Kinases: Molecular Stage Directors for Schistosome Development and Differentiation

Understanding schistosome biology is still a challenging mission. The reproductive biology of this parasitic trematode is closely associated with the pathologic consequences of schistosomiasis, the devastating infectious disease caused by members of the family Schistosomatidae worldwide. Recent studies of signaling mechanisms confirmed the prominent roles of protein kinases (PKs) in directing schistosome biology, and first evidence was obtained for an additional contribution of kinases with substrates different from proteins (non-PKs). This review provides an overview of the Schistosoma mansoni kinome in the context of male-female interaction and summarizes recent studies of kinases controlling development and differentiation. Due to their importance for schistosome biology, kinases represent Achilles' heels and are therefore of high value also for translational research.