Characterization of serotonin as a potential neurotransmitter in Echinococcus spp

CAMICIA F; SIMONETTA S; BIANCHI J; PRADA L; KAMENETZKY L; MACCHIAROLI N; CUCHER M; ROSENZVIT M

Congreso; XLVIII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2012

Objetives: 1, to search for the presence of genes related to serotonin (5-HT) metabolism and function using E. multilocularis (Em) and E. granulosus (Eg) genomes; 2, to analyse the serotoninergic nervous system ontology in Eg and 3, the analysis of the effect of 5-HT in Eg based on protoscoleces (p) motility. Methodology: Genes of the 5-HT pathway were searched by BLASTp against Em and Eg genomes. Immature adult worms (ia), vesicularised protoscoleces (vp), pre-microcysts (pm), brood capsules (bc) and microcysts (m) were obtained by in vitro culture and used for confocal microscopy (cm) studies. The role of 5-HT as a neurotransmitter was evaluated by measuring the motility of p in the presence of 5-HT. Results: The 5-HT genes found in Em and Eg are almost conserved. The cm shows a developed serotoninergic system in p, vp and ia but it seems to be scarce in the pm and absent in the m and the germinal layer of bc. 5-HT has a specific and dose-dependent effect in the motility of p. Conclusions: The 5-HT pathway could be functional in Eg and Em. The cm shows a high plasticity of development of the serotoninergic system. The effects of 5-HT on p motility suggests a rol as a neurotransmitter in coincidence with the cm results and indicate that the nervous system could be considered as a target of drugs. Molecular studies will reveal the exact role of 5-HT in these parasites.