Identification and transcription analysis of Universal Stress Proteins in Echinococcus granulosus. granulosus

HEIL, K; MACCHIAROLI, N.; KISS, F.; KAMENETZKY, L.; PRADA, L.; CUCHER, M.; CAMICIA, F.; ROSENZVIT, M.; BREHM, K.

Congreso; IX Congreso Argentino de Protozoología y Enfermedades Parasitarias; 2011

The larval stage (hydatid cyst) of the parasitic tapeworm E.granulosus causes hydatidosis/cystic echinococcosis, a disease thatis important for Public Health in many countries around the world,including Argentina. The hydatid cyst is composed by the acellularlaminated layer, the germinative cellular layer and cyst hydatid fluidand is sorrounded by the host-produced adventitial layer. In fertilehydatid cysts protoscoleces (pre-adult worms) are present.Universal stress proteins (USPs) are proteins involved in the stressresponse that were first identified in bacteria and later reported in otherprokaryotes, fungi, protists and plants. Recently it was shown that theyare also present in animal genomes including urochordates as well asCnidaria and Lophotrochozoa but they were not found in the availableecdysozoan or vertebrate genomes. Since USPs were shown to play animportant role in the response to different stress conditions and arethought to be involved in developmental processes, have availablecrystallized structures and are absent from host genomes (such asmammals), they are amenable for evaluation as potential drug targetsagainst parasitic helminths such as E. granulosus, the etiological agentof cystic hydatid disease.