title: Stage-Specific Transcriptome and Proteome Analyses of the Filarial Parasite Onchocerca volvulus and Its Wolbachia Endosymbiont.
abstract: Onchocerciasis (river blindness) is a neglected tropical disease that has been successfully targeted by mass drug treatment programs in the Americas and small parts of Africa. Achieving the long-term goal of elimination of onchocerciasis, however, requires additional tools, including drugs, vaccines, and biomarkers of infection. Here, we describe the transcriptome and proteome profiles of the major vector and the human host stages (L1, L2, L3, molting L3, L4, adult male, and adult female) of Onchocerca volvulus along with the proteome of each parasitic stage and of its Wolbachia endosymbiont (wOv). In so doing, we have identified stage-specific pathways important to the parasite's adaptation to its human host during its early development. Further, we generated a protein array that, when screened with well-characterized human samples, identified novel diagnostic biomarkers of O. volvulus infection and new potential vaccine candidates. This immunomic approach not only demonstrates the power of this postgenomic discovery platform but also provides additional tools for onchocerciasis control programs.
  
  
  
  The global onchocerciasis (river blindness) elimination program will have to rely on the development of new tools (drugs, vaccines, biomarkers) to achieve its goals by 2025. As an adjunct to the completed genomic sequencing of O. volvulus, we used a comprehensive proteomic and transcriptomic profiling strategy to gain a comprehensive understanding of both the vector-derived and human host-derived parasite stages. In so doing, we have identified proteins and pathways that enable novel drug targeting studies and the discovery of novel vaccine candidates, as well as useful biomarkers of active infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Sasisekhar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bennuru
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, NIH, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Jose M C
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Bhavana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Harsha
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Holroyd
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Amruta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mhashilkar
authors.affiliation: Antigen Discovery Inc., Irvine, California, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.affiliation: Antigen Discovery Inc., Irvine, California, USA.
authors.forename: Arlo Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Randall
authors.affiliation: Antigen Discovery Inc., Irvine, California, USA.
authors.forename: Adam D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Shandling
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Unnasch
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York, USA.|College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghedin
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berriman
authors.affiliation: New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA slustigman@nybloodcenter.org tnutman@niaid.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lustigman
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA slustigman@nybloodcenter.org tnutman@niaid.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Nutman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D020543:Proteome; D013559:Symbiosis; D059467:Transcriptome; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome