Schistosome japonicum Proteins that Interact with the Gynecophoral Canal Protein Identified Using a Yeast Two-hybrid System

Abstract

Background: The large amount of eggs produced by mature female worms not only induce major pathological damage to hosts of schistosomes but also lead to disease transmission. Mature female schistosome worms need constant pairing contact with a male partner as male signaling is indispensable to female growth, development, and reproduction. The gynecophoral canal protein (GCP), a cell-surface glycoprotein that is gender-specific to the male worm, plays a potential role in the interaction between males and females and in stimulating female development and maturation. Methods: In this study, a yeast two-hybrid cDNA library of Schistosome japonicum (Sj) parasites 18 days post-infection was constructed; the SjGCP gene was inserted into a pGBKT7-BD bait plasmid and used as a bait protein to screen for its molecular interactions using a yeast mating procedure.Results: Twenty-four prey proteins that interacted with the SjGCP were selected after excluding false positives; the interactions between two of these, SjLGL and SjColV, and SjGCP were verified by co-immunoprecipitation.Conclusions: The proteins that interacted with SjGCP were identified as being associated with growth, development, and reproductive functionality in S. japonicum.