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Background  Schistosomiasis is one of the most common parasitic diseases affecting millions of humans and animals worldwide. Understanding the signal transduction pathways and the molecular basis of reproductive regulation in schistosomes is critically important for developing new strategies for preventing and treating these infections. Syk kinases regulate the proliferation, differentiation, morphogenesis, and survival of various types of cells and have been identified in invertebrates. Tyrosine kinase 4 (TK4), a member of the Syk kinase family, plays a pivotal role in gametogenesis in  S. mansoni , affecting the development of the testis and ovaries in this parasite. The role of TK4, however, in the reproduction of  S. japonicum  is poorly understood .Methods  Here, the complete coding sequence of  TK4  gene in  S. japonicum  ( SjTK4 ) was cloned and characterized. The expression of  SjTK4  was analyzed at different life-cycle stages and in various tissues of  S. japonicum  by qPCR. Piceatannol, a Syk kinase inhibitor, was applied to  S. japonicum  in vitro. The piceatannol-induced morphological changes of the parasites were observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy and the alterations in important egg-shell synthesis-related genes were examined using qPCR analyses.    Results    SjTK4  mRNA was differentially expressed throughout the life-cycle of  S. japonicum .  SjTK4  mRNA was highly expressed in the ovary and testis of  S. japonicum , with the level of gene expression significantly higher in males than in females. The expression levels of some important egg-shell synthesis related genes were higher in the piceatannol-treated groups than in the vehicle-treated control group and the number of eggs and germ cells also decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. Importantly, large pore-like structures can be found in the testis and ovaries of males and females after treating with piceatannol.    Conclusion  The results suggest that SjTK4 may play an important role in regulating gametogenesis of  S. japonicum . The findings may help better understand the fundamental biology of  S. japonicum . Moreover, the effect of  S. japonicum  treatment by piceatannol provides us with a new idea that inhibition of SjTK4 signaling pathway can effectively retard the development of the testis and ovaries .

Tyrosine kinase 4 is involved in the reproduction of the platyhelminth parasite Schistosoma japonicum