Metabolic Patterns of Dirofilaria immitis Microfilariae In vitro

Jaffe, Julian J.; Doremus, H. M.

doi:10.2307/3277652

Cited by 34 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Adult D. immitis, like many other adult filarial parasitic nematodes, was thought to be a homolactic fermenter (Kohler, 1991; Tielens, 1994), generating the majority of its energy through an anaerobic glycolytic pathway in the cytosol by fermenting the host blood glucose mainly to lactate (Hutchison and McNeill, 1970;Jaffe and Doremus, 1970). It was also shown that lactate accounted for only 55% of the carbon utilized from 1-14 C-glucose in an in vitro anaerobic adult incubation (Hutchison and Turner, 1979), suggesting the adult parasite may also rely on other, more efficient, energy generation.…”

Section: Transcripts Expressed Abundantly In Adult D Immitismentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification and analysis of genes expressed in the adult filarial parasitic nematode Dirofilaria immitis

Yin

Martin

McCarter

et al. 2006

International Journal for Parasitology

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The heartworm Dirofilaria immitis is a filarial parasitic nematode infecting dogs and other mammals worldwide causing fatal complications. Here, we present the first large-scale survey of the adult heartworm transcriptome by generation and analysis of 4005 expressed sequence tags, identifying about 1800 genes and expanding the available sequence information for the parasite significantly. Brugia malayi genomic data offered the most valuable information to interpret heartworm genes, with about 70% of D. immitis genes showing significant similarities to the assembly. Comparative genomic analyses revealed both genes common to metazoans or nematodes and genes specific to filarial parasites that may relate to parasitism. Characterization of abundant transcripts suggested important roles for genes involved in energy generation and antioxidant defense in adults. In particular, we proposed that adult heartworm likely adopted an anaerobic electron transfer-based energy generation system distinct from the aerobic pathway utilized by its mammalian host, making it a promising target in developing next generation macrofilaricides and other treatments. Our survey provided novel insights into the D. immitis transcriptome and laid a foundation for further comparative studies on biology, parasitism and evolution within the phylum Nematoda. q

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Section: Transcripts Expressed Abundantly In Adult D Immitismentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification and analysis of genes expressed in the adult filarial parasitic nematode Dirofilaria immitis

Yin

Martin

McCarter

et al. 2006

International Journal for Parasitology

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“…The well‐known fact that glucose utilisation is higher under anaerobic than under aerobic conditions – the so‐called Pasteur effect – is not much more than a consequence of almost pure thermodynamics: all organisms must optimise their energy budget. However, several intravascular parasites, such as Schistosoma , Angiostrongylus , Dirofilaria and Plasmodium , seem, at first glance, not to conform to this rule [1–7]. In the particular case of helminths, free‐living parasite stages are dependent on endogenous substrate stores, which are aerobically degraded through the Krebs cycle.…”

Section: The Paradox: Not To Breathe In An Oxygen‐rich Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vampires, Pasteur and reactive oxygen species

Oliveira

2002

FEBS Letters

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Several species of parasites show a reduction of their respiratory activity along their developmental cycles after they start to feed on vertebrate blood, relying on anaerobic degradation of carbohydrates to achieve their energy requirements. Usually, these parasites choose not to breathe despite of living in an environment of high oxygen availability such as vertebrate blood. Absence of the 'Pasteur e¡ect' in most of these parasites has been well documented. Interestingly, together with the switch from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism in these parasites, there is clear evidence pointing to an increase in their antioxidant defences. As the respiratory chain in mitochondria is a major site of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), we propose here that the arrest of respiration constitutes an adaptation to avoid the toxic e¡ects of ROS. This situation would be especially critical for blood-feeding parasites because ROS produced in mitochondria would interact with pro-oxidant products of blood digestion, such as haem and/or iron, and increase the oxidative damage to the parasite's cells. ß

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“…The presence of several isoforms of some of those glycolytic enzymes has been demonstrated for both D. immitis and D. repens (158,313), which could provide parasites with an increased ability to thwart any host interference in the energy generation processes required for parasite survival. In contrast, the aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates predominates in microfilariae (188), and oxygen is required for motility although apparently not for survival (207).…”

Section: Energy Generation and Molting In Dirofilaria Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In microfilariae, nutrient acquisition is exclusively transcuticular, and only glucose, some amino acids, and RNA precursors are taken up (8,188). Regarding protein digestion, significant protease activity has been observed in the subcutaneous tissue and, to a lesser extent, in the intestine and other anatomical sites, such as the testes, germ cells, uterine wall, and fertilized eggs of adult worms (249,456).…”

Section: Energy Generation and Molting In Dirofilaria Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, L3 and L4 larvae from D. immitis secrete proteases that lyse proteins in subcutaneous tissues, doubling the collagen lysis capacity of L3 larvae during molting, in a process essential for the completion of their life cycle (355). With respect to energy metabolism, it is known that the majority of the glucose absorbed by D. immitis is metabolized via different pathways, and only trace amounts are accumulated as glycogen (188), showing the presence of hexoses, pentoses, and their derivatives in extracts of the parasite (430). Adult D. immitis worms are regarded as homolactic fermenters because lactate is the main (or only) product of monosaccharide lysis produced by the worms (Fig.…”

Section: Energy Generation and Molting In Dirofilaria Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Human and Animal Dirofilariasis: the Emergence of a Zoonotic Mosaic

et al. 2012

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SUMMARY Dirofilariasis represents a zoonotic mosaic, which includes two main filarial species ( Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens ) that have adapted to canine, feline, and human hosts with distinct biological and clinical implications. At the same time, both D. immitis and D. repens are themselves hosts to symbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia , the study of which has resulted in a profound shift in the understanding of filarial biology, the mechanisms of the pathologies that they produce in their hosts, and issues related to dirofilariasis treatment. Moreover, because dirofilariasis is a vector-borne transmitted disease, their distribution and infection rates have undergone significant modifications influenced by global climate change. Despite advances in our knowledge of D. immitis and D. repens and the pathologies that they inflict on different hosts, there are still many unknown aspects of dirofilariasis. This review is focused on human and animal dirofilariasis, including the basic morphology, biology, protein composition, and metabolism of Dirofilaria species; the climate and human behavioral factors that influence distribution dynamics; the disease pathology; the host-parasite relationship; the mechanisms involved in parasite survival; the immune response and pathogenesis; and the clinical management of human and animal infections.

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Metabolic Patterns of Dirofilaria immitis Microfilariae In vitro

Cited by 34 publications

References 15 publications

Identification and analysis of genes expressed in the adult filarial parasitic nematode Dirofilaria immitis

Identification and analysis of genes expressed in the adult filarial parasitic nematode Dirofilaria immitis

Vampires, Pasteur and reactive oxygen species

Human and Animal Dirofilariasis: the Emergence of a Zoonotic Mosaic

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