Suppression of cathepsin B expression in Schistosoma mansoni by RNA interference

In this paper, we used the genetic manipulation technique known as RNA-interference to suppress the expression of a target, cathepsin B, gene in the platyhelminth parasite, Schistosoma mansoni. Parasites were cultured for 6 days in the presence of double stranded RNA derived from the cathepsin B cDNA sequence or from two control sequences. Relative to the controls, the cathepsin B double stranded RNA-treated group exhibited lower levels of cathepsin B as determined by immuno-staining and by enzyme activity measurements. Additionally, using the reverse transcriptase-PCR, suppression was seen in the inability to detect cathepsin B cDNA, using RNA obtained from those parasites. This ability to manipulate gene expression represents a powerful new tool for investigating gene function in these debilitating human parasites.