| Timetable |
| Download Conference Program |
| Download All Abstracts |
| Zoom Access |
| Corporate Program |
Poster Presentations
Day 1, June 22（Sun.）
Room P (Maesato East, Foyer, Ocean Wing)
- 1P-PM-27
Eco-friendly agents for mitigating Schistosoma mansoni infection: bioassay-guided identification and mass spectrometry analysis
(1UniSC/CBI, 2UniSC/SSTE, 3QIMR, 4StFX)
Conor Fogarty1,2, Saowaros Suwansa-ard1,2, Phong Phan1, Donald McManus3, Mary Duke3, Russell Wyethd4, Scott Cummins1,2, oTianfang Wang1,2
Understanding chemosensory communication in aquatic invertebrates is critical for developing innovative strategies to control helminth infections. In this study, we investigated the semiochemical interactions between Schistosoma mansoni and its intermediate host, Biomphalaria, leveraging bioassays in conjunction with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify key molecular components. Our findings revealed that host snails secrete distinct biomolecules into the surrounding water, acting as pheromones within their species and as kairomones when detected by parasites. Notably, naïve (uninfected) snail mucus serves as a more potent attractant for miracidia than infected mucus, a phenomenon linked to distinct exo-protein profiles and metabolic secretions. Behavioural assays using synthetic peptides confirmed that primary miracidia attractants are species-specific exo-proteins/peptides with unique structural features. Furthermore, in silico analysis of olfactory G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) co-evolution in helminths and host snails offers a promising framework for pinpointing key semiochemicals involved in host-parasite recognition. These discoveries lay a foundation for harnessing species-specific natural attractants as an eco-friendly means to disrupt parasite transmission. Future research will focus on field validation of kairomone-based control strategies and the potential for expanding resistant snail populations to mitigate Schistosoma infections in endemic regions.