Journal article
Analysis of rhodopsin G protein-coupled receptor orthologs reveals semiochemical peptides for parasite (Schistosoma mansoni) and host (Biomphalaria glabrata) interplay
Scientific Reports, Vol.12(1), pp.1-11
2022
PMCID: PMC9114394
PMID: 35581232
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a medically significant disease caused by helminth parasites of the genus Schistosoma. The schistosome life cycle requires chemically mediated interactions with an intermediate (aquatic snail) and definitive (human) host. Blocking parasite development within the snail stage requires improved understanding of the interactions between the snail host and the Schistosoma water-borne free-living form (miracidium). Innovations in snail genomics and aquatic chemical communication provide an ideal opportunity to explore snail-parasite coevolution at the molecular level. Rhodopsin G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are of particular interest in studying how trematode parasites navigate towards their snail hosts. The potential role of GPCRs in parasites makes them candidate targets for new antihelminthics that disrupt the intermediate host life-cycle stages, thus preventing subsequent human infections. A genomic-bioinformatic approach was used to identify GPCR orthologs between the snail Biomphalaria glabrata and miracidia of its obligate parasite Schistosoma mansoni. We show that 8 S. mansoni rhodopsin GPCRs expressed within the miracidial stage share overall amino acid similarity with 8 different B. glabrata rhodopsin GPCRs, particularly within transmembrane domains, suggesting conserved structural features. These GPCRs include an orphan peptide receptor as well as several with strong sequence homologies with rhabdomeric opsin receptors, a serotonin receptor, a sulfakinin (SK) receptor, an allatostatin-A (buccalin) receptor and an FMRFamide receptor. Buccalin and FMRFa peptides were identified in water conditioned by B. glabrata, and we show synthetic buccalin and FMRFa can stimulate significant rates of change of direction and turn-back responses in S. mansoni miracidia. Ortholog GPCRs were identified in S. mansoni miracidia and B. glabrata. These GPCRs may detect similar ligands, including snail-derived odorants that could facilitate miracidial host finding. These results lay the foundation for future research elucidating the mechanisms by which GPCRs mediate host finding which can lead to the potential development of novel anti-schistosome interventions.
Details
- Title
- Analysis of rhodopsin G protein-coupled receptor orthologs reveals semiochemical peptides for parasite (Schistosoma mansoni) and host (Biomphalaria glabrata) interplay
- Authors
- Phong Phan (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringDi Liang (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, GeneCology Research Centre - LegacyMin Zhao (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, GeneCology Research Centre - LegacyRussell C Wyeth (Author) - Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, B2G2W5, CanadaConor Fogarty (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, GeneCology Research Centre - LegacyMary G Duke (Author) - QIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteDonald P McManus (Author) - QIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteTianfang Wang (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, GeneCology Research Centre - LegacyScott F Cummins (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Publication details
- Scientific Reports, Vol.12(1), pp.1-11
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date published
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-022-11996-x
- ISSN
- 2045-2322
- PMID
- 35581232; PMC9114394
- Copyright note
- (c) The Author(s) 2022. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Organisation Unit
- GeneCology Research Centre - Legacy; Cancer Research Cluster; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99655797502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
41 File views/ downloads
39 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Parasitology
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: SDGs from InCites