Journal Archive
Current Issue
ABOUT THIS IMAGE
Schistosomes require aquatic snails as an intermediate host. In this work from Blouin et al, results from genome-wide mapping of the Biomphalaria glabrata host genome add to a growing body of work that suggests TM1 genes may play an important role in snail-schistosome compatibility polymorphisms. Identifying the interacting molecules on the schistosome side, and how they interact with snail proteins, might reveal ways we could genetically modify snails to make them unable to transmit schistosomes to humans.
Image Credit: Blouin et al, 2024