Informace o publikaci
Detection of anthelmintic resistance-related differences in DNA methylation patterns in different strains of Haemonchus contortus
| Autoři | |
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| Rok publikování | 2025 |
| Druh | Konferenční abstrakty |
| Fakulta / Pracoviště MU | |
| Citace | |
| Popis | The development of drug resistance in parasitic nematodes has emerged as a global issue, highlighting the critical importance of understanding the precise mechanisms behind this process, which has become a crucial concern in parasitological research. Treatment compounds can affect a wide range of pathways and processes within parasitic nematodes. One such effect that has been confirmed is the induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs), which has a negative consequence, finally contributing to the development of anthelmintic resistance. To date, the mechanisms responsible for regulating DMEs are not fully understood. Given the regulatory complexity of gene expression, epigenetic mechanisms may also play a role. DNA methylation is a fundamental epigenetic modification in higher-order eukaryotes, with relevant effects on gene expression. This alteration mainly occurs at the fifth position of carbon in the cyclic structure of cytosine, especially in CpG islands, i.e., GC-rich regions. In humans (Homo sapiens), up to 70–80% of CpG sites are methylated. In contrast, for the model species – nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the conventional CpG DNA methylation and homologs of DNA methyltransferase genes were not recorded. However, there are some references that several nematode species, such as e.g. Trichinella spiralis, exhibit a significant level of CpG DNA methylation, 5–10%. To investigate the possible involvement of DNA methylation in mechanisms linked to drug resistance within nematodes, we focused on Haemonchus contortus (family Trichostrongylidae, Nematoda), a common hematophagous gastrointestinal parasite of small ruminants, which is globally extremely harmful to animal health and production. This particular species is well known for its great ability to develop resistance to anthelmintic drugs. In this context, our study, based on large-scale sequencing data, aims to explore DNA methylation levels in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of H. contortus, with a attention paying to identification of differential methylation patterns in the regulatory regions of genes involved in drug metabolism. |
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