Project description:The filarial nematodes Brugia malayi, Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus cause elephantiasis, dermatitis and blindness, resulting in severe morbidity in developing countries. 1.3 billion people are at risk of infection. Targeting the essential Wolbachia endobacteria of filarial nematodes with doxycycline has proven to be an effective therapy, resulting in a block in embryogenesis and worm development, and macrofilaricidal effects. However, doxycycline is contraindicated for a large portion of the at-risk population. To identify new targets for anti-wolbachial therapy, understanding the molecular basis of the Wolbachia-filaria symbiosis is required. We performed cross-species hybridization by using the Brugia malayi microarray to identify differentially expressed genes in the rodent filaria Litomosoides sigmodontis after depletion of Wolbachia which therefore might have a role in symbiosis. Female adult Litomosoides sigmodontis from patent infections were treated with tetracycline to deplete endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria. RNA from tetracycline-treated Litomosoides sigmodontis was compared to untreated age-matched control worms. This experiment was performed for three different timepoints: day 6, 15 and 36 of tetracycline treatment. One biological replicate was performed each with two technical replicates (dye-flip replicates).
Project description:The filarial nematodes Brugia malayi, Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus cause elephantiasis, dermatitis and blindness, resulting in severe morbidity in developing countries. 1.3 billion people are at risk of infection. Targeting the essential Wolbachia endobacteria of filarial nematodes with doxycycline has proven to be an effective therapy, resulting in a block in embryogenesis and worm development, and macrofilaricidal effects. However, doxycycline is contraindicated for a large portion of the at-risk population. To identify new targets for anti-wolbachial therapy, understanding the molecular basis of the Wolbachia-filaria symbiosis is required. We performed cross-species hybridization by using the Brugia malayi microarray to identify differentially expressed genes in the rodent filaria Litomosoides sigmodontis after depletion of Wolbachia which therefore might have a role in symbiosis.
