Effects of Emodepside on Single-Channel Properties of Onchocerca volvulus SLO-1A (BK) Potassium Channels.

Background: Control of onchocerciasis (river blindness of humans due to infection with the filarial nematode, ) remains a challenge because of the lack of effective adulticides and vaccines. Emodepside is a broad-spectrum veterinary anthelmintic that has been found to inhibit nematode muscle activity by activating their tetrameric SLO-1K channels. Emodepside has adulticidal activity and is being trialed for onchocerciasis treatment, but the molecular mode of action of emodepside is still being elucidated.

Functional genomics in reveal diverse muscle nAChRs and differences between cholinergic anthelmintics.

Many techniques for studying functional genomics of important target sites of anthelmintics have been restricted to because they have failed when applied to animal parasites. To overcome these limitations, we have focused our research on the human nematode parasite which causes elephantiasis. Here, we combine single-cell PCR, whole muscle cell patch clamp, motility phenotyping (Worminator), and dsRNA for RNAi for functional genomic studies that have revealed, in vivo, four different muscle nAChRs ( and ).