Targeting Echinococcus multilocularis stem cells by inhibition of the Polo-like kinase EmPlk1.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a life-threatening disease caused by larvae of the fox-tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. Crucial to AE pathology is continuous infiltrative growth of the parasite's metacestode stage, which is driven by a population of somatic stem cells, called germinative cells. Current anti-AE chemotherapy using benzimidazoles is ineffective in eliminating the germinative cell population, thus leading to remission of parasite growth upon therapy discontinuation.

Methodology/principal findings

We herein describe the characterization of EmPlk1, encoded by the gene emplk1, which displays significant homologies to members of the Plk1 sub-family of Polo-like kinases that regulate mitosis in eukaryotic cells. We demonstrate germinative cell-specifi

SUBMITTER: Schubert A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4046951 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature