Abstract
Ivermectin (IVM) resistance is an emerging problem for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle such as Cooperia oncophora and Ostertagia ostertagi. Although there is still a poor understanding of the molecular basis of macrocyclic lactone (ML)-resistance, it is clear that IVM exerts its activity by binding to glutamate-gated chloride (GluCl) channels within the parasite's neuromuscular system. One of the GluCl genes (avr-14) encodes, via alternative splicing, two subunits, AVR-14A and AVR-14B; the latter is suggested to be the main target for IVM. The genomic DNA (gDNA) sequence of avr-14 in C. oncophora contains 21 exons separated by 20 introns and spans approximately 10 kb of gDNA. Intron 13 contains a sequence with high homology to a mammalian mariner transposase. The L256F polymorphism in the avr-14 gene, which was shown to be associated with IVM resistance in a UK isolate of C. oncophora, was not found in the IVM-resistant C. oncophora and O. ostertagi isolates investigated in this study. However, genetic analyses on C. oncophora indicated a loss in allelic diversity of the avr-14 gene in the resistant isolates compared with the susceptible isolate. This suggests that the avr-14 gene, or another genetically linked locus, is under selection in these Belgian C. oncophora isolates. Comparison of the full-length avr-14B coding sequence in the susceptible and resistant C. oncophora isolates did not show any polymorphisms specifically linked to IVM resistance, although a decrease in the number of avr-14B isoforms was observed in the resistant isolates compared with the susceptible one. Measuring the transcription levels of avr-14B in adult male and female C. oncophora and O. ostertagi worms showed significantly lower levels in resistant worms compared with susceptible ones. Whether the down-regulation of this IVM target actually contributes to the resistance mechanism in these worms remains unclear.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 951-957 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | International Journal for Parasitology |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Aug 2011 |
Keywords
- GluCl channels
- resistance
- cattle
- cooperia oncophora
- ostertagia ostertagi
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Altered avr-14B gene transcription patterns in ivermectin-resistant isolates of the cattle parasites, Cooperia oncophora and Ostertagia ostertagi'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Cite this
- APA
- Standard
- Harvard
- Vancouver
- Author
- BIBTEX
- RIS