Temperature-induced reorganisation of Schistocephalus solidus (Cestoda) proteome during the transition to the warm-blooded host

Abstract

The protein composition (proteome) of cestode Schistocephalus solidus was measured in an experiment simulating the transition of the parasite from a cold-blooded to a warm-blooded host. Infective S. solidus plerocercoids obtained from the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus were heated at 40 {degrees}C for 1 hour or cultured in vitro at 40 {degrees}C and 22 {degrees}C for 48 hours. In the short-term experiment, the content of only one tegument protein decreased after heating. After long-term heating, which triggered parasite sexual maturation, an increase in the content of ribosomal proteins, translation initiation factors and enzymes of the amino acid biosynthesis pathway was observed. The synthesis of certain gene products for carbohydrate metabolism, including glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, was found to be regulated in the parasite by temperature. Summary statementThe study focuses on the processes that determine the survival of parasites in warm-blooded animals, and thus demonstrates the potential for the application of proteomics in veterinary medicine.