Abstract: Objective To investigate the molecular characteristic of interferon-γ mediating protective immunity against schistosomiasis japonica in mice. MethodsCD4++ T cells were isolated from spleens of mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum at different time-points. The cDNA microarray technique combined with RT-PCR was used to explore IFN-γ inducible GTPase family gene expression profile of CD4++ T cell. IGTP, a representative IFN-γ inducible GTPase having vital anti-infection activity, was amplified from spleen of BALB/c mice using RT-PCR, then cloned into pGEM(r-T easy vector for sequencing. Results IFN-γ inducible GTPase family had the similar characteristic over the course of S.japonicum infection. The gene expression of these members were up-regulated or had little change at 3 wk post-infection, then down-modulated from 6 wk to 13 wk post-infection, which was also confirmed by RT-PCR. As for IGTP, two inserts were identified after sequencing. One was 142 bp shorter than another, but the fragment was lost due to low annealing temperature. Conclusion There is a dramatic inhibition of IFN-γ pathway and IFN-γ-dependent anti-infective immunity during the infection of S.japonicum.

Key words: Schistosoma japonicum, interferon-γ, guanosine triphosphatase(GTPase)