George RL et al. (1999) J Pharmacol Exp Ther "Molecular cloning and functional characterization of a polyspecific organic anion transporter from Caenorhabditis elegans."

Leibach FH, Fei YJ, Ganapathy V, Wu X, Huang W, George RL

[J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 1999]

We have cloned a polyspecific organic anion transporter from Caenorhabditis elegans and elucidated its functional characteristics. The C. elegans anion transporter (CeOAT1) codes for a protein of 526 amino acids containing 12 putative transmembrane domains. It exhibits significant homology at the level of amino acid sequence to the C. elegans organic cation transporter and to the mammalian organic cation and anion transporters. The function of CeOAT1 was investigated by expressing the transporter heterologously in mammalian cells. CeOAT1 transports p-aminohippurate (PAH) in a Na(+)-independent manner. The transport mechanism appears to involve anion exchange because CeOAT1-mediated PAH transport is stimulated by a cell-to-medium concentration gradient of alpha-ketoglutarate or fumarate generated by coexpression in the cells of a mammalian Na(+)-coupled dicarboxylate transporter. CeOAT1 exhibits broad specificity, accepting anions such as folate, indomethacin, furosemide, probenecid, and benzylpenicillin as substrates. The Michaelis-Menten constant for the prototypical organic anion PAH is 0.43+/-0.07 mM. This constitutes the first report of the molecular and functional identification of a polyspecific organic anion transporter in C. elegans.

Coomansingh-Springer C et al. (2019) Heliyon "Internal parasitic burdens in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Grenada, West Indies."

Sharma RN, Armstrong E, Vishakha V, Acuna AM, Coomansingh-Springer C

[Heliyon, 2019]

This study identified the endoparasites in Brown rat (<i>Rattus norvegicus)</i> during May to July 2017 in Grenada, West Indies. A total of 162 rats, 76 females and 86 males were trapped from St. George and St. David parishes in Grenada. The collected fecal samples were examined for parasitic eggs and/or oocysts using simple fecal flotation technique. Adult parasites found in the intestinal tract were examined for identification. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites among rats was 79 %. Ten helminth species were recovered, several of which were reported for the first time in rodents in Grenada. The internal parasites consist of seven nematodes (<i>Angiostrongylus</i> spp., <i>Nippostrongylus braziliensis</i>, <i>Heterakis spumosa</i>, <i>Strongyloides ratti</i>, <i>Aspiculuris tetraptera</i>, <i>Syphacia</i> spp. and <i>Protospirura</i> spp.), one cestode (<i>Hymenolepsis diminuta</i>), one acanthocephalan (<i>Moniliformis moniliformis</i>) and one protozoa species (<i>Eimeria</i> spp.). The most prevalent zoonotic species were <i>Angiostrongylus</i> spp. (35.2%), <i>Hymenolepsis diminuta</i> (7.4%) and <i>Moniliformis moniliformis</i> (3.1%). Several nonzoonotic endoparasites; which included <i>Nippostrongylus braziliensis</i> (50.6%), <i>Heterakis spumosa</i> (15.4%), <i>Strongyloides ratti</i> (43.2%), <i>Aspiculuris tetraptera</i> (2.5%), <i>Syphacia</i> spp<i>.</i> (1.9%), <i>Protospirura</i> spp. (1.2%) and <i>Eimeria</i> spp. (4.7%) were also identified. The most prevalent parasites were <i>Nippostrongylus brasiliensis</i> (50.6%), <i>Strongyloides ratti</i> (43.2%) and <i>Angiostrongylus spp.</i> (35.2%). Co-infections occurred with up to six species per rat showing different combinations of parasitic infections.