The amphidial neuron pair ALD controls the temperature-sensitive choice of alternative developmental pathways in the parasitic nematode, Strongyloides stercoralis

Parasitology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 129 (6) ◽  
pp. 753-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. NOLAN ◽  
M. BRENES ◽  
F. T. ASHTON ◽  
X. ZHU ◽  
W. M. FORBES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parasitic Nematode ◽  
Strongyloides Stercoralis ◽  
Developmental Pathways ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Morphological Marker ◽  
Neuron Pair ◽  
Direct Pathway

The parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis, has several alternative developmental pathways. Upon exiting the host (humans, other primates and dogs) in faeces, 1st-stage larvae (L1) can enter the direct pathway, in which they moult twice to reach the infective 3rd-stage. Alternatively, if they enter the indirect pathway, they moult 4 times and become free-living adults. The choice of route depends, in part, on environmental cues. In this investigation it was shown that at temperatures below 34 °C the larvae enter the indirect pathway and develop to free-living adulthood. Conversely, at temperatures approaching body temperature (34 °C and above), that are unfavorable for the survival of free-living stages, larvae develop directly to infectivity. The time-period within the L1's development during which temperature influenced the choice of the pathway depended on the temperature, but, at any given temperature, occurred approximately in the middle of the time-span spent in the L1 stage, which varied inversely with temperature. This critical period was associated with the time-interval in which the number of cells in the genital primordium began to increase, thus providing a morphological marker for the pathway decision in individual worms. Sensing the environment is the function of the amphidial neurons, and therefore we examined the role of individual amphidial neurons in controlling entry into the direct pathway to infectivity. The temperature-sensitive developmental switch is controlled by the neuron pair ALD (which also controls thermotaxis), as seen by the loss of control when these neurons are ablated. Thus, in S. stercoralis a single amphidial neuron pair controls both developmental and behavioural functions.

Observation of the Free-living Adults of Strongyloides stercoralis from a Human Stool in Korea

2009 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Hee Hong ◽  
Jong-Wan Kim ◽  
In-Soo Rheem ◽  
Jae-Soo Kim ◽  
Suk-Bae Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strongyloides Stercoralis ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Human Stool

How to become a parasite without sex chromosomes: a hypothesis for the evolution of Strongyloides spp. and related nematodes

Parasitology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 141 (10) ◽  
pp. 1244-1254 ◽  
Author(s):  
ADRIAN STREIT
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Parasitic Nematode ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Chromatin Diminution ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Parasitic Lifestyle ◽  
Parasitic Worms ◽  
Dauer Larvae ◽  
Parasitic Generation

SUMMARYParasitic lifestyles evolved many times independently. Just within the phylum Nematoda animal parasitism must have arisen at least four times. Switching to a parasitic lifestyle is expected to lead to changes in various life history traits including reproductive strategies. Parasitic nematode worms of the genus Strongyloides represent an interesting example to study these processes because they are still capable of forming facultative free-living generations in between parasitic ones. The parasitic generation consists of females only, which reproduce parthenogenetically. The sex in the progeny of the parasitic worms is determined by environmental cues, which control a, presumably ancestral, XX/XO chromosomal sex determining system. In some species the X chromosome is fused with an autosome and one copy of the X-derived sequences is removed by sex-specific chromatin diminution in males. Here I propose a hypothesis for how today's Strongyloides sp. might have evolved from a sexual free-living ancestor through dauer larvae forming free-living and facultative parasitic intermediate stages.

