title: A next-generation microarray further reveals stage-enriched gene expression pattern in the blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum.
abstract: Schistosomiasis is caused by infection with blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, and ranks, in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), as the third most important neglected tropical disease. Schistosomes have several discrete life stages involving dramatic morphological changes during their development, which require subtle gene expression modulations to complete the complex life-cycle.
  
  
  
  In the current study, we employed a second generation schistosome DNA chip printed with the most comprehensive probe array for studying the Schistosoma japonicum transcriptome, to explore stage-associated gene expression in different developmental phases of S. japonicum. A total of 328, 95, 268 and 532 mRNA transcripts were enriched in cercariae, hepatic schistosomula, adult worms and eggs, respectively. In general, genes associated with transcriptional regulation, cell signalling and motor activity were readily expressed in cercariae; the expression of genes involved in neuronal activities, apoptosis and renewal was modestly upregulated in hepatic schistosomula; transcripts involved in egg production, nutrition metabolism and glycosylation were enriched in adult worms; while genes involved in cell division, microtubule-associated mobility, and host-parasite interplay were relatively highly expressed in eggs.
  
  
  
  The study further highlights the expressional features of stage-associated genes in schistosomes with high accuracy. The results provide a better perspective of the biological characteristics among different developmental stages, which may open new avenues for identification of novel vaccine candidates and the development of novel control interventions against schistosomiasis.
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China. Pengfei.Cai@qimrberghofer.edu.au.|Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia. Pengfei.Cai@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xianyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Queensland, Australia. Don.McManus@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.affiliation: MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China. qijun.chen@ipbcams.ac.cn.|Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China. qijun.chen@ipbcams.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Qijun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000378:metabolism*; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D018510:RNA, Helminth; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Developmental biology; Gene profiling; Microarray; Schistosoma japonicum; Stage-enriched expression