Molecular and pharmacological characterization of an acetylcholine-gated chloride channel (ACC-2) from the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus.

Nematode cys-loop ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) have been shown to be attractive targets for the development of novel anti-parasitic drugs. The ACC-1 family of receptors are a unique group of acetylcholine-gated chloride channels present only in invertebrates, and sequence analysis suggests that they contain a novel binding site for acetylcholine. We have isolated a novel member of this family, Hco-ACC-2, from the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus and using site-directed mutagenesis, electrophysiology and molecular modelling examined how two aromatic amino acids in the binding site contributed to agonist recognition. It was found that instead of a tryptophan residue in binding loop B, which essential for ligand binding in mammalian nAChRs, there is a phenylalanine (F200) in Hco-ACC-2. Amino acid changes at F200 to either a tyrosine or tryptophan were fairly well tolerated, where a F200Y mutation resulted in a channel hypersensitive to ACh and nicotine as well as other cholinergic agonists such as carbachol and methacholine. In addition, both pyrantel and levamisole were partial agonists at the wild-type receptor and like the other agonists showed an increase in sensitivity at F200Y. On the other hand, in Hco-ACC-2 there is a tryptophan residue at position 248 in loop C that appears to be essential for receptor function, as mutations to either phenylalanine or tyrosine resulted in a marked decrease in agonist sensitivity. Moreover, mutations that swapped the residues F200 and W248 (ie. F200W/W248F) produced non-functional receptors. Overall, Hco-ACC-2 appears to have a novel cholinergic binding site that could have implications for the design of specific anthelmintics that target this family of receptors in parasitic nematodes.

Drug resistance is affected by colocalization of P-glycoproteins in raft-like structures unexpected in eggshells of the nematode Haemonchus contortus.

In nematodes as in other eukaryotes, there is increasing evidence that drug resistance depends on both changes in the drug cellular targets and in nonspecific mechanisms, involving cellular detoxification by efflux pumps. In vertebrates, P-glycoproteins (Pgp) are membrane efflux pumps responsible for the elimination of xenobiotic agents, especially drugs. We previously reported the presence of Pgp pumps in eggshells and cuticles of the nematode Haemonchus contortus. Eggshells and cuticles are different from cell membranes, in particular they include a chitin layer. Nevertheless these structures present some common biological features with cell membranes and play a role in xenobiotic transport. Pgp activity has been shown to depend on the lipid environment and, in particular, on the cholesterol content in both vertebrate and nematode models. In vertebrates, Pgp is in part located in membrane cholesterol-enriched microdomains, the rafts. We describe here, for the first time, lipid microdomains in eggshells that could correspond with raft-like structures (RLSs). Moreover, a large proportion of the Pgp was shown to colocalize with these RLSs. The functional consequences of the colocalization for xenobiotic transport and thus drug resistance in nematodes were analyzed and compared with results obtained in vertebrates. An understanding of such mechanisms is crucial in overcoming the failure of drug treatments due to the development of resistance.

The anthelmintic activity of the cyclotides: natural variants with enhanced activity.

The cyclotides are a family of backbone-cyclised cystine-knot-containing peptides from plants that possess anthelmintic activity against Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis, two important gastrointestinal nematode parasites of sheep. In the current study, we investigated the in vitro effects of newly discovered natural cyclotides on the viability of larval and adult life stages of these pests. The natural variants cycloviolacin O2, cycloviolacin O3, cycloviolacin O8, cycloviolacin O13, cycloviolacin O14, cycloviolacin O15, and cycloviolacin O16 extracted from Viola odorata showed up to 18-fold greater potency than the prototypic cyclotide kalata B1 in nematode larval development assays. Cycloviolacin O2 and cycloviolacin O14 were significantly more potent than kalata B1 in adult H. contortus motility assays. The lysine and glutamic acid residues of cycloviolacin O2, the most potent anthelmintic cyclotide, were chemically modified to investigate the role of these charged residues in modulating the biological activity. The single glutamic acid residue, which is conserved across all known cyclotides, was shown to be essential for activity, with a sixfold decrease in potency of cycloviolacin O2 following methylation. The three lysine residues present in cycloviolacin O2 were acetylated to effectively mask the positive charge, resulting in a 18-fold decrease in anthelmintic activity. The relative anthelmintic activities of the natural variants assayed against nematode larvae correlated with the number of charged residues present in their sequence.

Comparison of three different preservatives for morphological and real-time PCR analyses of Haemonchus contortus eggs.

