Trial testing for generating gene-modified Schistosoma japonicum by the use of retroviruses

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670198
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Ohta Nobuo 東京医科歯科大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 教授 (10143611)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KUMAGAI Takashi 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 助教 (40369054)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 日本住血吸虫 / 遺伝子改変 / レンチウイルス / GFPタンパク質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since schistosome parasites use intermediate snail hosts for their life cycle, gene manipulation techniques is not easy to use for schistosome parasites. To overcome the difficulty, an approach using Letivirus was considered. In our trial, it was tested to insert GFP gene into the parasite genome together with Lentivirus. After then, it was possible to detect mRNA of GFP gene, and it was also confirmed that GFP gene was inserted into schistosome genome. There was no flame-shift of the inserted gene. However, we could not detect expression of GFP in the parasite, suggesting the presence of inhibition mechanism for protein expression from mRNA. ALthough protein expression was not available in our new system, it might have been possible to construct gene-knockdown system by inducing mRNA with inhibitory functions.

Free Research Field

寄生虫学、熱帯医学