#3101 Imbalanced basal ganglia connectivity is associated with motor deficits and apathy in Huntingtons disease: first evidence from human in vivo neuroimaging

2021 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. A6.1-A6
Author(s):  
Akshay Nair ◽  
Adeel Razi ◽  
Sarah Gregory ◽  
Robb Rutledge ◽  
Geraint Rees ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Bayesian Model ◽  
Empirical Bayes ◽  
Model Comparison ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Effective Connectivity ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Direct Pathway ◽  
Bayesian Model Comparison

BackgroundThe gating of movement in humans is thought to depend on activity within the cortico-striato-thalamic loops. Within these loops, emerging from the cells of the striatum, run two opponent pathways the direct and indirect pathway. Both are complex and polysynaptic but the overall effect of activity within these pathways is to encourage and inhibit movement respectively. In Huntingtons disease (HD), the preferential early loss of striatal neurons forming the indirect pathway is thought to lead to disinhibition that gives rise to the characteristic motor features of the condition. But early HD is also specifically associated with apathy, a failure to engage in goal-directed movement. We hypothesised that in HD, motor signs and apathy may be selectively correlated with indirect and direct pathway dysfunction respectively.MethodsUsing a novel technique for estimating dynamic effective connectivity of the basal ganglia, we tested both of these hypotheses in vivo for the first time in a large cohort of patients with prodromal HD (n = 94). We used spectral dynamic casual modelling of resting state fMRI data to model effective connectivity in a model of these cortico-striatal pathways. We used an advanced approach at the group level by combining Parametric Empirical Bayes and Bayesian Model Reduction procedure to generate large number of competing models and compare them by using Bayesian model comparison.ResultsWith this fully Bayesian approach, associations between clinical measures and connectivity parameters emerge de novo from the data. We found very strong evidence (posterior probability > 0.99) to support both of our hypotheses. Firstly, more severe motor signs in HD were associated with altered connectivity in the indirect pathway and by comparison, loss of goal-direct behaviour or apathy, was associated with changes in the direct pathway component of our model.ConclusionsThe empirical evidence we provide here is the first in vivo demonstration that imbalanced basal ganglia connectivity may play an important role in the pathogenesis of some of commonest and disabling features of HD and may have important implications for therapeutics.

scholarly journals Chemosensory mechanisms of host seeking and infectivity in skin-penetrating nematodes

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (30) ◽  
pp. 17913-17923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer S. Gang ◽  
Michelle L. Castelletto ◽  
Emily Yang ◽  
Felicitas Ruiz ◽  
Taylor M. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Strongyloides Stercoralis ◽  
Sensory Cues ◽  
Ancylostoma Ceylanicum ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Infective Larvae ◽  
Host Seeking ◽  
Third Stage ◽  
Olfactory Preferences ◽  
Insight Into

Approximately 800 million people worldwide are infected with one or more species of skin-penetrating nematodes. These parasites persist in the environment as developmentally arrested third-stage infective larvae (iL3s) that navigate toward host-emitted cues, contact host skin, and penetrate the skin. iL3s then reinitiate development inside the host in response to sensory cues, a process called activation. Here, we investigate how chemosensation drives host seeking and activation in skin-penetrating nematodes. We show that the olfactory preferences of iL3s are categorically different from those of free-living adults, which may restrict host seeking to iL3s. The human-parasitic threadwormStrongyloides stercoralisand hookwormAncylostoma ceylanicumhave highly dissimilar olfactory preferences, suggesting that these two species may use distinct strategies to target humans. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of theS. stercoralis tax-4gene abolishes iL3 attraction to a host-emitted odorant and prevents activation. Our results suggest an important role for chemosensation in iL3 host seeking and infectivity and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie these processes.

Can Expressing Positivity Elicit Support for Negative Events? A Process Model and Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 108886832096189
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Walsh ◽  
Amanda L. Forest
Keyword(s):  
Process Model ◽  
Positive Mood ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Potential Value ◽  
Direct Pathway ◽  
Do So

Garnering support for distressing experiences is highly important, yet notoriously challenging. We examine whether expressing positive thoughts and feelings when seeking support for negative events can help people elicit support, and we present a theoretical process model that explains why it might do so. The model includes three support-eliciting pathways through which expressing positivity could increase support: by strengthening providers’ prorelational motives, increasing providers’ positive mood, and enhancing providers’ expected support effectiveness. It also includes a support-suppressing pathway through which expressing positivity could decrease support: by undermining providers’ appraisals of support seekers’ needs. After presenting the model and providing evidence for each indirect pathway, we review research regarding the direct pathway. We then consider various types of positivity, discuss possible moderators, and identify directions for future research. Our model highlights support seekers’ underemphasized role in shaping support receipt and provides a novel perspective on positive expressivity’s potential value in distress-related contexts.

