New perspectives on host-parasite interplay by comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of Schistosoma japonicum.
Schistosomiasis remains a serious public health problem with an estimated 200 million people infected in 76 countries. Here we isolated ~ 8,400 potential protein-encoding cDNA contigs from Schistosoma japonicum after sequencing circa 84,000 expressed sequence tags. In tandem, we undertook a high-throughput proteomics approach to characterize the protein expression profiles of a number of developmental stages (cercariae, hepatic schistosomula, female and male adults, eggs, and miracidia) and tissues at the host-parasite interface (eggshell and tegument) by interrogating the protein database deduced from the contigs. Comparative analysis of these transcriptomic and proteomic data, the latter including 3,260 proteins with putative identities, revealed differential expression of genes among the various developmental stages and sexes of S. japonicum and localization of putative secretory and membrane antigens, enzymes, and other gene products on the adult tegument and eggshell, many of which displayed genetic polymorphisms. Numerous S. japonicum genes exhibited high levels of identity with those of their mammalian hosts, whereas many others appeared to be conserved only across the genus Schistosoma or Phylum Platyhelminthes. These findings are expected to provide new insights into the pathophysiology of schistosomiasis and for the development of improved interventions for disease control and will facilitate a more fundamental understanding of schistosome biology, evolution, and the host-parasite interplay.
Liu
Feng
F
Chinese National Human Genome Center, Shanghai, China.
Lu
Jiong
J
Hu
Wei
W
Wang
Sheng-Yue
SY
Cui
Shu-Jian
SJ
Chi
Ming
M
Yan
Qing
Q
Wang
Xin-Rong
XR
Song
Huai-Dong
HD
Xu
Xue-Nian
XN
Wang
Ju-Jun
JJ
Zhang
Xiang-Lin
XL
Zhang
Xin
X
Wang
Zhi-Qin
ZQ
Xue
Chun-Liang
CL
Brindley
Paul J
PJ
McManus
Donald P
DP
Yang
Peng-Yuan
PY
Feng
Zheng
Z
Chen
Zhu
Z
Han
Ze-Guang
ZG
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D023281:Genomics; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D040901:Proteomics; D011817:Rabbits / Q000469:parasitology; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology