Transcriptional changes in the hookworm, Ancylostoma caninum, during the transition from a free-living to a parasitic larva

Background: Third-stage larvae (L3) of the canine hookworm, Ancylostoma caninum, undergo arrested development preceding transmission to a host. Many of the mRNAs up-regulated at this stage are likely to encode proteins that facilitate the transition from a free- living to a parasitic larva. The initial phase of mammalian host invasion by A. caninum L3 (herein termed "activation'') can be mimicked in vitro by culturing L3 in serum-containing medium