Molecular study of the transcription factor SKN-1 and its putative relationship with genes that encode GST and antioxidant enzymes in Haemonchus contortus

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology 2024-10, Vol.331, p.110255, Article 110255
• Main Authors: Maza-Lopez, Jocelyn, Jiménez-Jacinto, Verónica, Bermúdez-Morales, Víctor H., Alonso-Morales, Rogelio A., Reyes-Guerrero, David E., Higuera-Piedrahita, Rosa I., Camas-Pereyra, Rene, López-Arellano, Maria Eugenia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidant-enzymes; Antioxidants - metabolism; Blood-feeding habit; Catalase - genetics; Catalase - metabolism; Genes; Glutathione S-transferase; Glutathione Transferase - genetics; Glutathione Transferase - metabolism; Haemonchiasis - parasitology; Haemonchiasis - veterinary; Haemonchus - enzymology; Haemonchus - genetics; Haemonchus contortus; Helminth Proteins - genetics; Helminth Proteins - metabolism; Hydrogen Peroxide - metabolism; Larva - genetics; Skinhead-1; Superoxide Dismutase - genetics; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110255

Haemonchus contortus is a parasitic nematode of ruminants. Once inside its host, it is exposed to reactive oxidative species and responds by synthesising antioxidant enzymes as a defence. In Caenorhabditis elegans, antioxidant genes are regulated by the transcription factor skinhead-1 (Cel-SKN-1). However, there is little information about the function of SKN-1 in H. contortus (Hco-SKN-1). Therefore, we performed a molecular investigation to characterise Hco-SKN-1 and its putative relationship with genes encode antioxidant enzymes, namely glutathione S-transferases (Hco-GSTs, n = 3), superoxide dismutase (Hco-SOD) and catalase (Hco-CAT), which are involved in haematophagy and defence against the host. We used in silico sequence analysis of Hco-SKN-1 and Hco-GSTs to design and perform relative expression assays involving H. contortus eggs, infective larvae (L3) and adults. Furthermore, we exposed H. contortus transitional infective larvae (xL3) to erythrocytes or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and evaluated the relative expression of antioxidant genes at 24 or 48 h. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed 31 functions associated with Hco-SKN-1 and Hco-GSTs, including stress resistance, larval development and the active immune response. Hco-GST-5957 and Hco-SOD showed the highest expression in adults, indicating a relationship with specific functions at this mature stage. xL3 exposed to erythrocytes or H2O2 showed significant upregulation of Hco-SKN-1, but it occurred after upregulation of the antioxidant genes, indicating that these genes are not regulated by Hco-SKN-1 during the blood-feeding stage. Additional investigation is necessary to understand the putative regulation of antioxidant genes by Hco-SKN-1 during the blood-feeding stage. •The SKN-1 gene showed positive regulation on H. contortus L3 and adult stages.•Adults of H. contortus displayed the highest expression level of GST and SOD genes.•The comparative expression studies between SKN-1 and oxidative stress genes indicated no-relation.•SKN-1, GST and antioxidative genes were upregulated on x L3 exposed with H2O2/red cells.