Search results for "INTERACTION"
showing 10 items of 5710 documents
Exploiting Helminth–Host Interactomes through Big Data
2017
Helminths facilitate their parasitic existence through the production and secretion of different molecules, including proteins. Some helminth proteins can manipulate the host's immune system, a phenomenon that is now being exploited with a view to developing therapeutics for inflammatory diseases. In recent years, hundreds of helminth genomes have been sequenced, but as a community we are still taking baby steps when it comes to identifying proteins that govern host-helminth interactions. The information generated from genomic, immunomic, and proteomic studies, as well as from cutting-edge approaches such as proteogenomics, is leading to a substantial volume of big data that can be utilised…
Basic Concepts in Molecular Biology Related to Genetics and Epigenetics.
2017
The observation that "one size does not fit all" for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, among other diseases, has driven the concept of precision medicine. The goal of precision medicine is to provide the best-targeted interventions tailored to an individual's genome. The human genome is composed of billions of sequence arrangements containing a code that controls how genes are expressed. This code depends on other nonstatic regulators that surround the DNA and constitute the epigenome. Moreover, environmental factors also play an important role in this complex regulation. This review provides a general perspective on the basic concepts of molecular biology related to g…
Coinfection outcome in an opportunistic pathogen depends on the inter-strain interactions
2017
Background In nature, organisms are commonly coinfected by two or more parasite strains, which has been shown to influence disease virulence. Yet, the effects of coinfections of environmental opportunistic pathogens on disease outcome are still poorly known, although as host-generalists they are highly likely to participate in coinfections. We asked whether coinfection with conspecific opportunistic strains leads to changes in virulence, and if these changes are associated with bacterial growth or interference competition. We infected zebra fish (Danio rerio) with three geographically and/or temporally distant environmental opportunist Flavobacterium columnare strains in single and in coinf…
Microvesicles released from Giardia intestinalis disturb host-pathogen response in vitro
2017
Giardia intestinalis (G.I), is an anaerobic protozoan and the aetiological agent of giardiasis, a diarrhoea present worldwide and associated with poverty. G.I has a simple life cycle alternating between cyst and trophozoite. Cysts are transmitted orally to the stomach and transform to trophozoites in the intestine by a multifactorial process. Recently, microvesicles (MVs) have been found to be released from a wide range of eukaryotic cells. We have observed a release of MVs during the life cycle of G.I., identifying MVs from active trophozoites and from trophozoites differentiating to the cyst form. The aim of the current work was to investigate the role of MVs from G.I in the pathogenesis …
In vivo fluorescent cercariae reveal the entry portals of Cardiocephaloides longicollis (Rudolphi, 1819) Dubois, 1982 (Strigeidae) into the gilthead …
2019
Background Despite their complex life-cycles involving various types of hosts and free-living stages, digenean trematodes are becoming recurrent model systems. The infection and penetration strategy of the larval stages, i.e. cercariae, into the fish host is poorly understood and information regarding their entry portals is not well-known for most species. Cardiocephaloides longicollis (Rudolphi, 1819) Dubois, 1982 (Digenea, Strigeidae) uses the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.), an important marine fish in Mediterranean aquaculture, as a second intermediate host, where they encyst in the brain as metacercariae. Labelling the cercariae with in vivo fluorescent dyes helped us to track the…
Oxidatively generated base modifications in DNA: Not only carcinogenic risk factor but also regulatory mark?
2016
The generation of DNA modifications in cells is in most cases accidental and associated with detrimental consequences such as increased mutation rates and an elevated risk of malignant transformation. Accordingly, repair enzymes involved in the removal of the modifications have primarily a protective function. Among the well-established exceptions of this rule are 5-methylcytosine and uracil, which are generated in DNA enzymatically under controlled conditions and fulfill important regulatory functions in DNA as epigenetic marks and in antibody diversification, respectively. More recently, considerable evidence has been obtained that also 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG), a frequent pro-mu…
Disentangling the effect of host genetics and gut microbiota on resistance to an intestinal parasite
2019
11 pages; International audience; Resistance to infection is a multifactorial trait, and recent work has suggested that the gut microbiota can also contribute to resistance. Here, we performed a fecal microbiota transplant to disentangle the contribution of the gut microbiota and host genetics as drivers of resistance to the intestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus. We transplanted the microbiota of a strain of mice (SJL), resistant to H. polygyrus, into a susceptible strain (CBA) and vice-versa. We predicted that if the microbiota shapes resistance to H. polygyrus, the FMT should reverse the pattern of resistance between the two host strains. The two host strains had different microbi…
Gut-microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles: Overlooked mediators in host–helminth interactions?
2021
Helminth infections impact the composition of the mammalian gut microbiota; however, the mechanisms underpinning these interactions are, thus far, unknown. In this article, we propose that microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles might represent key players in host-helminth-microbiome crosstalk, and outline future directions to elucidate their role(s) in host-parasite relationships.
Th2 and Th1 Responses: Clear and Hidden Sides of Immunity Against Intestinal Helminths.
2017
Intestinal helminthiases affect millions of people worldwide, mainly in developing regions, where they cause a significant negative impact on human health and socioeconomic growth of affected populations. However, intestinal helminthiases are still among the most neglected tropical diseases. Protective immunity against intestinal helminths is associated with development of type 2 responses. Nevertheless, in some host–intestinal helminth combinations, local Th1 responses are initiated, inducing chronicity. The usage of helminth–mouse models is useful for elucidating the mechanisms behind the initiation of each type of response. Herein, the current knowledge on these topics is reviewed, payin…
Classic Models for New Perspectives: Delving into Helminth–Microbiota–Immune System Interactions
2018
Whilst a wealth of data indicate that infections by gastrointestinal helminths are accompanied by significant alterations in the composition of the vertebrate gut flora, little is known of the immune-molecular mechanisms that regulate host-parasite-microbiota interactions. 'Traditional' experimental models of gastrointestinal helminthiases, in which the role(s) of each of the components of this triad can be tested, provide an opportunity to advance research in this area. In this article, we propose the Echinostoma caproni-mouse system as a potentially useful tool for studies of the role of the host gut microbiota in preventing pathology and inducing parasite clearance via interleukin (IL)-2…