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Fish & Shellfish Immunology Sep 2015This review summarizes the research progress made over the past decade in the field of gastropod immunity resulting from investigations of the interaction between the... (Review)
Review
Advances in gastropod immunity from the study of the interaction between the snail Biomphalaria glabrata and its parasites: A review of research progress over the last decade.
This review summarizes the research progress made over the past decade in the field of gastropod immunity resulting from investigations of the interaction between the snail Biomphalaria glabrata and its trematode parasites. A combination of integrated approaches, including cellular, genetic and comparative molecular and proteomic approaches have revealed novel molecular components involved in mediating Biomphalaria immune responses that provide insights into the nature of host-parasite compatibility and the mechanisms involved in parasite recognition and killing. The current overview emphasizes that the interaction between B. glabrata and its trematode parasites involves a complex molecular crosstalk between numerous antigens, immune receptors, effectors and anti-effector systems that are highly diverse structurally and extremely variable in expression between and within host and parasite populations. Ultimately, integration of these molecular signals will determine the outcome of a specific interaction between a B. glabrata individual and its interacting trematodes. Understanding these complex molecular interactions and identifying key factors that may be targeted to impairment of schistosome development in the snail host is crucial to generating new alternative schistosomiasis control strategies.
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; Host-Parasite Interactions; Signal Transduction; Trematoda
PubMed: 25662712
DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.01.036 -
Parasitology 2001Biomphalaria glabrata is a major intermediate host for the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni. Beginning in the mid-20th century, studies were carried out with this... (Review)
Review
Biomphalaria glabrata is a major intermediate host for the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni. Beginning in the mid-20th century, studies were carried out with this snail species to identify the immunological and genetic components that might be involved in controlling schistosome development. A number of genetically well-defined snail stocks were derived as a direct result of these studies and have since played major roles in helping investigators to identify important cellular and humoral components in the snail/schistosome relationship. This review will explore the historical development of these stocks and describe some of the major advances in several areas of medical malacology that hawe been made possible be their use.
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; Disease Susceptibility; Female; Host-Parasite Interactions; Male; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni
PubMed: 11769281
DOI: 10.1017/s0031182001007831 -
International Journal For Parasitology Jun 2016Blood flukes are the causative agent of schistosomiasis - a major neglected tropical disease that remains endemic in numerous countries of the tropics and sub-tropics.... (Review)
Review
Blood flukes are the causative agent of schistosomiasis - a major neglected tropical disease that remains endemic in numerous countries of the tropics and sub-tropics. During the past decade, a concerted effort has been made to control the spread of schistosomiasis, using a drug intervention program aimed at curtailing transmission. These efforts notwithstanding, schistosomiasis has re-emerged in southern Europe, raising concerns that global warming could contribute to the spread of this disease to higher latitude countries where transmission presently does not take place. Vaccines against schistosomiasis are not currently available and reducing transmission by drug intervention programs alone does not prevent reinfection in treated populations. These challenges have spurred awareness that new interventions to control schistosomiasis are needed, especially since the World Health Organization hopes to eradicate the disease by 2025. For one of the major species of human schistosomes, Schistosoma mansoni, the causative agent of hepatointestinal schistosomiasis in Africa and the Western Hemisphere, freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria serve as the obligate intermediate host of this parasite. To determine mechanisms that underlie parasitism by S. mansoni of Biomphalaria glabrata, which might be manipulated to block the development of intramolluscan larval stages of the parasite, we focused effort on the impact of schistosome infection on the epigenome of the snail. Results to date reveal a complex relationship, manifested by the ability of the schistosome to manipulate the snail genome, including the expression of specific genes. Notably, the parasite subverts the stress response of the host to ensure productive parasitism. Indeed, in isolates of B. glabrata native to central and South America, susceptible to infection with S. mansoni, the heat shock protein 70 (Bg-HSP70) gene of this snail is rapidly relocated in the nucleus and transcribed to express HSP70. Concurrently, hypomethylation of the CpG sites, within the Bg-HSP70 intergenic DNA region, proceeds by conveying epigenetic and spatio-epigenetic mechanisms in temporal concordance. It is notable that this is only the second example reported where a pathogen has been shown to control host cell spatio-epigenetics for its own advantage. Nonetheless, the remarkable mechanisms through which genes become activated i.e. DNA and chromatin remodeling and relocation to a nuclear compartment conducive to gene expression may represent novel intervention targets.
