Simulium damnosum s.l.: identification of inducible serine proteases following an Onchocerca infection by differential display reverse transcription PCR.

Vector-derived proteases are thought to be key to the regulation of filarial infections in Simulium damnosum s.I. To identify proteases of S. damnosum s.I. induced by infection with Onchocerca ochengi, a PCR-based differential display technique was used. By combining this method with homology-based serine protease primers transcripts can be detected from S. damnosum s.I. RNA.