Discussion

Spatially resolving gene expression is a key step in determining gene function in multicellular animals. In nematodes, including the parasitic filarial worm Brugia malayi, there is great interest in identifying proteins present at druggable or hidden antigenic sites for the development of new anthelmintics and vaccines. However, determining tissue specific gene expression in parasite nematodes has been limited by a lack of tissue accessibility and streamlined genetic tools. Here we present use of Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) to isolate tissues in B. malayi including the excretory-secretory apparatus in microfilariae as well as pharyngeal tissue in adult females. Collected tissue  from larval and adult stages can be used for ‘omics’ discovery platforms, including RNAseq.