The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Single-cell atlases of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and schistosomula show 22 cercarial cell types persist into schistosomula or are lost, with tail innovations including a novel tegument.
- Why it matters: Schistosome transmission depends on how the human-infective cercaria transforms after entering a mammal, but the cellular programs and fates during this transition were unclear.
- What they did: The study built single-cell atlases for cercariae (noted as transcriptionally quiescent) and schistosomula, then mapped which cercarial cell types persist or disappear and analyzed gene ages across cell regions.
- The result: Persisting cell types show clear transcriptional transitions during transformation, and gene-age analysis supports cercaria as the most recent life-cycle addition, with tail cells younger than body cells.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.