Publications

Microarray analysis of gene expression induced by sexual contact in Schistosoma mansoni

Waisberg M, Lobo FP, Cerqueira GC, Passos LK, Carvalho OS, Franco GR, El-Sayed NM

PMID: 17578584

Abstract

The parasitic trematode Schistosoma mansoni is one of the major causative agents of Schistosomiasis, a disease that affects approximately 200 million people, mostly in developing countries. Since much of the pathology is associated with eggs laid by the female worm, understanding the mechanisms involved in oogenesis and sexual maturation is an important step towards the discovery of new targets for effective drug therapy. It is known that the adult female worm only develops fully in the presence of a male worm and that the rates of oviposition and maturation of eggs are significantly increased by mating. In order to study gene transcripts associated with sexual maturation and oviposition, we compared the gene expression profiles of sexually mature and immature parasites using DNA microarrays.