INVESTIGADORES
MACCHIAROLI Natalia
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Characterization of serotonin as a potential neurotransmitter in Echinococcus spp
Autor/es:
FEDERICO CAMICIA; SERGIO SIMONETTA; JAVIER BIANCHI; LAURA PRADA; LAURA KAMENETZKY; NATALIA MACCHIAROLI; MARCELA CUCHER; MARA ROSENZVIT
Lugar:
Mendoza
Reunión:
Otro; XLVIII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Bioquímica y Biología Molecular,; 2012
Resumen:
CHARACTERIZATION OF SEROTONIN AS A POTENTIAL NEUROTRANSMITTER IN Echinococcus spp. 1*Camicia, Federico; 2Simonetta, Sergio; 2Bianchi, Javier; 1Prada, Laura; 1Kamenetzky, Laura; 1Macchiaroli, Natalia; 1Cucher, Marcela; 1Rosenzvit, Mara. 1 IMPAM-UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 2 Fundación Instituto Leloir, Argentina. *fcamicia@fmed.uba.ar Abstract The putative role of serotonin (5-HT; 5-hydroxytryptamine) as a neurotransmitter was evaluated in Echinococcus spp. The bioinformatics analysis in the recently available Echinococcus spp. genomes suggests the presence of genes encoding for proteins involved in 5-HT biosynthesis and two 5-HT receptors 5-HT (GPCR type). However, the genes encoding for proteins involved in 5-HT metabolism and the 5-HT ligand gated ionic channel, could not be identified. The serotoninergic inmunoreactivity (5-HT IR) was found in different stages of the parasite Echinococcus granulosus, showing an overall increase in fluorescence with the generation of new structures when the protoscolex differentiates towards the pre-adult stage and a progressive atrophy when the parasite develops into the pre-microcyst stage. The putative neurotransmitter showed a significant effect in protoscolex motility, showing maximal activity at 1 μM decreasing its effects at lower and higher concentrations. Other molecule, glutamate, an excitatory amino acid, was without effects tested at the same concentrations. Citalopram, a 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, blocked the worm motility induced by 5-HT, however the drug ondansetron, a 5-HT gated ionic channel inhibitor didn´t affect the worm motility. Overall, the results strongly suggest the presence of 5-HT and a neuronal role of this molecule. The 5-HT pathway could be exploited in the future for the development of new anthelmintic drugs.