Taenia crassiceps: Chloride currents expressed in Xenopus oocytes upon injection of mRNA of cysticerci (WFU strain) isolated from mice

To study the properties of ion channels of the tapeworm Taenia crassiceps, mRNA was isolated from cysticerci and injected into mature oocytes of the frog Xenopus laevis and ion currents were recorded four days after injection with the two-electrode voltage clamp technique. Oocytes injected with mRNA of T. crassiceps expressed outward currents (ITC) that activated instantly after onset of the test pulse, followed by a slow inactivation at potentials over +40 mV, with a reversal potential of −23.2 ± 5 mV. They were not affected by changes on monovalent cationic composition of external media, but replacement of external chloride by gluconate shifted significantly the reversal potential, suggesting that ITC are anion currents, with a permeability sequence of NO3->Cl->I->>Gluconate. These currents were sensitive to changes of external pH but not to hypotonic challenges. They were significantly inhibited by DIDS, NPPB and Niflumic acid, but not by 9-anthracene. These results suggest that ITC are the result of expression of anion channels from the tapeworm T. crassiceps.