Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 20240327 |
| Journal | Journal of the Royal Society Interface |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 219 |
| Early online date | 9 Oct 2024 |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2024 |
Abstract
Intestinal parasitic worms are widespread throughout the world, causing chronic infections in humans and animals. However, very little is known about the locomotion of the worms in the host gut. We studied the movement of Heligmosomoides bakeri, naturally infecting mice, and used as an animal model for roundworm infections. We investigated the locomotion of H. bakeri in simplified environments mimicking key physical features of the intestinal lumen, i.e. medium viscosity and intestinal villi topology. We found that the motion sequence of these nematodes is non-periodic, but the migration could be described by transient anomalous diffusion. Aggregation as a result of biased, enhanced-diffusive locomotion of nematodes in sex-mixed groups was detected. This locomotion is probably stimulated by mating and reproduction, while single nematodes move randomly (diffusive). Natural physical obstacles such as high mucus-like viscosity or villi topology slowed down but did not entirely prevent nematode aggregation. Additionally, the mean displacement rate of nematodes in sex-mixed groups of 3.0 × 10 -3 mm s -1 in a mucus-like medium is in good agreement with estimates of migration velocities of 10 -4 to 10 -3 mm s -1 in the gut. Our data indicate H. bakeri motion to be non-periodic and their migration random (diffusive-like), but triggerable by the presence of kin.
Keywords
- Heligmosomoides bakeri, locomotion, movement, parasitic nematode, time-averaged mean square displacement, transient anomalous diffusion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Biotechnology
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Biophysics
- Chemical Engineering(all)
- Bioengineering
- Materials Science(all)
- Biomaterials
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Biochemistry
- Engineering(all)
- Biomedical Engineering
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In: Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Vol. 21, No. 219, 20240327, 10.2024.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Aggregation of adult parasitic nematodes in sex-mixed groups analysed by transient anomalous diffusion formalism
AU - Leben, Ruth
AU - Rausch, Sebastian
AU - Elomaa, Laura
AU - Hauser, Anja E.
AU - Weinhart, Marie
AU - Fischer, Sabine C.
AU - Stark, Holger
AU - Hartmann, Susanne
AU - Niesner, Raluca
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s).
PY - 2024/10
Y1 - 2024/10
N2 - Intestinal parasitic worms are widespread throughout the world, causing chronic infections in humans and animals. However, very little is known about the locomotion of the worms in the host gut. We studied the movement of Heligmosomoides bakeri, naturally infecting mice, and used as an animal model for roundworm infections. We investigated the locomotion of H. bakeri in simplified environments mimicking key physical features of the intestinal lumen, i.e. medium viscosity and intestinal villi topology. We found that the motion sequence of these nematodes is non-periodic, but the migration could be described by transient anomalous diffusion. Aggregation as a result of biased, enhanced-diffusive locomotion of nematodes in sex-mixed groups was detected. This locomotion is probably stimulated by mating and reproduction, while single nematodes move randomly (diffusive). Natural physical obstacles such as high mucus-like viscosity or villi topology slowed down but did not entirely prevent nematode aggregation. Additionally, the mean displacement rate of nematodes in sex-mixed groups of 3.0 × 10 -3 mm s -1 in a mucus-like medium is in good agreement with estimates of migration velocities of 10 -4 to 10 -3 mm s -1 in the gut. Our data indicate H. bakeri motion to be non-periodic and their migration random (diffusive-like), but triggerable by the presence of kin.
AB - Intestinal parasitic worms are widespread throughout the world, causing chronic infections in humans and animals. However, very little is known about the locomotion of the worms in the host gut. We studied the movement of Heligmosomoides bakeri, naturally infecting mice, and used as an animal model for roundworm infections. We investigated the locomotion of H. bakeri in simplified environments mimicking key physical features of the intestinal lumen, i.e. medium viscosity and intestinal villi topology. We found that the motion sequence of these nematodes is non-periodic, but the migration could be described by transient anomalous diffusion. Aggregation as a result of biased, enhanced-diffusive locomotion of nematodes in sex-mixed groups was detected. This locomotion is probably stimulated by mating and reproduction, while single nematodes move randomly (diffusive). Natural physical obstacles such as high mucus-like viscosity or villi topology slowed down but did not entirely prevent nematode aggregation. Additionally, the mean displacement rate of nematodes in sex-mixed groups of 3.0 × 10 -3 mm s -1 in a mucus-like medium is in good agreement with estimates of migration velocities of 10 -4 to 10 -3 mm s -1 in the gut. Our data indicate H. bakeri motion to be non-periodic and their migration random (diffusive-like), but triggerable by the presence of kin.
KW - Heligmosomoides bakeri
KW - locomotion
KW - movement
KW - parasitic nematode
KW - time-averaged mean square displacement
KW - transient anomalous diffusion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205774146&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rsif.2024.0327
DO - 10.1098/rsif.2024.0327
M3 - Article
C2 - 39379003
AN - SCOPUS:85205774146
VL - 21
JO - Journal of the Royal Society Interface
JF - Journal of the Royal Society Interface
SN - 1742-5689
IS - 219
M1 - 20240327
ER -