A comparative biochemical research in the Schistocephalus solidus (Cestoda)--three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L. system

The activity of five lysosomal hydrolases (acid phosphatase, DNAase, RNAase, beta-glucosidase, beta-galactosidase), alkaline phosphatase and aldolase have been examined in tissues of the cestode Schistocephalus solidus (Müller, 1776) and the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus (L.) forming a stable parasite-host system. As a rule, the activity of enzymes was higher in a cestode body than in fish tissues. The acid and alkaline phosphatases were the exception. The activity and variation of lysosomal nucleases and aldolase in the parasite differed notably from those in both infested and healthy hosts. The paper discusses the role of lysosomal and cytoplasmic enzymes in a cestode adaptation to parasitism, as well as in the mechanisms of the host's chemical and immunological response to infection.