Uncovering Notch pathway in the parasitic flatworm Schistosoma mansoni

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) 2016-10, Vol.115 (10), p.3951-3961
• Main Authors: Magalhães, Lizandra G., Morais, Enyara R., Machado, Carla B., Gomes, Matheus S., Cabral, Fernanda J., Souza, Julia M., Soares, Cláudia S., Sá, Renata G., Castro-Borges, William, Rodrigues, Vanderlei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases - antagonists & inhibitors; Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases - genetics; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell culture; Computational Biology; Diamines - pharmacology; Eggs; Embryogenesis; Female; Flatworms; Gene expression; Genome, Helminth - genetics; Genomes; Health aspects; Helminth Proteins - genetics; Helminth Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Immunology; Life Cycle Stages - drug effects; Life cycles; Male; Medical Microbiology; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; Notch protein; Nuclear receptors; Oogenesis; Original Paper; Ovum - drug effects; Phenylglycine; Receptors, Notch - genetics; Receptors, Notch - metabolism; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosoma mansoni - drug effects; Schistosoma mansoni - genetics; Schistosoma mansoni - physiology; Schistosomiasis mansoni - parasitology; Secretase; Signal Transduction; Snails; Thiazoles - pharmacology; Transcription; Transcriptome; Transforming growth factor; Transforming growth factor-b; Tyrosine
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5161-8

Several signaling molecules that govern development in higher animals have been identified in the parasite Schistosoma mansoni , including the transforming growth factor β, protein tyrosine kinases, nuclear hormone receptors, among others. The Notch pathway is a highly conserved signaling mechanism which is involved in a wide variety of developmental processes including embryogenesis and oogenesis in worms and flies. Here we aimed to provide the molecular reconstitution of the Notch pathway in S. mansoni using the available transcriptome and genome databases. Our results also revealed the presence of the transcripts coded for SmNotch , SmSu(H) , SmHes , and the gamma-secretase complex ( SmNicastrin , SmAph-1 , and SmPen-2 ), throughout all the life stages analyzed. Besides, it was observed that the viability and separation of adult worm pairs were not affected by treatment with N-[N(3,5)-difluorophenacetyl)-L-Alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT), a Notch pathway inhibitor. Moreover, DAPT treatment decreased the production of phenotypically normal eggs and arrested their development in culture. Our results also showed a significant decrease in SmHes transcript levels in both adult worms and eggs treated with DAPT. These results provide, for the first time, functional validation of the Notch pathway in S. mansoni and suggest its involvement in parasite oogenesis and embryogenesis. Given the complexity of the Notch pathway, further experiments shall highlight the full repertoire of Notch-mediated cellular processes throughout the S. mansoni life cycle.