Individual Presentation or Panel Title
Cloning and Characterization of Ss-cyp-13, a Gene Encoding a Cytochrome p450 in the Parasitic Nematode, Strongyloides Stercoralis
Abstract
Strongyloides stercoralis is a parasitic nematode which affects more than 100 million people worldwide, particularly in tropical regions. Although the burden of disease is significant, there has not been a corresponding effort to develop effective therapeutic regimens for what should be a very treatable condition. The infectious third-stage larvae (L3i) of S. stercoralis are similar morphologically and perhaps, also possess similar signaling pathways to the developmentally arrested dauer larvae of Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism that has been studied for decades. One gene that controls dauer development in C. elegans is daf-9, which encodes a cytochrome P450. I have cloned an S. stercoralis homolog of daf-9, Ss-cyp-13 from both complementary (cDNA) and genomic (gDNA) DNA. In addition to a negative control, Ss-cyp-9 and the positive control, Ce-daf-9, these will be assessed for in vitro activity using mammalian expression systems. This is a significant opportunity for discovery of a novel drug target in the face of growing antihelminth resistance and lack of effective treatments.
Location
Glass Dining Room
Start Date
3-5-2014 1:30 PM
End Date
3-5-2014 2:20 PM
Cloning and Characterization of Ss-cyp-13, a Gene Encoding a Cytochrome p450 in the Parasitic Nematode, Strongyloides Stercoralis
Glass Dining Room
Strongyloides stercoralis is a parasitic nematode which affects more than 100 million people worldwide, particularly in tropical regions. Although the burden of disease is significant, there has not been a corresponding effort to develop effective therapeutic regimens for what should be a very treatable condition. The infectious third-stage larvae (L3i) of S. stercoralis are similar morphologically and perhaps, also possess similar signaling pathways to the developmentally arrested dauer larvae of Caenorhabditis elegans, a model organism that has been studied for decades. One gene that controls dauer development in C. elegans is daf-9, which encodes a cytochrome P450. I have cloned an S. stercoralis homolog of daf-9, Ss-cyp-13 from both complementary (cDNA) and genomic (gDNA) DNA. In addition to a negative control, Ss-cyp-9 and the positive control, Ce-daf-9, these will be assessed for in vitro activity using mammalian expression systems. This is a significant opportunity for discovery of a novel drug target in the face of growing antihelminth resistance and lack of effective treatments.