The schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing.
BACKGROUND: Although the ultrastructure of the schistosome esophageal gland was described >35 years ago, its role in the processing of ingested blood has never been established. The current study was prompted by our identification of MEG-4.1 expression in the gland and the observation of erythroc...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:75dde00f1cad41b1acfe81dc8b9f52bf 2023-05-15T15:16:12+02:00 The schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing. Xiao-Hong Li William de Castro-Borges Sophie Parker-Manuel Gillian M Vance Ricardo Demarco Leandro X Neves Gareth J O Evans R Alan Wilson 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002337 https://doaj.org/article/75dde00f1cad41b1acfe81dc8b9f52bf EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3723592?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002337 https://doaj.org/article/75dde00f1cad41b1acfe81dc8b9f52bf PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 7, Iss 7, p e2337 (2013) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002337 2022-12-30T21:04:27Z BACKGROUND: Although the ultrastructure of the schistosome esophageal gland was described >35 years ago, its role in the processing of ingested blood has never been established. The current study was prompted by our identification of MEG-4.1 expression in the gland and the observation of erythrocyte uncoating in the posterior esophagus. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The salient feature of the posterior esophagus, characterized by confocal and electron microscopy, is the enormous increase in membrane surface area provided by the plate-like extensions and basal invaginations of the lining syncytium, with unique crystalloid vesicles releasing their contents between the plates. The feeding process was shown by video microscopy to be divided into two phases, blood first accumulating in the anterior lumen before passing as a bolus to the posterior. There it streamed around a plug of material revealed by confocal microscopy as tethered leucocytes. These were present in far larger numbers than predicted from the volume of the lumen, and in varying states of damage and destruction. Intact erythrocytes were detected in the anterior esophagus but not observed thereafter, implying that their lysis occurred rapidly as they enter the posterior. Two further genes, MEGs 4.2 and 14, were shown to be expressed exclusively in the esophageal gland. Bioinformatics predicted that MEGs 4.1 and 4.2 possessed a common hydrophobic region with a shared motif, while antibodies to SjMEG-4.1 showed it was bound to leucocytes in the esophageal lumen. It was also predicted that MEGs 4.1 and 14 were heavily O-glycosylated and this was confirmed for the former by 2D-electrophoresis and Western blotting. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The esophageal gland and its products play a central role in the processing of ingested blood. The binding of host antibodies in the esophageal lumen shows that some constituents are antibody targets and could provide a new source of vaccine candidates. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 7 7 e2337 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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English |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Xiao-Hong Li William de Castro-Borges Sophie Parker-Manuel Gillian M Vance Ricardo Demarco Leandro X Neves Gareth J O Evans R Alan Wilson The schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing. |
topic_facet |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
description |
BACKGROUND: Although the ultrastructure of the schistosome esophageal gland was described >35 years ago, its role in the processing of ingested blood has never been established. The current study was prompted by our identification of MEG-4.1 expression in the gland and the observation of erythrocyte uncoating in the posterior esophagus. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The salient feature of the posterior esophagus, characterized by confocal and electron microscopy, is the enormous increase in membrane surface area provided by the plate-like extensions and basal invaginations of the lining syncytium, with unique crystalloid vesicles releasing their contents between the plates. The feeding process was shown by video microscopy to be divided into two phases, blood first accumulating in the anterior lumen before passing as a bolus to the posterior. There it streamed around a plug of material revealed by confocal microscopy as tethered leucocytes. These were present in far larger numbers than predicted from the volume of the lumen, and in varying states of damage and destruction. Intact erythrocytes were detected in the anterior esophagus but not observed thereafter, implying that their lysis occurred rapidly as they enter the posterior. Two further genes, MEGs 4.2 and 14, were shown to be expressed exclusively in the esophageal gland. Bioinformatics predicted that MEGs 4.1 and 4.2 possessed a common hydrophobic region with a shared motif, while antibodies to SjMEG-4.1 showed it was bound to leucocytes in the esophageal lumen. It was also predicted that MEGs 4.1 and 14 were heavily O-glycosylated and this was confirmed for the former by 2D-electrophoresis and Western blotting. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The esophageal gland and its products play a central role in the processing of ingested blood. The binding of host antibodies in the esophageal lumen shows that some constituents are antibody targets and could provide a new source of vaccine candidates. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Xiao-Hong Li William de Castro-Borges Sophie Parker-Manuel Gillian M Vance Ricardo Demarco Leandro X Neves Gareth J O Evans R Alan Wilson |
author_facet |
Xiao-Hong Li William de Castro-Borges Sophie Parker-Manuel Gillian M Vance Ricardo Demarco Leandro X Neves Gareth J O Evans R Alan Wilson |
author_sort |
Xiao-Hong Li |
title |
The schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing. |
title_short |
The schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing. |
title_full |
The schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing. |
title_fullStr |
The schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing. |
title_full_unstemmed |
The schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing. |
title_sort |
schistosome oesophageal gland: initiator of blood processing. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002337 https://doaj.org/article/75dde00f1cad41b1acfe81dc8b9f52bf |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 7, Iss 7, p e2337 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3723592?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002337 https://doaj.org/article/75dde00f1cad41b1acfe81dc8b9f52bf |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002337 |
container_title |
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
e2337 |
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1766346490669694976 |