Recognition Pattern of the Fasciola hepatica Excretome/Secretome during the Course of an Experimental Infection in Sheep by 2D Immunoproteomics
Excretory/secretory products released by helminth parasites have been widely studied for their diagnostic utility, immunomodulatory properties, as well as for their use as vaccines. Due to their location at the host/parasite interface, the characterization of parasite secretions is important to unravel the molecular interactions governing the relationships between helminth parasites and their hosts. In this study, the excretory/secretory products from adult worms of the trematode Fasciola hepatica (FhES) were employed in a combination of two-dimensional electrophoresis, immunoblot and mass spectrometry, to analyze the immune response elicited in sheep during the course of an experimental infection. Ten different immunogenic proteins from FhES recognized by serum samples from infected sheep at 4, 8, and/or 12 weeks post-infection were identified. Among these, different isoforms of cathepsin L and B, peroxiredoxin, calmodulin, or glutathione S-transferase were recognized from the beginning to the end of the experimental infection, suggesting their potential role as immunomodulatory antigens. Furthermore, four FhES proteins (C2H2-type domain-containing protein, ferritin, superoxide dismutase, and globin-3) were identified for the first time as non-immunogenic proteins. These results may help to further understand host/parasite relationships in fasciolosis, and to identify potential diagnostic molecules and drug target candidates of F. hepatica. ; This research was funded by European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 635408 (PARAGONE; https://www.paragoneh2020.eu/) (accessed on 15 December 2019). D.B.-R. acknowledges financial support from the Consejería de Educación, Junta de Castilla y León (Predoctoral fellowship). J.G.-M. is supported by the "Juan de la CiervaIncorporación" program (IJC2018–036660-I) of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU) and by the JIN project "ULYSSES" (RTI2018–093463-J-100) funded by MCIU, Agencia Estatal de Investigación ...