Identification of the transcriptome profile of Miamiensis avidus after mebendazole treatment
- Author:
Hyunsu KIM
1
;
A-Reum LEE
;
Kyung-Yoon JEON
;
Eun-Ji KO
;
Hee-Jae CHA
;
Mee Sun OCK
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original article
- From:Kosin Medical Journal 2022;37(3):203-212
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background:The scuticociliate Miamiensis avidus is a major pathogenic agent that causes significant economic losses in the flounder aquaculture industry. Many different types of drugs are being tested to control this disease, including mebendazole, which is a broad-spectrum antiprotozoal agent. The purpose of this study was to determine whether mebendazole worked in vitro against M. avidus and to explore its mechanism of action.
Methods:Transcriptome and gene ontology analyses were conducted to investigate the specifically expressed gene profile. We confirmed the cytotoxic effect of mebendazole against M. avidus when it was applied intermittently for a total of three times. We also identified differentially expressed genes using transcriptome analysis.
Results:Most of the upregulated genes were membrane transport-related genes, including Na+/K+-ATPase. Most of the downregulated genes were categorized into three groups: tubulin-related, metabolism-related, and transport-related genes. The expression levels of glucose uptake-related genes decreased due to the inhibition of tubulin polymerization, but this was not statistically significant.
Conclusions:Our results demonstrate that intermittent treatment with mebendazole has a significant cytotoxic effect on M. avidus. Furthermore, mebendazole induces downregulation of the tubulin-alpha chain and metabolism-related genes. It is presumed that this leads to a glucose shortage and the death of M. avidus. Transcriptome analysis will provide useful clues for further studies on mebendazole applications for scutica control.