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; Disease Vectors; Epigenesis, Genetic; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni
PubMed: 27056272
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.03.003 -
Parasitology International Sep 2011Of the several species of Biomphalaria snails worldwide that serve as the intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni, Biomphalaria alexandrina is a species that is...
Of the several species of Biomphalaria snails worldwide that serve as the intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni, Biomphalaria alexandrina is a species that is indigenous to Egypt. Recently, there has been much debate concerning the presence of Biomphalaria glabrata and the hybrid of the species with Biomphalaria alexandrina. Due to this debate, the absence of a clear explanation for the presence of B. glabrata in Egyptian water channels and the probability that they may be reintroduced, we conducted this field study to identify Biomphalaria species present in Alexandria water channels. Laboratory-adapted susceptible snails to Schistosoma mansoni of the following species were used as a reference; Biomphalaria alexandrina, Biomphalaria glabrata and their hybrid. These snails were used to perpetuate the Schistosoma life cycle at the Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI), Cairo, Egypt. Morphological and molecular studies were conducted on these reference snails as well as on the first generation of Biomphalaria snails from two areas in the Alexandria governorate. The morphological study included both external shell morphology and internal anatomy of the renal ridge. The molecular study used a species-specific PCR technique. The results demonstrated that there was an absence of Biomphalaria glabrata and the hybrid from Alexandria water channels. Moreover, the susceptibility patterns of these reference snails were studied by measuring the different parasitological parameters. It was found that Biomphalaria glabrata and the hybrid were significantly more susceptible than Biomphalaria alexandrina to the Egyptian strain of Schistosoma mansoni. The results demonstrated that if Biomphalaria glabrata was reintroduced and adapted to the local environment in Egypt, it would have important epidemiologic impacts that would have a serious effect on the health of Egyptian people.
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; DNA Primers; DNA, Ribosomal; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; Disease Susceptibility; Disease Vectors; Egypt; Fresh Water; Geography; Humans; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Sensitivity and Specificity; Species Specificity
PubMed: 21458594
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2011.03.006 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jun 2019One of the most common compounds in pesticide formulations, plastics, and papers is 4-nonylphenol (4-NP). It is contained in agricultural, industrial, and wastewater...
One of the most common compounds in pesticide formulations, plastics, and papers is 4-nonylphenol (4-NP). It is contained in agricultural, industrial, and wastewater effluents, which when discharged into surface waters affect aquatic fauna. Therefore, the present study aimed to use Biomphalaria alexandrina snails to evaluate the chronic toxicity of 4-NP. Its concentrations in collected water samples from Giza Governorate ranged from 400 to 1600 μg/l. Based on these environmentally relevant concentrations, laboratory experiments were carried out using standard 4-NP to investigate the effect of three concentrations; namely 400, 750, and 1600 μg/l. Survival rate of the exposed snails to 4-NP concentrations was affected after 4 weeks. Reproduction of the exposed snails to 4-NP concentrations was lower than that of the control at 30 °C, while the exposed snails to 400 μg/l of 4-NP showed maximum reproduction at 15 °C. The lowest hatchability percentage was recorded with egg masses laid by the exposed snails to 400 and 1600 μg/l of 4-NP at 15 and 30 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed fluctuated levels of progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone depending upon the concentration and the temperature, which played a key role in determining the degree of 4-NP toxicity.
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Phenols; Reproduction; Temperature; Toxicity Tests, Chronic; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 31044380
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05142-w -
The Journal of Parasitology Mar 2021Schistosoma mansoni, which causes human intestinal schistosomiasis, continues to be a major public health concern in the Lake Victoria basin in western Kenya, with...
Comparative Vectorial Competence of Biomphalaria sudanica and Biomphalaria choanomphala, Snail Hosts of Schistosoma mansoni, From Transmission Hotspots In Lake Victoria, Western Kenya.
