Expression of cathepsin L gene of fasciola gigantica in different developmental stages [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Fascioliasis is one of the most serious parasitic infestations of livestock. It is caused by Fasciola hepatica (Temperate regions) and Fasciola gigantica (Tropical regions).It also has a zoonotic importance. The proteolytic enzyme; cathepsin-L cysteine proteinase (28-28.5 KDa) helps the parasite in tissue invasion, host immune evasion and nutrients intake. This study aimed to check weather Fasciola gigantica flukes depend upon cathepsin-L throughout their life cycle in snail and mammalian hosts or not. For that cathepsin-L gene was investigated in adult and other developmental stages of Fasciola gigantica using semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay. Cathepsin-L protein was detected by using Sodium dodecyl sulphate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE) analysis and detection of cathepsin-L cysteine proteinase antigen in examined stages by Enzyme linked immunotransfer blot (EITB) analysis. Stages of Fasciola gigantica were collected from an experimental life cycle that was completed in our laboratory. The adult worms and eggs were collected from bile ducts and gall bladders, respectively, of slaughtered naturally infected cattle at El-Shohada abattoir, Minufiya Province, Egypt. The results obtained reveled that cathepsin-L gene is expressed in adult and other developmental stages of Fasciola gigantica with a molecular weight of 28-28.5 kDa. These results are promising for developing an effective and reliable method for early diagnosis of Fasciola gigantica where cysteine proteinase enzyme is present in adult and other developmental stages with molecular weight at 28-28.5 kDa and its gene is fully expressed in adult and other developmental stages.

Summary in Arabic.

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