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WCID 2025

A secreted fatty acid- and retinol- binding protein from heligmosomoides polygyrus broadly suppresses host macrophage polarization

Pakeeza Azizpor, Speaker at Infectious Disease Conference
University of California, United States
Title : A secreted fatty acid- and retinol- binding protein from heligmosomoides polygyrus broadly suppresses host macrophage polarization

Abstract:

Parasitic nematodes are major pathogens of humans, animals, and plants, contributing to global health challenges and substantial agricultural losses. Fatty acid- and retinol-binding proteins (FARs), secreted by parasitic nematodes, are believed to play key roles in host–pathogen interactions, including immune modulation and nutrient acquisition. In this study, we characterize a FAR protein from the gastrointestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Hp-FAR-2. Unlike FARs from Caenorhabditis elegans, Steinernema carpocapsae, and Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Hp-FAR-2 did not influence immunity or survival in a Drosophila melanogaster infection model, suggesting functional divergence within the FAR family. Competitive lipid-binding assays revealed a preference for omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Using RAW 264.7 macrophages, we found that Hp-FAR-2 suppresses the expression of both M1-associated (TNF-α, IL-6) and M2-associated (Chil3) markers during polarization, implicating it as a broad immunomodulator that may inhibit inflammatory responses and tissue repair mechanisms to promote chronic infection. Our findings support a model in which Hp-FAR-2 disrupts host lipid signaling and immune function to favor parasite persistence, suggesting its potential role in the excretory/secretory products of H. polygyrus. Together, these data enhance our understanding of FAR-mediated host manipulation and may inform the development of novel anthelmintic or immunoregulatory therapies.

Biography:

Pakeeza Azizpor studied Microbiology at the University of California, Davis and graduated with a B.S. in 2019. She is currently obtaining her Ph.D. at the Dillman Lab at the University of California, Riverside. She studies host-parasite interactions. Her work focuses on identifying and studying immunomodulatory proteins secreted by parasitic nematodes.

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