Dose-dependent inhibition of gynecophoral canal protein gene expression in vitro in the schistosome (Schistosoma japonicum) by RNA interference.

The gynecophoral canal protein gene SjGCP of Schistosoma japonicum that is necessary for the pairing between the male and female worms is specifically expressed in the adult male worm. This protein is widely distributed in the adult female worm after pairing. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence were employed to analyze the relationship between the RNAi effect and dsRNA dosage in the parasites. The results revealed that the inhibition of SjGCP expression by siRNA is dose-dependent. RT-PCR analysis showed that the SjGCP transcript level was reduced by 75% when 100 nM dsRNA was applied.