A male-pheromone-elevated transcription factor ZNF362.1 in female schistosomes determines sexual maturation.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41790879.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aec6907 and PMC identifier 12965309.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Egg production by female schistosomes drives both transmission and pathology of schistosomiasis, affecting over 200 million people. Female maturation relies on the male-derived pheromone β-alanyl-tryptamine (BATT), but underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. We identified the BATT-responsive transcription factor gene <i>znf362</i> as a key regulator of female reproductive development. Functional studies showed that <i>znf362.1</i>, but not <i>znf362.2</i>, is essential for BATT-induced ovary and vitellaria maturation. Single-cell transcriptomics and in situ hybridization revealed up-regulation of <i>znf362.1</i> in oocytes and vitellaria S<sub>1</sub> cells after BATT exposure. Multiomics analysis showed ZNF362.1 directly activates <i>Smp_349410</i>, a female gonad-specific gene encoding a CPEB1 homolog. Loss of <i>znf362.1</i> or <i>Smp_349410</i> impaired oocyte and vitellocyte differentiation without affecting progenitors. Mechanistically, <i>Sm</i>CPEB1 promotes female ovary development by regulating polyadenylation of cyclin B1 mRNA and drives S<sub>1</sub> cell differentiation in the vitellaria. These findings define a transcriptional and post-transcriptional axis, BATT-<i>znf362.1</i>-<i>cpeb1</i>, that initiates female sexual maturation, offering mechanistic insight into schistosome reproduction and potential targets for schistosomiasis control.
Medical subject headings
- Sexual Maturation
- Transcription Factors
- Sex Attractants
- Helminth Proteins
- Schistosoma mansoni