TY - JOUR T1 - Molecular Evidence for a Functional Ecdysone Signaling System in Brugia malayi A1 - Tzertzinis, George A1 - EgaƱa, Ana L. A1 - Palli, Subba Reddy A1 - Robinson-Rechavi, Marc A1 - Gissendanner, Chris R. A1 - Liu, Canhui A1 - Unnasch, Thomas R. A1 - Maina, Claude V. Y1 - 2010/03/09 N2 - Author Summary Filarial parasites such as Brugia malayi and Onchocerca volvulus are the causative agents of the tropical diseases lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, which infect 150 million people, mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia. Filarial nematodes have a complex life cycle that involves transmission and development within both mammalian and insect hosts. The successful completion of the life cycle includes four molts, two of which are triggered upon transmission from one host to the other, human and mosquito, respectively. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in the molting processes in filarial nematodes may yield a new set of targets for drug intervention. In insects and other arthropods molting transitions are regulated by the steroid hormone ecdysone that interacts with a specialized hormone receptor composed of two different proteins belonging to the family of nuclear receptors. We have cloned from B. malayi two members of the nuclear receptor family that show many sequence and biochemical properties consistent with the ecdysone receptor of insects. This finding represents the first report of a functional ecdysone receptor homolog in nematodes. We have also established a transgenic hormone induction assay in B. malayi that can be used to discover ecdysone responsive genes and potentially lead to screening assays for active compounds for pharmaceutical development. JF - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases JA - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases VL - 4 IS - 3 UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000625 SP - e625 EP - PB - Public Library of Science M3 - doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000625 ER -