Immunology and biochemistry of Hymenolepis diminuta

This review is an account of modern research into the immunology and biochemistry of the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta. The first half of the review is devoted to the immunological responses of the host to the parasite. It describes the specific responses that occur when the host is exposed to a primary infection, and the changes that occur when further infections are superimposed on the primary one. The aquisition of immunity to the tapeworm and its persistence in the absence of the infection are also discussed, as well as the non-specific responses of the host to the parasite. The second half of the review is concerned with biochemistry, summarizing the early biochemical work that has been carried out on the tapeworm and describing the metabolic pathways now thought to be characteristic of the parasite. What little information that exists on intermediary metabolism in eggs and larvae is summarized here. Much of this section is concerned with the role of mitochondria in H. diminuta, especially the control of the critical branchpoint (PK/PEPCK), which partitions carbon into either the cytosol or the mitochondrion. The role of 5-hydroxytryptamine in controlling both worm behaviour and metabolism is discussed, followed by a brief look at some other effectors that may prove in the future to have great significance in regulating the parasite. Finally, there is a detailed consideration of strain variation within H. diminuta and of the impact on the tapeworm of components of the immune system, formerly described as the 'crowding effect'. The review concludes with a brief discussion of evolutionary aspects of the rat-tapeworm relationship and a comprehensive bibliography.