epidermal-growth-factor and Filariasis

Previously we have shown that in the filarial parasite Brugia malayi, stimulation with murine epidermal growth factor (EGF) upregulated the expression of the nuclear GTPase, Ran. In this paper we provide further evidence that filarial parasites possess the ability to respond to mammalian EGF. Stimulation of B. malayi microfilariae with EGF increased transcription of a Raf kinase, increased the physical interaction between Ran and at least eight unidentified proteins, abolished the association of a putative EGF receptor with the nuclear GTPase Ran and enhanced phosphorylation of native microfilarial proteins. In the cattle filarial parasite Setaria digitata, stimulation of adult worms with EGF was probably responsible for up-regulation of a DP-1 family transcription factor. These data suggest that filarial parasites possess the ability to respond to mammalian EGF and that mammalian growth factors may regulate developmental maturation of filarial parasites.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Brugia malayi; Cell Cycle Proteins; Epidermal Growth Factor; Filariasis; Humans; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; ran GTP-Binding Protein; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Transcription Factor DP1; Transcription Factors; Transcription, Genetic; Up-Regulation