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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Oct 2011Minimal information on the genome and proteome of Schistosoma haematobium is available, in marked contrast to the situation with the other major species of human...
BACKGROUND
Minimal information on the genome and proteome of Schistosoma haematobium is available, in marked contrast to the situation with the other major species of human schistosomes for which draft genome sequences have been reported. Accordingly, little is known about functional genomics in S. haematobium, including the utility or not of RNA interference techniques that, if available, promise to guide development of new interventions for schistosomiasis haematobia.
METHODS/FINDINGS
Here we isolated and cultured developmental stages of S. haematobium, derived from experimentally infected hamsters. Targeting different developmental stages, we investigated the utility of soaking and/or square wave electroporation in order to transfect S. haematobium with nucleic acid reporters including Cy3-labeled small RNAs, messenger RNA encoding firefly luciferase, and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Three hours after incubation of S. haematobium eggs in 50 ng/µl Cy3-labeled siRNA, fluorescent foci were evident indicating that labeled siRNA had penetrated into miracidia developing within the egg shell. Firefly luciferase activity was detected three hours after square wave electroporation of the schistosome eggs and adult worms in 150 ng/µl of mRNA. RNA interference knockdown (silencing) of reporter luciferase activity was seen following the introduction of dsRNA specific for luciferase mRNA in eggs, schistosomules and mixed sex adults. Moreover, introduction of an endogenous gene-specific siRNA into adult schistosomes silenced transcription of tetraspanin 2 (Sh-tsp-2), the apparent orthologue of the Schistosoma mansoni gene Sm-tsp-2 which encodes the surface localized structural and signaling protein Sm-TSP-2. Together, knockdown of reporter luciferase and Sh-tsp-2 indicated the presence of an intact RNAi pathway in S. haematobium. Also, we employed laser scanning confocal microscopy to view the adult stages of S. haematobium.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings and approaches should facilitate analysis of gene function in S. haematobium, which in turn could facilitate the characterization of prospective intervention targets for this neglected tropical disease pathogen.
Topics: Animals; Cricetinae; Electroporation; Female; Gene Knockdown Techniques; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genes, Reporter; Male; Molecular Biology; Parasitology; RNA, Small Interfering; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Staining and Labeling
PubMed: 22022628
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001348 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases May 2019Schistosomiasis is a neglected disease affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. Of the three main species affecting humans, Schistosoma haematobium is the most common,...
BACKGROUND
Schistosomiasis is a neglected disease affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. Of the three main species affecting humans, Schistosoma haematobium is the most common, and is the leading cause of urogenital schistosomiasis. S. haematobium infection can cause different urogenital clinical complications, particularly in the bladder, and furthermore, this parasite has been strongly linked with squamous cell carcinoma. A comprehensive analysis of the molecular composition of its different proteomes will contribute to developing new tools against this devastating disease.
METHODS AND FINDINGS
By combining a comprehensive protein fractionation approach consisting of OFFGEL electrophoresis with high-throughput mass spectrometry, we have performed the first in-depth characterisation of the different discrete proteomes of S. haematobium that are predicted to interact with human host tissues, including the secreted and tegumental proteomes of adult flukes and secreted and soluble egg proteomes. A total of 662, 239, 210 and 138 proteins were found in the adult tegument, adult secreted, soluble egg and secreted egg proteomes, respectively. In addition, we probed these distinct proteomes with urine to assess urinary antibody responses from naturally infected human subjects with different infection intensities, and identified adult fluke secreted and tegument extracts as being the best predictors of infection.
CONCLUSION
We provide a comprehensive dataset of proteins from the adult and egg stages of S. haematobium and highlight their utility as diagnostic markers of infection intensity. Protein composition was markedly different between the different extracts, highlighting the distinct subsets of proteins that different development stages present in their different niches. Furthermore, we have identified adult fluke ES and tegument extracts as best predictors of infection using urine antibodies of naturally infected people. This study provides the first steps towards the development of novel tools to control this important neglected tropical disease.
Topics: Animals; Female; Helminth Proteins; Humans; Male; Proteome; Proteomics; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis haematobia
PubMed: 31091291
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007362 -
Parasites & Vectors Oct 2013Urogenital schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium is widely distributed across Africa and is increasingly being targeted for control. Genome sequences and...
BACKGROUND
Urogenital schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium is widely distributed across Africa and is increasingly being targeted for control. Genome sequences and population genetic parameters can give insight into the potential for population- or species-level drug resistance. Microsatellite DNA loci are genetic markers in wide use by Schistosoma researchers, but there are few primers available for S. haematobium.
METHODS
We sequenced 1,058,114 random DNA fragments from clonal cercariae collected from a snail infected with a single Schistosoma haematobium miracidium. We assembled and aligned the S. haematobium sequences to the genomes of S. mansoni and S. japonicum, identifying microsatellite DNA loci across all three species and designing primers to amplify the loci in S. haematobium. To validate our primers, we screened 32 randomly selected primer pairs with population samples of S. haematobium.
RESULTS
We designed >13,790 primer pairs to amplify unique microsatellite loci in S. haematobium, (available at http://www.cebio.org/projetos/schistosoma-haematobium-genome). The three Schistosoma genomes contained similar overall frequencies of microsatellites, but the frequency and length distributions of specific motifs differed among species. We identified 15 primer pairs that amplified consistently and were easily scored. We genotyped these 15 loci in S. haematobium individuals from six locations: Zanzibar had the highest levels of diversity; Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, and Senegal were nearly as diverse; but the sample from South Africa was much less diverse.
