Post-genomic studies on the neuropeptide signalling system of Juvenile <i>Fasciola hepatica</i>

Profound motility and growth phenotypes were seen as a result of knocking down neuropeptide processing enzymes. The NPF/Y signalling pathway was further probed with RNAi which supported the role of this pathway in growth and development. An NPF-specific antiserum was used to monitor the development of the nervous system in various juvenile stages of F. hepatica.

Combining this staining with the localisation of proliferating cells, or neoblasts, supports a potential link between NPF signalling and neoblasts. Significant improvements have been made to an existing chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) protocol to include a more sensitive fluorescent version. Overall, through targeting 45 transcripts using RNAi among other methods, this project has revealed the complexity and importance of the neuropeptide signalling pathway in liver fluke and provides a foundation for more focussed studies on drug target discovery and validation.