The intestinal milieu influences the immunoproteome of male and femaleHeligmosomoides polygyrus bakeriL4 stage

Abstract

The gastrointestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri shows enhanced survival in mice with colitis. As the antibody response plays an important role in antiparasitic immunity, antibodies against male and female L4 H. polygyrus were examined in mice with and without colitis. Levels of specific antibodies in the mucosa and serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunogenic proteins of male and female parasites were identified using 2D electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. The function of identified proteins was explored with Blast2Go. Nematodes in mice with colitis induced higher levels of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG1) and IgA, a lower level of IgE in the small intestine and a higher level of IgE in serum against female L4. Infected mice with colitis recognized 12 proteins in male L4 and 10 in female L4. Most of the recognized proteins from male L4 were intermediate filament proteins, whereas the proteins from female L4 were primarily actins and galectins. Nematodes from mice with colitis were immunogenically different from nematodes from control mice. This phenomenon gives new insights into helminth therapy as well as host–parasite interactions.

The Impact of Intestinal Inflammation on Nematode’s Excretory–Secretory Proteome

“…Dioeciousness is observed in most nematode species. There are significant differences in ES composition between male- and female-derived products including H. polygyrus species [ 12 , 14 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. However, the protein ratio of HpC male to Hp male was higher than the ratio of HpC female to Hp female proteins, respectively.…”

“…Mice immunized with an apyrase cocktail produced by H. polygyrus showed a partial protective effect against a second invasion, which points to their immunogenicity [ 34 ]. In our study of the immunogenicity of H. polygyrus L4 stage that developed during colitis, nematodes in mice with colitis, especially females, induced higher levels of specific antibodies; however, we did not identify any apyrase in the immunoproteome of HpC females [ 12 ].…”

“…This phenomenon was observed in a colitis model induced with dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) and is independent of the genetic background of the host [ 10 ]. Based on 2D proteomic analysis of the somatic antigens of L4-stage H. polygyrus that developed in colitic conditions, we observed strong differences in protein composition [ 11 ], and these changes were dependent of the sex of the nematode [ 12 ]. The immunomodulatory potential of nematodes that developed during colitis can be extremely different.…”