Abstract
Neurobiology embraces the study of nerves and the muscles they innervate, and in helminth parasites it is a subject which is very much in its infancy. This may seem somewhat surprising, considering the immense potential that neuromuscular systems in parasites provide as targets for chemotherapeutic intervention (Geary et al. 1992a). However, it has to be appreciated that most parasitic organisms are small and their study is often technically challenging, and that when separated from their hosts in vitro, they present unique problems in studies of their neuromuscular physiology. Nevertheless, significant advances have been made in the last 5 years from immunochemical investigations of parasites which have laid the foundations for a better understanding of helminth neurochemistry (Halton et al. 1994), and which, through improved means of physiological testing, analysis and screening, may help promote the discovery of more effective anthelmintics.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Coons AH, Leduc EH, Connelly JM (1955) Studies on antibody production. I. A method for the histochemical demonstration of specific antibody and its application to a study of the hyperimmune rabbit. J Exp Med 102: 49 – 60
Cowden C, Stretton AOW (1993) AF2, anAscarisneuropeptide: isolation sequence and bioactivity. Peptides 14: 423 – 430
Cowden C, Stretton AOW (1995) Eight novel FMRFamide-like neuropeptides isolated from the nematodeAscaris suum. Peptides 16 (3): 491 – 500
Cowden C, Stretton AOW, Davis AE (1989) AFI, a sequenced bioactive neuropeptide isolated from the nematodeAscaris suum. Neuron 2: 1465 – 1473
Curry WJ, Shaw C, Johnston CF, Thim L, Buchanan KD (1992) Neuropeptide F: primary structure from the turbellarian,Artioposthia train-gulata. Comp Biochem Physiol 101C: 269 – 274
Geary TG, Klein RD, Vanover L, Bowman JW, Thompson DP (1992a) The nervous system of helminths as targets for drugs. J Parasitol 78: 215 – 230
Geary TG, Price DA, Bowman JW, Winterrowd CA, Mackenzie CD, Garrison RD, Williams JF, Friedman AR (1992b) Two FMRFamide-like peptides from the free-living nematodePanagrellus redivivus. Peptides 13: 209 – 214
Gustafsson MKS (1991) Skin the tapeworms before you stain their nervous system! A new method for whole-mount immunocytochemistry. Parasitol Res 77: 509 – 516
Halton DW, Shaw C, Maule AG, Smart D (1994) Regulatory peptides in helminth parasites. Adv Parasitol 34: 163 – 227
Johnson CD, Stretton AOW (1987) GABA-immunoreactivity in inhibitory motor neurons of the nematodeAscaris. J Neurosci 7: 223 – 235
Johnston RN, Shaw C, Halton DW, Verhaert P, Baguna J (1995) GYIRFamide: novel FMRFamide-immunoreactive peptide (FaRP) from the triclad turbellarian,Dugesia tigrina. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 209 (2): 689 – 697
Johnston RN, Shaw C, Halton DW, Verhaert P, Baguna J (1995) GYIRFamide: novel FMRFamide-immunoreactive peptide (FaRP) from the triclad turbellarian,Dugesia tigrina. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 209 (2): 689 – 697
Keating C, Thorndyke MC, Holden-Dye L, Williams RG, Walker RJ (1994) The FMRFamide-like neuropeptide AF2 is present in the parasitic nematodeHaemonchus contortus. Parasitology 111: 515 – 521
Magee RM, Shaw C, Fairweather I, Thim L, Johnston CF, Halton DW (1991) Isolation and partial sequencing of a pancreatic polypeptide-like neuropeptide from the liver fluke,Fasciola hepatica. Comp Biochem Physiol 100C: 507 – 511
Marks NJ, Shaw C, Maule AG, Davis JP, Halton DW, Verhaert P, Geary TG, Thompson DP (1995) Isolation of AF2 (KHEYLRFamide) fromCaenorhabditis elegans: evidence for the presence of more than one FMRFamide related peptide-encoding gene. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 217 (3): 845 – 851
Maule AG, Shaw C, Halton DW, Thim L, Johnston CF, Fairweather I, Buchanan KD (1991) Neuropeptide F: a novel parasitic flatworm regulatory peptide fromMoniezia expansa(Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea). Parasitology 102: 309 – 316
Maule AG, Shaw C, Halton DW, Thim L (1993) GNFFRFamide: a novel FMRFamide-immunoreactive peptide isolated from the sheep tapeworm,Moniezia expansa. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 193: 1054 – 1060
Maule AG, Shaw C, Halton DW, Curry WJ, Thim L (1994a) RYIRFamide: a turbellarian FMRFamide-related peptide (FaRP). Regul Pept 50: 37 – 43
Maule AG, Shaw C, Bowman JW, Halton DW, Thompson DP, Geary TG, Thim L (1994b) KSAYMRFamide: a novel FMRFamide-related heptapeptide from the free-living nematode,Panagrellus redivivus, which is myoactive in the parasitic nematode,Ascaris suum. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 200: 973 – 980
Maule AG, Shaw C, Bowman JW, Halton DW, Thompson DP, Geary TG, Thim L (1994c) The FMRFamide-like neuropeptide AF2 (Ascaris suum)is present in the free-living nematode,Panagrellus redivivus(Nematoda, Rhabditida). Parasitology 109: 351 – 356
Maule AG, Shaw C, Bowman JW, Halton DW, Thompson DP, Thim L, Kubiak TM, Martin RA, Geary TG (1995) Isolation and preliminary biological characterization of KPNFIREamide, a novel FRMFamide-related peptide from the free-living nematode,Panagrellus redivivus. Peptides 16 (1): 87 – 93
Rosoff ML, Burglin TR, Li C (1992) Alternatively spliced transcripts of theflp-1gene encode distinct FMRFamide-like peptides inCaenorhabditis elegans. J Neurosci 12: 2356 – 2361
Rosoff ML, Doble KE, Price DA, Li C (1993) Theflp-1propeptide is processed into multiple highly similar FMRFamide-like peptides inCaenorhabditis elegans. Peptides 14: 331 – 338
Smart D, Shaw C, Curry WJ, Johnston CF, Thim L, Halton DW, Buchanan KD (1992) The primary structure of TE-6: a novel neuropeptide from the nematodeAscaris suum. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 187: 1323 – 1329
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Maule, A.G., Halton, D.W., Day, T.A., Pax, R.A., Shaw, C. (1997). Neurobiology of Helminth Parasites. In: Rogan, M.T. (eds) Analytical Parasitology. Springer Lab Manuals. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60345-7_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60345-7_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-58919-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-60345-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive