Heat-shock and stress response of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus

Before and after a stress treatment, larval stages and adult worms of Haemonchus contortus were tested for the induction and expression of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) using immunoblot analysis with HSP70-and HSP65-specific monoclonal antibodies. Stress treatment or heat shock did not alter the signals obtained with these antibodies, but the amount of HSP70 differed between the successive stages. In addition, the different stages were metabolically labeled with [35S]-methionine during a temperature-shock or chemical treatment and proteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The shocks resulted in an altered protein pattern. New was the de novo expression of a 20-kDa protein of adult worms after anthelmintic treatment.