FEMALE-SPECIFIC CDNA SEQUENCE OF SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI ENCODING AN AMIDASE THAT IS EXPRESSED IN THE GASTRODERMIS

A female-specifically expressed cDNA clone was obtained by screening o f a subtractive cDNA library enriched for RNA from Schistosoma mansoni females. The deduced protein shows significant homology to a class of enzymes functioning as amidases. Northern blots revealed a transcript of 4.0 kb which is absent in larval stages, but is expressed in adult female worms. By in situ hybridization, the expression site of the ge ne was exclusively localized in the gastrodermis of female schistosome s. This is the first report of a female-specifically transcribed seque nce of S. mansoni that is not expressed in the reproductive organs.