We study host-parasite compatibility using Biomphalaria glabrata, a snail intermediate host for the human pathogen Schistosoma mansoni. We use genome wide association mapping methods to discover genes that control variation among snails in resistance to transmitting the parasite. We use various methods to functionally characterize those genes. Example publications below.
Selected papers (for comprehensive list see Publications link above):
Blouin, MS, SR Bollmann, JA Tennessen. 2022. PTC2 region genotypes counteract Biomphalaria glabrata population differences between M-line and BS90 in resistance to infection by Schistosoma mansoni PeerJ 10:e13971 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13971
Tennessen, JA, SR Bollmann, E Peremyslova, BA Kronmiller, C Sergi, B Hamali and MS Blouin. 2020. Clusters of polymorphic transmembrane genes control resistance to schistosomes in snail vectors. eLife 2020;9:e59395 DOI:10.7554/eLife.59395
Allan, ERO, JA Tennessen, TJ Sharpton and MS Blouin. 2018. Allelic variation in a single genomic region alters the microbiome of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata. Journal of Heredity esy014,https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esy014
Allan, ERO and MS Blouin. 2017. Allelic variation partially regulates galactose-dependent hydrogen peroxide release from circulating hemocytes of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata. Fish and Shellfish Immunology. DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.10.037
Allan, ERO, B. Gourbal, CB Dores, A. Portet, CJ Bayne and MS Blouin. 2017. Clearance of schistosome parasites by resistant genotypes at a single genomic region in Biomphalaria glabrata snails involves cellular components of the hemolymph. International Journal for Parasitology. DOI:10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.08.008
Allen, ERO, JA Tennessen, SR Bollman, PC Hanington, CG Bayne and MS Blouin. 2017. Schistosome defense in the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, is partially dependent on the expression of Grctm6, a Guadeloupe Resistance Complex protein. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005362
Tennessen JA, Théron A, Marine M, Yeh JY, Rognon A, Blouin MS 2015 Hyperdiverse gene cluster in snail host conveys resistance to human schistosome parasites. PLoS Genetics 11(3): e1005067. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005067
Tennessen, JA, KM Bonner, SR Bollman, JA Johnstun, JY Yeh, ML Marine, HF Tavalire, CJ Bayne and MS Blouin. 2015. Genome-Wide Scan and Test of Candidate Genes in the Snail Biomphalaria glabrata Reveal New Locus Influencing Resistance to Schistosoma mansoni. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 9(9): e0004077. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004077
