Investigators
Guillaume Mitta PI (mitta@univ-perp.fr)
Richard Galinier Research ingineer
Pierre Tysseire Research ingineer
Anne Bouchut PhD student
François Guillou PhD student

Parasitologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, UMR 5555 CNRS Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy 66 860 Perpignan cedex, France.

Project description
The aim of our project is to identify genes involved in Biomphalaria glabrata resistance/susceptibility towards Schistosoma mansoni and Echinostoma caproni, as well as genes involved in the immune response against these parasites.

Two major approaches are used:

1 – Identify immune-relevant genes through sequencing of hemocyte-derived expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Expression of candidate genes will then be analysed using quantitative PCR on susceptible and resistant snails before and after challenge.

2 – Develop a proteomic approach to identify plasmatic and hemocytic proteins that are differentially represented between susceptible and resistant snails in a constitutive manner, or proteins that are differentially modulated after parasite exposure.

-This project is funded by the CNRS through Dec. 2006