Kosin Med J.  2022 Sep;37(3):203-212. 10.7180/kmj.22.003.

Identification of the transcriptome profile of Miamiensis avidus after mebendazole treatment

• Kim H
• Lee AR
• Jeon KY
• Ko EJ
• Cha HJ
• Ock MS

• KMID: 2538799
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7180/kmj.22.003

Abstract

Background
The scuticociliate Miamiensis avidus is a major pathogenic agent that causes significant economic losses in the flounder aquaculture industry. Many different types of drugs are being tested to control this disease, including mebendazole, which is a broad-spectrum antiprotozoal agent. The purpose of this study was to determine whether mebendazole worked in vitro against M. avidus and to explore its mechanism of action.
Methods
Transcriptome and gene ontology analyses were conducted to investigate the specifically expressed gene profile. We confirmed the cytotoxic effect of mebendazole against M. avidus when it was applied intermittently for a total of three times. We also identified differentially expressed genes using transcriptome analysis.
Results
Most of the upregulated genes were membrane transport-related genes, including Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase. Most of the downregulated genes were categorized into three groups: tubulin-related, metabolism-related, and transport-related genes. The expression levels of glucose uptake-related genes decreased due to the inhibition of tubulin polymerization, but this was not statistically significant.
Conclusions
Our results demonstrate that intermittent treatment with mebendazole has a significant cytotoxic effect on M. avidus. Furthermore, mebendazole induces downregulation of the tubulin-alpha chain and metabolism-related genes. It is presumed that this leads to a glucose shortage and the death of M. avidus. Transcriptome analysis will provide useful clues for further studies on mebendazole applications for scutica control.

Keyword

Differentially expressed genes; Mebendazole; Transcriptome analysis

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Cytotoxic effects of different concentrations of mebendazole on Miamiensis avidus. Among the three concentrations that were tried, 30 ppm mebendazole showed the highest cytotoxic activity.

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  Fig. 2. Cytotoxic effects after three administrations of 30 ppm mebendazole. A higher cytotoxic effect on Miamiensis avidus was confirmed by repeating treatment with mebendazole at a concentration of 30 ppm at 0, 4, and 8 hours. Control group: not treated with mebendazole.

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  Fig. 3. Gene ontology (GO) annotation of differentially expressed genes. The GO results were summarized in three main GO categories: biological process, cellular component, and molecular function.

Reference

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