Open AccessCharacterization of a female-specific cDNA derived from a developmentally regulated mRNA in the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni.
Author(s) -
Libuse A. Bobek,
David Rekosh,
Harry van Keulen,
Philip T. LoVerde
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.83.15.5544
Subject(s) - biology , complementary dna , open reading frame , messenger rna , gene , clone (java method) , microbiology and biotechnology , nucleic acid sequence , schistosoma mansoni , coding region , schistosoma , genetics , peptide sequence , immunology , helminths , schistosomiasis
We have isolated and characterized a cDNA clone that is derived from a developmentally regulated mRNA found only in mature female schistosomes. The mRNA is approximately 950 nucleotides in length and is not detectable in immature female schistosomes isolated from single-sex infections, in male worms, or in eggs. During normal bisexual infections, the mRNA species is first detected 28 days after infection (the time of worm pairing) and increases to a high level 35 days after infection, coinciding with the start of egg production. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA shows two large open reading frames in the coding strand. Several features of the clone, including the deduced sequence of the polypeptide encoded by one of the reading frames, suggest a relationship to the silk moth chorion (egg shell) gene family. The isolation of this clone provides us with a probe for further studies of female schistosome development and is a first step toward a detailed understanding of this process at the molecular level.