Study of surface carbohydrates in Galba truncatula tissues before and after infection with Fasciola hepatica.

Katya Georgieva,Stoyanka R Stoitsova,Liliya Georgieva,Yana Mizinska-Boevska

doi:10.1590/0074-02760160141

Katya Georgieva, Stoyanka R Stoitsova + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0074-02760160141

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Abstract

The presence and distribution of surface carbohydrates in the tissues of Galba truncatula snails uninfected or after infection with Fasciola hepatica as well as on the surface of the snail-pathogenic larval stages of the parasite were studied by lectin labelling assay. This is an attempt to find similarities that indicate possible mimicry, utilised by the parasite as an evasion strategy in this snail-trematode system. Different binding patterns were identified on head-foot-mantle, hepatopancreas, genital glands, renopericardial complex of the host as well as of the snail-pathogenic larval stages of F. hepatica. The infection with F. hepatica leads to changes of labelling with Glycine max in the head-mantle cells and Arachis hypogaea in the tubular epithelium of the hepatopancreas. The lectin binding on the other snail tissues is not changed by the development of the larvae. Our data clearly demonstrated the similarity in labelling of G. truncatula tissues and the surface of the snail-pathogenic larval stages of F. hepatica. The role of glycosylation of the contact surfaces of both organisms in relation to the host-parasite interactions is also discussed.

Highlights

Several freshwater snails act as obligatory intermediate host in the complex life cycle of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, a helminth parasite affecting wild and domestic animals and humans worldwide (Mas-Coma et al 2009)
Fig. 3: lectin-fluorescein isothiocyanate labelling of the genital gland tissues in 50 days infected snails Galba truncatula with larvae of Fasciola hepatica. (A) A positive Lycopersicon esculentum staining on the epithelium, lined the gland tubules; ag - albumen gland; (B) presence of Arachis hypogaea binding sites in the cells of the albumen gland; (C) an intensive labelling with Ulex europaeus-I of the tubular walls and intertubular connective tissue
Fig. 4: lectin-fluorescein isothiocyanate labelling of the renopericardial tissues of Galba truncatula snails, on day 50 post infection with Fasciola hepatica. (A) Moderate staining with Lens culinaris; (B) labelling with Triticum vulgaris; (C) positive reaction with Ulex europaeus-I on the wall of tissues

Summary

Introduction

Several freshwater snails act as obligatory intermediate host in the complex life cycle of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, a helminth parasite affecting wild and domestic animals and humans worldwide (Mas-Coma et al 2009). In the present study we compare the lectin-binding characteristics of G. truncatula tissues, before and after infection with F. hepatica and identify the carbohydrate residues on the surface of the snail-pathogenic larval stages of F. hepatica, namely sporocysts, rediae and cercariae. This approach allows the detection of common surface saccharides of the snail tissues and the parasite larvae developed in the invertebrate host as well as the changes of the surface glycosylation of the host tissues in the course of the infection with F. hepatica. This is an attempt to indicate carbohydrate mimicry, utilised by the parasite as an evasion strategy in G. truncatula - F. hepatica system

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