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Navigation within host tissues: cercariae orientate towards dark after penetration
1Institute for Zoology I, University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, 91058, Erlangen, Germany.
Parasitology Research
|May 1, 2004
Summary
Parasitic cercariae use light sensitivity to navigate. Initially attracted to light, they later avoid it after skin penetration for successful host tissue migration.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Animal Behavior
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Skin-penetrating cercariae require directional cues for survival.
- Successful migration involves moving deeper into host tissues and avoiding the skin surface.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if parasites utilize photo-sensitivity for orientation within host tissues.
- To investigate if cercariae navigate away from light after skin penetration.
Main Methods:
- Observing photo-orientation of cercariae from human, avian, and fish parasites in free-swimming and agar-based migration assays.
- Comparing behavioral responses to light sources in different environments.
Main Results:
- Free-swimming cercariae exhibited positive photo-orientation, moving towards light.
- After penetration and transformation into schistosomula in agar, parasites displayed negative photo-orientation, moving away from light.
- This behavioral shift was observed across different parasite species.
Conclusions:
- Parasitic cercariae demonstrate a switch in photo-orientation behavior post-penetration.
- This suggests parasites use light cues for navigation within host tissues, moving towards darker areas.
- Photo-orientation is a potential mechanism for successful migration into deeper epidermal layers.