Immunosuppressions by extracellular vesicles secreted from Schistosoma japonicum

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24590503
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Parasitology (including Sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: KUMAGAI Takashi 東京医科歯科大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 助教 (40369054)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OHTA Nobuo 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 教授 (10143611)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞外小胞 / 住血吸虫 / miRNA / 赤血球 / エクソソーム / マイクロベシクル / 免疫抑制 / 性成熟

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Schistosoma japonicum, which is endemic in Asia, parasitizes in the blood vesicles of mammalian hosts. They takes erythrocytes for their reproductive activities. In present study, we focused the extracellular vesicles, which is widely observed in the organisms as vital mobile particles. As the results, the extra cellular vesicles secrete from adult worms, after male and female worms became to be paired, and after they took in the erythrocytes. Furthermore, we found abundant miRNAs, which regulate the targeting genes at the mRNA levels, in their vesicles. This means that the extracellular vesicles have roles on the male-female communications using gene-regulations by miRNAs. Finally, this vesicles also have roles on the suppression to Th1 cytokine productions. Taken together with our results, the extracellular vesicles secreted from S. japonicum, may be required in reproductive activities and immune evasions.

Free Research Field

寄生虫学