Enolase of Angiostrongylus cantonensis: more likely a structural component?

Abstract

The cloned enolase gene of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (AcEno) comprised 1,667 bp and encoded a peptide with 434 amino acid residues which lacked of a signal peptide but contained a transmembrane region, indicating that AcEno tends to be a structural component (intracellular or membrane protein). The real-time PCR revealed a meaningful difference in the expression level of AcEno in varied development stages. By immunolocalization, native AcEno was detected mainly in the cytoplasm in most tissues, such as parietal muscle, genital tracts, nerve ring, and alimentary canal where the energy consumption is high, but not as expected on the cuticle and hypodermis layer of the nematode. This suggests that the AcEno may be involved in a host of other biological functions, rather than a receptor of plasminogen or a component of excretory-secretory antigen. In addition, AcEno expressed alike in the nucleus, indicating that AcEno also involved in regulating the continuous growth and development of A. cantonensis in hosts. Despite of living in the vasculature at a certain stage of life cycle, AcEno was not localized in the outer surface of L3 and adults, indicating that A. cantonensis may have other virulence and immune evasion mechanisms.

Molecular characterization and analysis of drug resistance-associated protein enolase 2 of Eimeria tenella

“… Ferguson et al (2002) pointed out that enolase played an important role in gene regulation during the proliferation and cleavage of T. gondii . Some studies have found that most of the enolase of Angiostrongylus cantonensis existed in the cytoplasm of the parasite, and it might be involved in regulating the growth and development of the parasite ( Zhang et al, 2014 ). These studies have led us to speculate on the important role of enolase in the growth and development of E. tenella.…”

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of two important life stages of Angiostrongylus cantonensis: fifth-stage larvae and female adults

“…L5 were obtained from the brains of rats infected with 200 L3 15 days previously. Female adult worms were collected as previously described (Zhang et al , 2014). The worms were washed three times with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; 137 mM NaCl, 2.7 mM KCl, 10 mM Na 2 HPO 4 , 1.8 mM KH 2 PO 4 , pH 7.4) and then stored a −80 °C after soaking in RNAhold reagent (Transgene Biotech, Beijing, China) until RNA extraction.…”