Host-finding in Echinostoma caproni: miracidia and cercariae use different signals to identify the same snail species

The snail host signals releasing host-finding responses in miracidia and cercariae of Echinostoma caproni were analysed by fractionation of snail-conditioned water (SCW). Cercariae responded non-specifically to organic and hydrophilic, low molecular weight components of SCW showing their typical turning response. Hydrolysis of peptides in SCW had no effect on cercarial responses. An artificial mixture of amino acids in concentrations determined from SCW as well as glycine alone in a concentration corresponding to the total concentration of amino acids in SCW showed nearly the same efficacy as SCW itself. Miracidia responded to a high molecular weight glycoprotein fraction, which could be isolated from SCW by ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. In contrast to an Egyptian Schistosoma mansoni strain, the echinostome miracidia were not able to differentiate between different snail species. The results show for the first time that miracidia and cercariae of the same species may use different signals to identify the same snail host species. This indicates an independent evolution of host-finding mechanisms in the two parasite stages.