A transcription factor DAF-5 functions in Haemonchus contortus development

BACKGROUND: Abnormal dauer formation gene (daf-5), located downstream of the DAF-7 signalling pathway, mainly functions in dauer formation and reproductive processes in the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Although the structure and function of daf-5 have been clarified in C. elegans, they still remain totally unknown in Haemonchus contortus, a socio-economically important parasitic nematode of gastric ruminants. METHODS: A homologue of daf-5, Hc-daf-5, and its inferred product (Hc-DAF-5) in H. contortus were identified and characterized in this study. Then the transcriptional profiles of Hc-daf-5 and the anatomical expression of Hc-DAF-5 in H. contortus were studied using an integrated molecular approach. RNA interference (RNAi) was performed to explore its function in transition from the exsheathed third-stage larvae (xL3s) to the fourth-stage larvae (L4s) in vitro. Finally, the interaction between Hc-DAF-5 and Hc-DAF-3 (a co-Smad) was detected by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFc) in vitro. RESULTS: It was shown that Hc-DAF-5 was a member of the Sno/Ski superfamily. Hc-daf-5 was transcribed in all developmental stages of H. contortus, with significant upregulation in L3s. Native Hc-DAF-5 was localized in the reproductive organs, cuticle, and intestine via immunohistochemistry. RNAi revealed that specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) could retard xL3 development. In addition, the interaction between Hc-DAF-5 and Hc-DAF-3 indicated that the SDS box of Hc-DAF-5 was dispensable for the binding of Hc-DAF-5 to Hc-DAF-3, and the MH2 domain was the binding region between Hc-DAF-3 and Hc-DAF-5. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, these findings show that Hc-daf-5 functions in the developmental processes of H. contortus, and this study is the first attempt to characterize the daf-5 gene in parasitic nematodes. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-05036-2.