes for which the function of only a minority is understood. There is a valuable role for transgenesis in functional genomic investigations of these new schistosome gene sequences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Minimal information on the genome and proteome of Schistosoma haematobium is available, in marked contrast to the situation with the other major species of human schistosomes for which draft genome sequences have been reported. Accordingly, little is known about functional genomics in S. haematobium, including the utility or not of RNA interference techniques that, if available, promise to guide development of new interventions for schistosomiasis haematobia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The schistosome egg is a promising target for introducing transgenes due to its high germ cell content and the ability to amplify transgenes through infected snails.
- Researchers used square wave electroporation to successfully deliver various macromolecules, including siRNA and mRNA, into Schistosoma mansoni eggs, demonstrating effective transgene expression.
- Results show that electroporation yielded higher provirus copy numbers in larval schistosomes compared to soaking methods, indicating it is a more efficient technique for transgene introduction.