CONCLUSIONS
About half of the primers in the database of Schistosoma haematobium microsatellite DNA loci should yield amplifiable and easily scored polymorphic markers, thus providing thousands of potential markers. Sequence conservation among S. haematobium, S. japonicum, and S. mansoni is relatively high, thus it should now be possible to identify markers that are universal among Schistosoma species (i.e., using DNA sequences conserved among species), as well as other markers that are specific to species or species-groups (i.e., using DNA sequences that differ among species). Full genome-sequencing of additional species and specimens of S. haematobium, S. japonicum, and S. mansoni is desirable to better characterize differences within and among these species, to develop additional genetic markers, and to examine genes as well as conserved non-coding elements associated with drug resistance.
Topics: Africa; Animals; DNA Primers; DNA, Helminth; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Genotyping Techniques; Humans; Microsatellite Repeats; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Sequence Analysis, DNA
PubMed: 24499537
DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-300 -
QJM : Monthly Journal of the... Oct 2023
Topics: Animals; Humans; Schistosoma haematobium; Parasites; Skin
PubMed: 37255318
DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcad112 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Mar 2004
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous; Mycobacterium ulcerans; Osteomyelitis; Risk Factors; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Skin Ulcer
PubMed: 15116714
DOI: 10.3201/eid1003.020514 -
Journal of Travel Medicine Aug 2021
Topics: Animals; Humans; Neglected Diseases; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis
PubMed: 34254141
DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taab107 -
The American Journal of Tropical... Aug 2010Monitoring post-control transmission of schistosomes by examining humans becomes less effective as infection rates among humans decrease. Molecular monitoring of...
Monitoring post-control transmission of schistosomes by examining humans becomes less effective as infection rates among humans decrease. Molecular monitoring of prepatent schistosome infection in snails by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used for studying human-to-snail transmission, and snail prepatent infection rates were found to correspond to infection prevalence and average intensity in human populations contacting the sites studied. We have now developed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays for identifying Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium to facilitate large-scale evaluation of post-intervention transmission potential. LAMP primers were designed based on the Sm1-7 and DraI repeated sequences of the corresponding schistosomes, and amplification by LAMP of these 121-basepair highly abundant sequences provided a detection sensitivity of 0.1 fg of genomic DNA. When these LAMP assays were applied for examining infected laboratory snails, it was possible to identify infection from the first day after exposure to miracidia. The potential advantages of these assays are discussed.
Topics: Animals; DNA, Helminth; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; Mice; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosoma mansoni; Snails
PubMed: 20682894
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0764 -
Acta Tropica Nov 2013We conducted the first meta-analysis of ten Schistosoma haematobium (one published and nine unpublished) and eight Schistosoma mansoni (two published and six... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Population genetic structure of Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium from across six sub-Saharan African countries: implications for epidemiology, evolution and control.
We conducted the first meta-analysis of ten Schistosoma haematobium (one published and nine unpublished) and eight Schistosoma mansoni (two published and six unpublished) microsatellite datasets collected from individual schistosome-infected school-children across six sub-Saharan Africa countries. High levels of genetic diversity were documented in both S. haematobium and S. mansoni. In S. haematobium populations, allelic richness did not differ significantly between the ten schools, despite widely varying prevalences and intensities of infection, but higher levels of heterozygote deficiency were seen in East than in West Africa. In contrast, S. mansoni populations were more diverse in East than West African schools, but heterozygosity levels did not vary significantly with geography. Genetic structure in both S. haematobium and S. mansoni populations was documented, at both a regional and continental scale. Such structuring might be expected to slow the spread to new areas of anti-schistosomal drug resistance should it develop. There was, however, limited evidence of genetic structure at the individual host level, which might be predicted to promote the development or establishment of drug resistance, particularly if it were a recessive trait. Our results are discussed in terms of their potential implications for the epidemiology and evolution of schistosomes as well as their subsequent control across sub-Saharan Africa.
Topics: Adolescent; Africa South of the Sahara; Animals; Child; DNA, Helminth; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Genetic Variation; Humans; Male; Microsatellite Repeats; Molecular Epidemiology; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Schistosomiasis mansoni
PubMed: 23041540
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.09.014 -
Tropical Biomedicine Sep 2015Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a parasitic disease caused by trematodes from the genus Schistosoma that can infect humans and animals. S. mansoni, S....
Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a parasitic disease caused by trematodes from the genus Schistosoma that can infect humans and animals. S. mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. mekongi all causes intestinal schistosomiasis except S. haematobium that causes urinary schistosomiasis. It is only specie which effects urinary system, it can affect liver, heart, lungs also but very rarely. Schistosoma haematobium is endemic to over 50 countries in Africa and the Middle East and Western Asia and may be fatal in HIV positive people. A number of reports from the African countries like Nigeria have been reported. A few cases are reported but in Pakistan it has never been reported before in native people. It is first time reported in Pakistan in the intestine of Rahu (Labeo rohita). The purpose of this study is to elaborate the approach of zoonotic agent by various other routes including the commonly available fish.
Topics: Animals; Cyprinidae; Fish Diseases; Intestines; Pakistan; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis haematobia
PubMed: 26695198
DOI: No ID Found -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Jul 2011
Topics: Animals; Humans; Radiography; Schistosoma haematobium; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Urinary Bladder
PubMed: 21725391
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.11.0309