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About the Authors:
Kathrin K. Geyer
* E-mail: [email protected] (KFH); [email protected] (KKG)
Affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, United Kingodm
Umar H. Niazi
Affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, United Kingodm
David Duval
Affiliation: Université Perpignan Via Domitia, CNRS, IFREMER, Perpignan, France
Céline Cosseau
Affiliation: Université Perpignan Via Domitia, CNRS, IFREMER, Perpignan, France
Chad Tomlinson
Affiliation: Genome Sequencing Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
Iain W. Chalmers
Affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, United Kingodm
Martin T. Swain
Affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, United Kingodm
David J. Cutress
Affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, United Kingodm
Utibe Bickham-Wright
Affiliation: Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine University of Wisconsin, Madison, United States of America
Sabrina E. Munshi
Affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, United Kingodm
Christoph Grunau
Affiliation: Université Perpignan Via Domitia, CNRS, IFREMER, Perpignan, France
Timothy P. Yoshino
Affiliation: Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine University of Wisconsin, Madison, United States of America
Karl F. Hoffmann
* E-mail: [email protected] (KFH); [email protected] (KKG)
Affiliation: Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, United Kingodm
ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3932-5502Abstract
Background
The debilitating human disease schistosomiasis is caused by infection with schistosome parasites that maintain a complex lifecycle alternating between definitive (human) and intermediate (snail) hosts. While much is known about how the definitive host responds to schistosome infection, there is comparably less information available describing the snail’s response to infection.
Methodology/Principle findings
Here, using information recently revealed by sequencing of the Biomphalaria glabrata intermediate host genome, we provide evidence that the predicted core snail DNA methylation machinery components are associated with both intra-species reproduction processes and inter-species interactions. Firstly, methyl-CpG binding domain protein (Bgmbd2/3) and DNA methyltransferase 1 (Bgdnmt1) genes are transcriptionally enriched in gonadal compared to somatic tissues with 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) treatment significantly inhibiting oviposition. Secondly, elevated levels of 5-methyl cytosine (5mC), DNA methyltransferase activity and 5mC binding in pigmented hybrid- compared to inbred (NMRI)- B. glabrata populations indicate a...