Schistosoma mansoni, which causes human intestinal schistosomiasis, continues to be a major public health concern in the Lake Victoria basin in western Kenya, with Biomphalaria sudanica (a shoreline inhabiting snail) and Biomphalaria choanomphala (a deep-water snail) playing roles in transmission. A recent study showed that B. sudanica was abundantly present near all study villages on the lakeshore, but B. choanomphala was significantly more abundant near villages known to be persistent transmission hotspots. The present study investigated the relative compatibility of B. sudanica and B. choanomphala with S. mansoni. A reciprocal cross-infection experiment used young adult F1 generation B. sudanica and B. choanomphala that were exposed to either 1, 5, or 10 sympatric or allopatric human-derived S. mansoni miracidia. Three weeks post-exposure (PE) and weekly thereafter, the snails were counted and screened for schistosome cercariae, and at 7 wk PE, total cercariae shed during a 2 hr period by each infected snail was determined. Pre-patent periods for S. mansoni in both B. sudanica and B. choanomphala were similar, and most snails in all exposure combinations started shedding cercariae 5 wk PE. Prevalences were significantly higher in B. choanomphala (12.2-80.9%) than in B. sudanica (5.2-18.6%) at each dose, regardless of whether miracidia were of an allopatric or a sympatric source (P < 0.0001). Overall, the odds of a snail becoming infected with 5 or 10 miracidia were significantly higher than the odds of being infected with 1 miracidium, (P < 0.0001), and fewer cercariae were produced by snails exposed to single as compared to 5 or 10 miracidia. On average, B. choanomphala produced more cercariae ( = 458, SD = 414) than B. sudanica ( = 238, SD = 208) (P < 0.0001). These results suggest that B. choanomphala is more compatible with S. mansoni than B. sudanica. Though B. choanomphala can be found in shallow shoreline waters, it is, for the most part, a deeper-water taxon. Because dredging is a relatively inefficient means of sampling, B. choanomphala is likely underestimated with respect to its population size, the number of S. mansoni-positive snails, and its role in maintaining transmission.
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; Disease Vectors; Feces; Humans; Kenya; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni
PubMed: 33906231
DOI: 10.1645/20-138 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2017The wild-type metallothionein (MT) of the freshwater snail and a natural allelic mutant of it in which a lysine residue was replaced by an asparagine residue, were...
Biomphalaria glabrata Metallothionein: Lacking Metal Specificity of the Protein and Missing Gene Upregulation Suggest Metal Sequestration by Exchange Instead of through Selective Binding.
The wild-type metallothionein (MT) of the freshwater snail and a natural allelic mutant of it in which a lysine residue was replaced by an asparagine residue, were recombinantly expressed and analyzed for their metal-binding features with respect to Cd, Zn and Cu⁺, applying spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric methods. In addition, the upregulation of the gene was assessed by quantitative real-time detection PCR. The two recombinant proteins revealed to be very similar in most of their metal binding features. They lacked a clear metal-binding preference for any of the three metal ions assayed-which, to this degree, is clearly unprecedented in the world of MTs. There were, however, slight differences in copper-binding abilities between the two allelic variants. Overall, the missing metal specificity of the two recombinant MTs goes hand in hand with lacking upregulation of the respective gene. This suggests that in vivo, the MT may be more important for metal replacement reactions through a constitutively abundant form, rather than for metal sequestration by high binding specificity. There are indications that the MT of may share its unspecific features with MTs from other freshwater snails of the family.
Topics: Animals; Binding Sites; Biomphalaria; Metallothionein; Metals, Heavy; Mutation; Protein Binding; Substrate Specificity; Up-Regulation
PubMed: 28684706
DOI: 10.3390/ijms18071457 -
Infectious Diseases of Poverty Dec 2018Schistosomiasis is a common parasitic disease designated as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. Schistosomiasis mansoni is a form of the...
BACKGROUND
Schistosomiasis is a common parasitic disease designated as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. Schistosomiasis mansoni is a form of the disease that is caused by the digenean trematode Schistosoma mansoni, transmitted through Biomphalaria spp. as an intermediate host. Biomphalaria was introduced to Hong Kong, China in aquatic plants shipments coming from Brazil and the snail rapidly established its habitats in southern China. Earlier studies of Biomphalaria spp. introduced to southern China identified the snails as Biomphalaria straminea, one of the susceptible species implicated in S. mansoni transmission in South America. However, recent molecular investigations also indicated the presence of another South American species, B. kuhniana, which is refractory to infection. As such, it is important to identify accurately the species currently distributed in southern China, especially with emerging reports of active S. mansoni infections in Chinese workers returning from Africa.
METHODS
We combined morphological and molecular taxonomy tools to precisely identify Biomphalaria spp. distributed in Guangdong Province, southern China. In order to clearly understand the molecular profile of the species, we constructed a phylogeny using mtDNA data (COI and 16S rRNA sequences) from six populations of Biomphalaria spp. from Shenzhen City in Guangdong Province. In addition, we examined the external morphology of the shell and internal anatomy of the reproductive organs.
RESULTS
Both morphological and molecular evidences indicated a close affinity between Biomphalaria spp. populations from Guangdong and B. straminea from Brazil. The shell morphology was roughly identical in all the populations collected with rounded whorls on one side and subangulated on the other, a smooth periphery, an egg-shaped aperture bowed to one side, and a deep umbilicus. The shape and number of prostate diverticula (ranged from 11.67 to 17.67) in Guangdong populations supports its close affinity to B. straminea rather than B. kuhniana. Molecular analysis did not conflict with morphological analysis. Little genetic differentiation was observed within Biomphalaria populations collected. Phylogenetic analysis of COI and 16S rRNA haplotypes from snails collected and B. straminea sequences from Brazil and China using Bayesian inference revealed that Guangdong populations were clustered in one clade with B. straminea from Hong Kong of China and B. straminea from Brazil indicating their close affinity to each other.
CONCLUSIONS
Data obtained in the current study clearly show that the populations of Biomphalaria spp. investigated are B. straminea, and we assume that those snails were either introduced via passive dispersal from Hong Kong of China or as a result of multiple introduction routes from Brazil.
Topics: Animal Distribution; Animals; Biomphalaria; China; Haplotypes; Introduced Species; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 30526682
DOI: 10.1186/s40249-018-0505-5 -
Microbiology Spectrum Apr 2022transmits schistosomiasis mansoni which poses considerable risks to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, and is widely used as a model organism for studies on the...
transmits schistosomiasis mansoni which poses considerable risks to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, and is widely used as a model organism for studies on the snail-schistosome relationship. Gut microbiota plays important roles in multiple aspects of host including development, metabolism, immunity, and even behavior; however, detailed information on the complete diversity and functional profiles of gut microbiota is still limited. This study is the first to reveal the gut microbiome of based on metagenome-assembled genome (MAG). A total of 28 gut samples spanning diet and age were sequenced and 84 individual microbial genomes with ≥ 70% completeness and ≤ 5% contamination were constructed. and were the dominant bacteria in the freshwater snail, unlike terrestrial organisms harboring many species of and . The microbial consortia in helped in the digestion of complex polysaccharide such as starch, hemicellulose, and chitin for energy supply, and protected the snail from food poisoning and nitrate toxicity. Both microbial community and metabolism of were significantly altered by diet. The polysaccharide-degrading bacterium was enriched in the gut of snails fed with high-digestibility protein and high polysaccharide diet (HPHP). Notably, as a mobile repository can escalate biosafety issues regarding transmission of various pathogens such as Acinetobacter nosocomialis and Vibrio parahaemolyticus as well as multiple antibiotic resistance genes in the environment and to other organisms. The spread of aquatic gastropod , an intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni, exacerbates the burden of schistosomiasis disease worldwide. This study provides insights into the importance of microbiome for basic biological activities of freshwater snails, and offers a valuable microbial genome resource to fill the gap in the analysis of the snail-microbiota-parasite relationship. The results of this study clarified the reasons for the high adaptability of to diverse environments, and further illustrated the role of a in accumulation of antibiotic resistance in the environment and spread of various pathogens. These findings have important implications for further exploration of the control of snail dissemination and schistosomiasis from a microbial perspective.
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; Carbohydrates; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Metagenome; Nitrogen; Schistosomiasis
PubMed: 35254167
DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01843-21 -
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology Mar 1976
Topics: Animals; Biomphalaria; Freezing; Preservation, Biological
PubMed: 1254986
DOI: 10.1016/0022-2011(76)90159-2