Evaluation of dynamic developmental processes and the molecular basis of the high body fat percentage of different proglottid types of Moniezia expansa

Abstract

Background Moniezia expansa (Cyclophyllidea: Anoplocephalidae) is a large species of tapeworm that occurs in sheep and cattle and inhabits the small intestine, causing diarrhea and weight declines, leading to stockbreeding losses. Interestingly, the body fat percentage of M. expansa , which lacks the ability to synthesize fatty acids, is as high as 78% (dry weight) and all of the proglottids of M. expansa exhibit a dynamic developmental process from top to bottom. The aim of this paper is to identify the molecular basis of this high body fat percentage, the dynamic expression of developmental genes and their expression regulation patterns. Results From 12 different proglottids (four sections: scolex and neck, immature, mature and gravid with three replicates), 13,874 transcripts and 680 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained. The gene expression patterns of the scolex and neck and immature proglottids were very similar, while those of the mature and gravid proglottids differed greatly. In addition, 13 lipid transport-related proteins were found in the DEGs, and the expression levels showed an increasing trend in the four proglottid types. Furthermore, it was shown that 33 homeobox genes, 9 of which were DEGs, had the highest expression in the scolex and neck section. The functional enrichment results of the DEGs were predominantly indicative of development-related processes, and there were also some signal transduction and metabolism results. The most striking result was the finding of Wnt signaling pathways, which appeared multiple times. Furthermore, the weighted gene co-expression networks were divided into 12 modules, of which the brown module was enriched with many development-related genes. Conclusions We hypothesize that M. expansa uses lipid transport-associated proteins to transport lipids from the host gut to obtain energy to facilitate its high fecundity. In addition, homeobox genes and Wnt signaling pathways play a core role in development and regeneration. The results promote research on the cell differentiation involved in the continuous growth and extension of body structures. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3650-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A survey of the parasites of Ural saiga antelopes and Turkmenian kulans of Kazakhstan

“…Similarly, animals infected with Moniezia spp. tend to quickly lose weight and intestinal blockage and possibly intestinal rupture can occur with heavy parasite loads ( Diop et al, 2015 ; Liu et al, 2019 ; Abdelhamid et al, 2021 ). Hepatic, pancreatic, and intestinal disorders have also been attributed to Moniezia infection ( Kushaliyev et al, 2023 ).…”

Characterization of the Key Bibenzyl Synthase in Dendrobium sinense

“…The extraction of D. sinense RNA was conducted following manufacturer’s instructions (Qiagen, Frankfurt, Germany). The subsequent preparation of transcriptome library for high-throughput sequencing was performed as in [ 30 ]. These constructed libraries were sequenced using Illumina platform as in [ 31 ].…”

The interplay of helminthic neuropeptides and proteases in parasite survival and host immunomodulation

“…The scolex comprises the nervous system of tapeworms as different nerve cords originate from it and are connected to the cerebral ganglion, which is considered the brain of worm [40][41][42]. Immunohistochemical studies supported the presence of neuropeptides, such as FMRF-amide, in these nerve cords in adult tapeworm Echinococcus [43].…”