Fluorescent non transgenic schistosoma to decipher host-parasite phenotype compatibility

Front Immunol. 2023 Nov 27:14:1293009. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1293009. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is considered as a significant public health problem, imposing a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between parasites and their hosts. Unfortunately, current invasive methodologies employed to study the compatibility and the parasite development impose limitations on exploring diverse strains under various environmental conditions, thereby impeding progress in the field. In this study, we demonstrate the usefulness for the trematode parasite Schistosma mansoni, leveranging a fluorescence-imaging-based approach that employs fluorescein 5-chloromethylfluorescein diacetate (CMFDA) and 5-chloromethylfluorescein diacetate (CMAC) as organism tracker for intramolluscan studies involving the host snail Biomphalaria glabrata. These probes represent key tools for qualitatively assessing snail infections with unmatched accuracy and precision. By monitoring the fluorescence of parasites within the snail vector, our method exposes an unprecedented glimpse into the host-parasite compatibility landscape. The simplicity and sensitivity of our approach render it an ideal choice for evolutionary studies, as it sheds light on the intricate mechanisms governing host-parasite interactions. Fluorescent probe-based methods play a pivotal role in characterizing factors influencing parasite development and phenotype of compatibility, paving the way for innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions to enhance our understanding host-parasite immunobiological interaction and compatibility.

Keywords: 3D histochemistry; Schistosoma; biomphalaria; fluorescent vital probe; host/parasite interaction; vibratome section.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomphalaria* / parasitology
  • Parasites*
  • Phenotype
  • Schistosoma mansoni / genetics
  • Snails

Substances

  • 5-chloromethylfluorescein

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study is set within the framework of the “Laboratoires d’Excellences (LABEX)” TULIP (ANR-10-LABX-41) and CeMEB (ANR-10-LABX-04-01). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. DD, PP and BG were supported by the ANR AEROSNAIL (ANR-19-CE11-0016-01) from the French National Research Agency (ANR). RA was supported by ANR (ANR-22-CPJ1-0056-01) -Tropical diseases of today, European diseases of tomorrow: a systems biology approach to understand, predict and control their emergence.