Transgenesis and targeted mutagenesis in the human-parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis

Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted helminth that is responsible for an estimated 300-600 million human infections worldwide, mostly in impoverished areas of tropical and sub-tropical countries. To date, S. stercoralis is also the only human-parasitic nematode that is amenable to the generation of stable transgenic or mutant lines that can be maintained indefinitely by passage through a laboratory host, the Mongolian gerbil. Because of its health significance and ease of genetic manipulation, S. stercoralis has rapidly emerged as a model system for understanding the molecular and cellular basis of nematode parasitism. In this mini-review, we discuss the approaches used to generate transgenic and mutant S. stercoralis, with an emphasis on approaches for generating stable transgenic or knockout lines. We also discuss how these approaches are enabling new insights into the basic biology of these highly pathogenic, and sometimes deadly, human parasites.