Molecular Characteristics and Potent Immunomodulatory Activity of Fasciola hepatica Cystatin

The Korean Journal of Parasitology

article

Kai Zhang¹  Yucheng Liu¹  Guowu Zhang¹  Xifeng Wang¹  Zhiyuan Li¹  Yunxia Shang¹  Chengcheng Ning¹  Chunhui Ji¹  Xuepeng Cai²  Xianzhu Xia¹  Jun Qiao¹  Qingling Meng¹ 

[1] College of Animal Science & Technology, Shihezi University;State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

关键词: Fasciola hepatica;    cystatin;    mouse macrophage;    immunomodulation;   

DOI  :  10.3347/kjp.2022.60.2.117

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: The Korean Society for Parasitology

【 摘 要 】

Cystatin, a cysteine protease inhibitor found in many parasites, plays important roles in immune evasion. This study analyzed the molecular characteristics of a cystatin from Fasciola hepatica (FhCystatin) and expressed recombinant FhCystatin (rFhcystatin) to investigate the immune modulatory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation, migration, cytokine secretion, nitric oxide (NO) production, and apoptosis in mouse macrophages. The FhCystatin gene encoded 116 amino acids and contained a conserved cystatin-like domain. rFhCystatin significantly inhibited the activity of cathepsin B. rFhCystatin bound to the surface of mouse RAW264.7 cells, significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Moreover, rFhCystatin inhibited the expression of cellular nitric oxide, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and promoted the expression of transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-10. These results showed that FhCystatin played an important role in regulating the activity of mouse macrophages. Our findings provide new insights into mechanisms underlying the immune evasion and contribute to the exploration of potential targets for the development of new drug to control F. hepatica infection.

【 授权许可】

Free