English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Background  Larval development in an intermediate host gastropod snail of the genus  Biomphalaria  is an obligatory component of the life-cycle of  Schistosoma mansoni . Understanding of the mechanism(s) of host defense may hasten the development of tools that block transmission of schistosomiasis. The allograft inflammatory factor 1, AIF, which is evolutionarily conserved and expressed in phagocytes, is a marker of macrophage activation in both mammals and invertebrates. AIF enhances cell proliferation and migration. The embryonic cell line, termed Bge, from  Biomphalaria glabrata  is a versatile resource for investigation of the snail-schistosome relationship since Bge exhibits a hemocyte-like phenotype .  Hemocytes perform central roles in innate and cellular immunity in gastropods and in some cases can kill the parasite. However, the Bge cells do not kill the parasite in vitro.    Methods  Bge cells were transfected by electroporation with plasmid pCas -Bg AIFx4, encoding the Cas9 nuclease and a guide RNA specific for exon 4 of the  B. glabrata  AIF ( Bg AIF) gene. Transcript levels for Cas9 and for  Bg AIF were monitored by reverse-transcription-PCR and, in parallel, adhesion of gene-edited Bge cells during co-culture with of schistosome sporocysts was assessed.    Results  Gene knockout manipulation induced gene-disrupting indels, frequently 1–2 bp insertions and/or 8–30 bp deletions, at the programmed target site; a range from 9 to 17% of the copies of the  Bg AIF gene in the Bge population of cells were mutated. Transcript levels for  Bg AIF were reduced by up to 73% (49.5 ± 20.2% SD,  P  ≤ 0.05,  n  = 12). Adherence by  Bg AIF gene-edited (Δ Bg AIF) Bge to sporocysts diminished in comparison to wild type cells, although cell morphology did not change. Specifically, as scored by a semi-quantitative cell adherence index (CAI), fewer Δ Bg AIF than control wild type cells adhered to sporocysts; control CAI, 2.66 ± 0.10, Δ Bg AIF, 2.30 ± 0.22 ( P  ≤ 0.01).    Conclusions  The findings supported the hypothesis that  Bg AIF plays a role in the adherence of  B. glabrata  hemocytes to sporocysts during schistosome infection in vitro. This demonstration of the activity of programmed gene editing will enable functional genomics approaches using CRISPR/Cas9 to investigate additional components of the snail-schistosome host-parasite relationship.

parasites and vectors

Diminished adherence of Biomphalaria glabrata embryonic cell line to sporocysts of Schistosoma mansoni following programmed knockout of the allograft inflammatory factor