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Diversification of the insulin receptor family in the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni
Author(s) -
Khayath Naji,
Vicogne Jerome,
Ahier Arnaud,
BenYounes Amena,
Konrad Christian,
Trolet Jacques,
Viscogliosi Eric,
Brehm Klaus,
Dissous Colette
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the febs journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.981
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1742-4658
pISSN - 1742-464X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2006.05610.x
Subject(s) - biology , schistosoma mansoni , parasite hosting , schistosoma , gene , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , insulin receptor , insulin , evolutionary biology , genetics , zoology , helminths , schistosomiasis , endocrinology , insulin resistance , world wide web , computer science
Insulin signalling is a very ancient and well conserved pathway in metazoan cells, dependent on insulin receptors (IR) which are transmembrane proteins with tyrosine kinase activity. A unique IR is usually present in invertebrates whereas two IR members are found with different functions in vertebrates. This work demonstrates the existence of two distinct IR homologs (SmIR‐1 and SmIR‐2) in the parasite trematode Schistosoma mansoni . These two receptors display differences in several structural motifs essential for signalling and are differentially expressed in parasite tissues, suggesting that they could have distinct functions. The gene organization of SmIR‐1 and SmIR‐2 is similar to that of the human IR and to that of the IR homolog from Echinococcus multilocularis (EmIR) , another parasitic platyhelminth. SmIR‐1 and SmIR‐2 were shown to interact with human pro‐insulin but not with pro‐insulin‐like growth factor‐1 in two‐hybrid assays. Phylogenetic results indicated that SmIR‐2 and EmIR might be functional orthologs whereas SmIR‐1 would have emerged to fulfil specific functions in schistosomes.