Parasite Neuromusculature and its Utility as a Drug Target

by Edited by Aaron G. Maule , T. A. Day , L. H. Chappell

• ISBN13: 9780521691789
• ISBN10: 0521691788
• Edition: Supplement
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-07-16
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Nerve and muscle systems in helminth parasites interact in a highly co-ordinated manner to control movements associated with alimentation, reproduction, locomotion and attachment. All metazoan parasites rely on some or all of these activities for their survival. For a long time it has been known that neuromuscular function in parasites is susceptible to chemotherapeutic attack, and that compromising this aspect of parasite biology is sufficient to cure many parasite infections. This volume outlines the latest research in this area, showing why this system is so amenable to drug intervention and outlining potential targets for new treatments. Written by experts in the field, this volume will be invaluable to anyone interested in the molecular biology, physiology and biochemistry of parasites as well as those looking to exploit these for the creation of new treatments.

Table of Contents

Preface A. G. Maule and Tim A. Day

Functional genomics of nematode acetylcholinesterases

Classical transmitters and their receptors in flatworms

Neuropeptide signalling systems in flatworms

Signal transduction in larval trematodes: putative systems associated with regulating larval motility and behaviour

Drug resistance and neurotransmitter receptors of nematodes: recent studies on the mode of action of levamisole

Glutamate-gated chloride channels and the mode of action of the avermectin/milbemycin anthelmintics

Ca2+ signalling, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and praziquantel in flatworm neuromusculature

The ever-expanding neuropeptide gene families in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Neuromuscular function in plant parasitic nematodes: a target for novel control strategies?

Inter-phyla studies on neuropeptides: the potential for broad-spectrum anthelmintic and/or endectocide discovery

Nematode neuropeptide receptors and their development as anthelmintic screens

Resistance as a tool for discovering and understanding targets in parasite neuromusculature

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