Evidence for the indirect utilization of glucose for the synthesis of hepatic glycogen in man

1992 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 677-682
Author(s):  
R. F. G. J. King ◽  
M. Madan ◽  
D. Alexander ◽  
A. Boyd ◽  
K. Ibrahim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Human Liver ◽  
Glycogen Synthesis ◽  
Hepatic Glycogen ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Abdominal Operation ◽  
Direct Pathway ◽  
Specific Activities ◽  
Glycogen Repletion ◽  
Indirect Route

1. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that three-carbon intermediates can be used in the ‘indirect’ pathway of glycogen synthesis in human liver (i.e. a route additional to the use of glucose by the ‘direct’ pathway). 2. After an overnight fast, 13 patients were given an infusion of 20% (w/v) glucose before elective abdominal operation. All received a 2.5 g bolus of 2220 kBq of selectively 3H- and 14C-labelled glucose before removal of a 1 g biopsy of liver. 3H and 14C were determined in purified glycogen as well as in glucose and lactate from samples of peripheral blood. 3. The ratio and specific activities of 3H and 14C in glycogen were found to be significantly lower than those in administered glucose. By calculation, 7–74% of glycogen repletion occurred by indirect pathways and not all of this was from the glucose supplied. 4. This study suggests that the operation of a direct pathway in man is not exclusive and that significant repletion of hepatic glycogen occurs by an indirect route.

Effect of fasting on the intracellular metabolic partition of intravenously infused glucose in humans

1999 ◽  
Vol 277 (5) ◽  
pp. E815-E823 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Fery ◽  
L. Plat ◽  
E. O. Balasse
Keyword(s):  
Glucose Oxidation ◽  
Glycogen Synthesis ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Glucose Disposal ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Total Carbohydrate ◽  
Euglycemic Hyperinsulinemic Clamp ◽  
Direct Pathway ◽  
Group 3 ◽  
Group 2

The effects of fasting on the pathways of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal were explored in three groups of seven normal subjects. Group 1 was submitted to a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (∼100 μU/ml) after both a 12-h and a 4-day fast. The combined use of [3-3H]- and [U-14C]glucose allowed us to demonstrate that fasting inhibits, by ∼50%, glucose disposal, glycolysis, glucose oxidation, and glycogen synthesis via the direct pathway. In group 2, in which the clamp glucose disposal during fasting was restored by hyperglycemia (155 ± 15 mg/dl), fasting stimulated glycogen synthesis (+29 ± 2%) and inhibited glycolysis (−32 ± 3%) but only in its oxidative component (−40 ± 3%). Results were similar in group 3 in which the clamp glucose disposal was restored by a pharmacological elevation of insulin (∼2,800 μU/ml), but in this case, both glycogen synthesis and nonoxidative glycolysis participated in the rise in nonoxidative glucose disposal. In all groups, the reduction in total carbohydrate oxidation (indirect calorimetry) induced by fasting markedly exceeded the reduction in circulating glucose oxidation, suggesting that fasting also inhibits intracellular glycogen oxidation. Thus prior fasting favors glycogen retention by three mechanisms: 1) stimulation of glycogen synthesis via the direct pathway; 2) preferential inhibition of oxidative rather than nonoxidative glycolysis, thus allowing carbon conservation for glycogen synthesis via the indirect pathway; and 3) suppression of intracellular glycogen oxidation.

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