Data for A novel rotifer derived alkaloid paralyzes schistosome larvae and prevents infection

Abstract

Schistosomiasis, caused by the blood fluke Schistosoma , is a devastating and widespread disease affecting more than 200 million people and threatening over 700 million people worldwide. Treatment relies exclusively on one drug, praziquantel, for which there are concerns of emerging drug resistance and which has shown some limitations in mass drug administration programs. Efforts to develop an effective vaccine to combat schistosomiasis have been unsuccessful; thus, there is an urgent need for alternative drugs and better prevention strategies. Here we report the discovery and purification of a novel tetracyclic alkaloid secreted by the rotifer Rotaria rotatoria , which lives commensally on snails that serve as intermediate hosts for S. mansoni . This compound effectively paralyzes cercariae, the infective larvae of schistosomes, at nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, we show that worm burden and disease pathology are significantly reduced when cercariae are pre-treated with this Schistosome Paralysis Factor (SPF). Identifying this molecule provides new directions for understanding motility of schistosome cercariae and new strategies for preventing schistosomiasis.