The female schistosome's dependence on the male to reach sexual maturity has puzzled scientists for decades. Using various molecular techniques, Chen et al. dissect the synthesis pathway of the β-alanyl-tryptamine dipeptide (BATT), emitted by the male into its environment, which induces sexual maturation and egg-laying in the female.
Keywords: flatworm; nonribosomal peptide; parasites; schistosome; secondary metabolism.
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