Despite the development of several recent PCR assays for the egg stages of various trichostrongyles, there have been no protocols described for preserving field samples for PCR without refrigeration. In this study, Lugol's iodine (LI), sodium azide (SA), and neutral buffered formalin (NBF) were evaluated using Haemonchus contortus eggs to determine their potential as a preservative for trichostrongyle egg samples to be processed with real-time PCR. When egg recovery, embryo development, and egg morphology were evaluated from fecal samples preserved with LI, NBF, and SA, there was equally good recovery and preservation for the first month. Preserved eggs were detectable for 1 month, but after 6 months, none could be recovered. When real-time PCR analysis was performed on eggs isolated from faeces preserved with LI and SA, there was no detectable inhibition compared to fresh, non-preserved eggs; however, NBF significantly inhibited amplification. The results from this study demonstrate that for PCR applications LI and SA are effective preservatives for H. contortus eggs, resulting in good preservation of morphology while allowing for uninhibited PCR.

Extending from PARs in Caenorhabditis elegans to homologues in Haemonchus contortus and other parasitic nematodes.

Signal transduction molecules play key roles in the regulation of developmental processes, such as morphogenesis, organogenesis and cell differentiation in all organisms. They are organized into 'pathways' that represent a coordinated network of cell-surface receptors and intracellular molecules, being involved in sensing environmental stimuli and transducing signals to regulate or modulate cellular processes, such as gene expression and cytoskeletal dynamics. A particularly important group of molecules implicated in the regulation of the cytoskeleton for the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity is the PAR proteins (derived from partition defective in asymmetric cell division). The present article reviews salient aspects of PAR proteins involved in the early embryonic development and morphogenesis of the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and some other organisms, with an emphasis on the molecule PAR-1. Recent advances in the knowledge and understanding of PAR-1 homologues from the economically important parasitic nematode, Haemonchus contortus, of small ruminants is summarized and discussed in the context of exploring avenues for future research in this area for parasitic nematodes.

Amphids: the neuronal ultrastructure of macrocyclic-lactone-resistant Haemonchus contortus.

The development of anthelmintic resistance by nematode parasites is a growing problem for veterinarians and producers. The intensive use of the macrocyclic lactones for the treatment of a variety of parasitic diseases has hastened the development of resistance to this family of parasiticides among sheep, goats and cattle. As a result, resistance to ivermectin, moxidectin and doramectin by Haemonchus contortus has been documented throughout the world. While the exact sites of action of the macrocyclic lactones remain incompletely known, a critical point of entry for these drugs may be the terminally exposed sensory major neurons located in the cephalic end of the worms. These neurons, called amphidial neurons, are located in a pair of channels, the amphids, on either side of the pharynx and are exposed to the external environment via pores at the anterior tip of the worm. Through these neurons, important chemical and thermal cues are gathered by the parasite. Examination of serial electron micrographs of ivermectin-susceptible and ivermectin-resistant H. contortus allows for comparison of neuronal structure, arrangement of neurons within the amphidial channel, and distance of the tip of the dendritic processes to the amphidial pore. The latter of these characteristics provides a useful means by which to compare the association between the neurons and the external environment of the worm. Comparison of parental laboratory strains of ivermectin-susceptible H. contortus with related selected, ivermectin-resistant strains and with a wild-type ivermectin-susceptible field strain of H. contortus from Louisiana reveals that the ivermectin-resistant worms examined have markedly shorter sensory cilia than their ivermectin-susceptible parental counterparts. Additionally, the amphidial neurons of ivermectin-resistant worms are characterized by generalized degeneration and loss of detail, whereas other neurons outside of the channels, such as the labial and cephalic neurons, are normal in structure. Similar degeneration was also observed in field strains of doramectin-resistant H. contortus collected from a New Jersey alpaca heard. These findings raise a number of questions regarding the relationship between amphidial structure and macrocyclic lactone resistance as well as the role of amphids as a means of entry for these molecules. While shortened amphidial sensilla are associated with ivermectin resistance, it remains unclear if such a structural modification facilitates survival of nematodes exposed to the macrocyclic lactones.

Protection studies with integral membrane fractions of Haemonchus contortus.

Techniques for targetting glycoproteins integral to the luminal membrane of the intestinal cells of Haemonchus contortus were used to isolate fractions of whole parasites with protective antigen potential. Sheep immunization trials with various candidate fractions revealed one which selectively bound to lectins with specificity for N-acetylgalactosamine and which reduced mean challenge worm burdens by up to 72% and mean faecal egg counts by up to 93%. The luminal surface of the intestines of the Haemonchus recovered from sheep immunized with this antigen were coated with host immunoglobulin, suggesting that the protective effect was due to antibodies interfering with the function of the gut. Further biochemical characterization of this fraction, which has been termed Haemonchus galactose-containing glycoprotein complex (H-gal-GP complex), showed that it could be distinguished from previously described protective antigens of this parasite and that it was only detectable in detergent extracts of the worms.