Abstract
Schistosomes are the causative agent of schistosomiasis, which affects more than 200 million people worldwide. Unlike other trematode parasites, schistosomes (along with the Didymozoidae) have evolved separate sexes. Pairing of males and females is a prerequisite for female sexual development and subsequent egg production. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes remain poorly understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been shown to play important roles in many biological processes. In the present study, we characterized EVs isolated from adult male and female Schistosoma japonicum. Proteomic analyses of the isolated EVs revealed that some proteins are significantly enriched in male or female EVs. RNA-sequencing analysis of a small RNA population associated with EVs identified 18 miRNAs enriched in male and female S. japonicum EVs. Among these, miR-750 was specifically enriched in female EVs. Additionally, the inhibition of miR-750 by a miRNA inhibitor led to decreased egg production in female schistosomes cultured in vitro. Collectively, our results suggest that miR-750 within female EV cargo may be involved in regulating ovary development and egg production in S. japonicum females.
Highlights
Schistosomiasis is mainly caused by the parasitic trematode worms Schistosoma japonicum, Schistosoma mansoni, and Schistosoma haematobium, and affects more than 200 million people in approximately 76 tropical and subtropical countries [1]
We and other groups found that Schistosoma japonicum can secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are taken up by mammalian cells
We characterized Extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from adult male and female S. japonicum and found that some proteins and microRNAs were significantly enriched in male or female EVs
Summary
Schistosomiasis is mainly caused by the parasitic trematode worms Schistosoma japonicum, Schistosoma mansoni, and Schistosoma haematobium, and affects more than 200 million people in approximately 76 tropical and subtropical countries [1]. Schistosomes have evolved separate sexes during evolution. In this context, male-female pairing is prerequisite for female sexual maturation and subsequent egg production. The large number of eggs produced by mature females plays a central role in the pathology of infection with this parasite and in disease spread. Previous research suggested that the sexual development of the female schistosome depends on appropriate signals provided directly or indirectly by the male during pairing [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. Understanding the mechanism of female development as a consequence of pairing may lead to novel concepts for impeding egg production to lessen the spread of schistosomiasis
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