Snails, microbiomes, and schistosomes: a three-way interaction?

Winka Le Clec'h; Stephanie Nordmeyer; Timothy J C Anderson; Frédéric D Chevalier

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2022.01.012

Snails, microbiomes, and schistosomes: a three-way interaction?

Trends Parasitol. 2022 May;38(5):353-355. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.01.012. Epub 2022 Feb 18.

Authors

Winka Le Clec'h¹, Stephanie Nordmeyer², Timothy J C Anderson³, Frédéric D Chevalier⁴

Affiliations

¹ Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, PO Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78258, USA. Electronic address: winkal@txbiomed.org.
² Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, PO Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78258, USA; UT Health, Molecular Immunology and Microbiology, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
³ Disease Intervention and Prevention Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, PO Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78258, USA.
⁴ Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, PO Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78258, USA. Electronic address: fcheval@txbiomed.org.

PMID: 35190282
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.01.012

Abstract

Aquatic snails, the intermediate hosts of schistosomes, harbor a diverse unexplored microbiome. We speculate that this may play a critical role in host-parasite interactions. We summarize our current knowledge of snail microbiomes and highlight future research priorities.

Keywords: Biomphalaria; host–parasite interactions; microbiome; parasite; transmission; vector.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomphalaria* / parasitology
Host-Parasite Interactions
Microbiota*
Schistosoma
Schistosoma mansoni

Grants and funding

R01 AI133749/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States