具有无限增殖能力和分化潜能的生发细胞是泡球蚴生长发育的重要基础。我们研究发现：泡球蚴多梳蛋白EmBMI-1在生发细胞中高表达，特异消除或抑制生发细胞增殖均伴随EmBMI-1显著下调，泡球蚴生长发育受阻；泡球蚴内EGFR和AMPK信号通路可能参与调控EmBMI-1表达。推测EmBMI-1是生发细胞的重要调控分子，其表达受EGFR和AMPK信号通路调控，继而影响生发细胞功能和泡球蚴生长发育。本项目为验证假说，拟开展：1.阐明EmBMI-1在生发细胞功能调控和泡球蚴生长发育中的作用；2.阐明EGFR和AMPK信号通路对EmBMI-1的调控作用；3.阐明EGFR和AMPK信号通路调控EmBMI-1表达，继而影响生发细胞和泡球蚴生长发育的作用机制；4.动物实验探索相关分子对宿主体内泡球蚴生长发育的影响，寻找泡球蚴病候选药物靶点。本项目从全新角度研究泡球蚴生长发育的机制，也有助发现泡球蚴病新药物靶点。

The totipotent and proliferative cells, the germinative cells, are fundamental underpinnings of the larval growth and development of Echinococcus multilocularis. In our previous study, we found that the homologue of BMI-1 in E. chinococcus, EmBMI-1, is actively expressed in germinative cells, and that specific depletion or inhibition of the proliferation of germinative cells and parasite’s growth was companied with significantly downregulated EmBMI-1. We also found that the EGFR and AMPK signaling pathways may be involved in controlling EmBMI-1 expression. In this project, we will study: 1. the role of EmBMI-1 in regulating germinative cells; 2. the influence of the EGFR and AMPK signaling pathways on the expression of EmBMI-1; 3. the molecular mechanisms of EmBMI-1 in regulating the behaviors of germinative cells and larval development of E. chinococcus; 4. the impacts of relevant molecules on the parasite’s development in vivo using the animal model. This study will help us to reveal the mechanisms regulating the larval growth and development of E. multilocularis, and to discover new drug targets for alveolar echinococcosis.