Characterization of <i>Trichuris muris</i> secreted proteins and extracellular vesicles provides new insights into host–parasite communication

ABSTRACT Whipworms are parasitic nematodes that live in the gut of more than 500 million people worldwide. Owing to the difficulty in obtaining parasite material, the mouse whipworm Trichuris muris has been extensively used as a model to study human whipworm infections. These nematodes secrete a multitude of compounds that interact with host tissues where they orchestrate a parasitic existence. Herein we provide the first comprehensive characterization of the excretory/secretory products of T. muris . We identify 148 proteins secreted by T. muris and show for the first time that the mouse whipworm secretes exosome‐like extracellular vesicles (EVs) that can interact with host cells. We use an Optiprep® gradient to purify the EVs, highlighting the suitability of this method for…