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Androgens Exert a Cysticidal Effect upon Taenia crassiceps by Disrupting Flame Cell Morphology and Function
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Vol 10, Iss 6, p e0127928 (2015)
- Publication Year :
- 2015
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science, 2015.
-
Abstract
- The effects of testosterone (T4) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on the survival of the helminth cestode parasite Taenia crassiceps, as well as their effects on actin, tubulin and myosin expression and their assembly into the excretory system of flame cells are described in this paper. In vitro evaluations on parasite viability, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, video-microscopy of live flame cells, and docking experiments of androgens interacting with actin, tubulin, and myosin were conducted. Our results show that T4 and DHT reduce T. crassiceps viability in a dose- and time-dependent fashion, reaching 90% of mortality at the highest dose used (40 ng/ml) and time exposed (10 days) in culture. Androgen treatment does not induce differences in the specific expression pattern of actin, tubulin, and myosin isoforms as compared with control parasites. Confocal microscopy demonstrated a strong disruption of the parasite tegument, with reduced assembly, shape, and motion of flame cells. Docking experiments show that androgens are capable of affecting parasite survival and flame cell morphology by directly interacting with actin, tubulin and myosin without altering their protein expression pattern. We show that both T4 and DHT are able to bind actin, tubulin, and myosin affecting their assembly and causing parasite intoxication due to impairment of flame cell function. Live flame cell video microscopy showing a reduced motion as well changes in the shape of flame cells are also shown. In summary, T4 and DHT directly act on T. crassiceps cysticerci through altering parasite survival as well as the assembly and function of flame cells.
- Subjects :
- lcsh:Medicine
Video microscopy
macromolecular substances
Flame cell
Biology
Myosins
Mice
fluids and secretions
Tubulin
Myosin
medicine
Animals
Testosterone
lcsh:Science
Cytoskeleton
Actin
Taenia crassiceps
Anthelmintics
Multidisciplinary
Microscopy, Confocal
Taenia
Reproduction
lcsh:R
Dihydrotestosterone
biology.organism_classification
Actins
Cell biology
Protein Transport
Immunology
biology.protein
Androgens
lcsh:Q
Female
medicine.drug
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ddb93b3ade791803b6726fd2f21b2408