26 research outputs found
Microarray-Based Analysis of Differential Gene Expression between Infective and Noninfective Larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis
Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted helminth that
affects an estimated 30–100 million people worldwide. Chronically infected
persons who are exposed to corticosteroids can develop disseminated disease, which
carries a high mortality (87–100%) if untreated. Despite this, little is
known about the fundamental biology of this parasite, including the features that
enable infection. We developed the first DNA microarray for this parasite and used it
to compare infective third-stage larvae (L3i) with non-infective first stage larvae
(L1). Using this method, we identified 935 differentially expressed genes. Functional
characterization of these genes revealed L3i biased expression of heat shock proteins
and genes with products that have previously been shown to be immunoreactive in
infected humans. Genes putatively involved in transcription were found to have L1
biased expression. Potential chemotherapeutic and vaccine targets such as
far-1, ucr 2.1 and hsp-90 were
identified for further study
An insight into the sialome of Simulium guianense (DIPTERA:SIMulIIDAE), the main vector of River Blindness Disease in Brazil
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little is known about the composition and function of the saliva in black flies such as <it>Simulium guianense</it>, the main vector of river blindness disease in Brazil. The complex salivary potion of hematophagous arthropods counteracts their host's hemostasis, inflammation, and immunity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Transcriptome analysis revealed ubiquitous salivary protein families--such as the Antigen-5, Yellow, Kunitz domain, and serine proteases--in the <it>S. guianense </it>sialotranscriptome. Insect-specific families were also found. About 63.4% of all secreted products revealed protein families found only in <it>Simulium</it>. Additionally, we found a novel peptide similar to kunitoxin with a structure distantly related to serine protease inhibitors. This study revealed a relative increase of transcripts of the SVEP protein family when compared with <it>Simulium vittatum </it>and <it>S. nigrimanum </it>sialotranscriptomes. We were able to extract coding sequences from 164 proteins associated with blood and sugar feeding, the majority of which were confirmed by proteome analysis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results contribute to understanding the role of <it>Simulium </it>saliva in transmission of <it>Onchocerca volvulus </it>and evolution of salivary proteins in black flies. It also consists of a platform for mining novel anti-hemostatic compounds, vaccine candidates against filariasis, and immuno-epidemiologic markers of vector exposure.</p