Altered Gene Expression in the Schistosome- Transmitting Snail Biomphalaria glabrata following Exposure to Niclosamide, the Active Ingredient in the Widely Used Molluscicide Bayluscide

In order to understanding the mechanisms of action of niclosamide, the active ingredient in the molluscicides, we used a Biomphalaria glabrata oligonucleotide microarray to investigate the effect of three sublethal exposures to niclosamide on the transcriptional responses of the snail B. glabrata relative to untreated snails. In addition to inducing biotransformation activity and inducing stress responses, niclosamide exposures also resulted in altered function of vesicle trafficking and may affect the snail’s oxygen binding capacity. In order to reveal how sublethal exposures of niclosamide to the snail B. glabrata affects the snail’s gene expression. The three sublethal doses of niclosamide tested are 0.15 mg/L (dose 1), 0.10 mg/L (dose 2), and 0.05 mg/L (dose 3). The control snails did not exposed to the niclosamid (0%). The snails were exposed to a given dose for 24 hours. Twenty live snails from each dose or control group were collected and randomly divided into four replicate groups, each with five snails, for subsequent RNA extraction and transcriptome analysis