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Jung H, Zarlenga D, Martin JC, Geldhof P, Hallsworth-Pepin K, Mitreva M. The identification of small molecule inhibitors with anthelmintic activities that target conserved proteins among ruminant gastrointestinal nematodes. mBio 2024; 15:e0009524. [PMID: 38358246 PMCID: PMC10936192 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00095-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections are a major concern for the ruminant industry worldwide and result in significant production losses. Naturally occurring polyparasitism and increasing drug resistance that potentiate disease outcomes are observed among the most prevalent GINs of veterinary importance. Within the five major taxonomic clades, clade Va represents a group of GINs that predominantly affect the abomasum or small intestine of ruminants. However, the development of effective broad-spectrum anthelmintics against ruminant clade Va GINs has been challenged by a lack of comprehensive druggable genome resources. Here, we first assembled draft genomes for three clade Va species (Cooperia oncophora, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, and Ostertagia ostertagi) and compared them with closely related ruminant GINs. Genome-wide phylogenetic reconstruction showed a relationship among ruminant GINs structured by taxonomic classification. Orthogroup (OG) inference and functional enrichment analyses identified 220 clade Va-specific and Va-conserved OGs, enriched for functions related to cell cycle and cellular senescence. Further transcriptomic analysis identified 61 taxonomically and functionally conserved clade Va OGs that may function as drug targets for new broad-spectrum anthelmintics. Chemogenomic screening identified 11 compounds targeting homologs of these OGs, thus having potential anthelmintic activity. In in vitro phenotypic assays, three kinase inhibitors (digitoxigenin, K-252a, and staurosporine) exhibited broad-spectrum anthelmintic activities against clade Va GINs by obstructing the motility of exsheathed L3 (xL3) or molting of xL3 to L4. These results demonstrate valuable applications of the new ruminant GIN genomes in gaining better insights into their life cycles and offer a contemporary approach to discovering the next generation of anthelmintics.IMPORTANCEGastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections in ruminants are caused by parasites that inhibit normal function in the digestive tract of cattle, sheep, and goats, thereby causing morbidity and mortality. Coinfection and increasing drug resistance to current therapeutic agents will continue to worsen disease outcomes and impose significant production losses on domestic livestock producers worldwide. In combination with ongoing therapeutic efforts, advancing the discovery of new drugs with novel modes of action is critical for better controlling GIN infections. The significance of this study is in assembling and characterizing new GIN genomes of Cooperia oncophora, Ostertagia ostertagi, and Trichostrongylus colubriformis for facilitating a multi-omics approach to identify novel, biologically conserved drug targets for five major GINs of veterinary importance. With this information, we were then able to demonstrate the potential of commercially available compounds as new anthelmintics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeim Jung
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Dante Zarlenga
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - John C. Martin
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Peter Geldhof
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | | | - Makedonka Mitreva
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Tian Q, Guo Q, Guo Y, Luo L, Kristiansen K, Han Z, Fang H, Zhang S. Whole-genome sequence of the planarian Dugesia japonica combining Illumina and PacBio data. Genomics 2022; 114:110293. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Yuan D, Li S, Shang Z, Wan M, Lin Y, Zhang Y, Feng Y, Xu L, Xiao L. Genus-level evolutionary relationships of FAR proteins reflect the diversity of lifestyles of free-living and parasitic nematodes. BMC Biol 2021; 19:178. [PMID: 34461887 PMCID: PMC8407040 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01111-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nematodes are a widespread and diverse group comprising free-living and parasitic species, some of which have major detrimental effects on crops, animals, and human health. Genomic comparisons of nematodes may help reveal the genetic bases for the evolution of parasitic lifestyles. Fatty acid and retinol-binding proteins (FARs) are thought to be unique to nematodes and play essential roles in their development, reproduction, infection, and possibly parasitism through promoting the uptake, transport, and distribution of lipid and retinol. However, the evolution of FAR family proteins across the phylum Nematoda remains elusive. Results We report here the evolutionary relationship of the FAR gene family across nematodes. No FAR was found in Trichocephalida species and Romanomermis culicivorax from Clade I, and FAR could be found in species from Clades III, IV, and V. FAR proteins are conserved in Clade III species and separated into three clusters. Tandem duplications and high divergence events lead to variable richness and low homology of FARs in Steinernema of Clade IVa, Strongyloides of Clade IVb, and intestinal parasitic nematodes from Clades Vc and Ve. Moreover, different richness and sequence variations of FARs in pine wood, root-knot, stem, and cyst nematodes might be determined by reproduction mode or parasitism. However, murine lungworm Angiostrongylus and bovine lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparus from Clade Vd have only 3–4 orthologs of FAR. RNA-seq data showed that far genes, especially far-1 and far-2, were highly expressed in most nematodes. Angiostrongylus cantonensis FAR-1 and FAR-3 have low sequence homology and distinct ligand-binding properties, leading to differences in the cavity volume of proteins. These data indicate that FAR proteins diverged early and experienced low selective pressure to form genus-level diversity. The far genes are present in endophyte or root-colonized bacteria of Streptomyces, Kitasatospora sp., Bacillus subtilis, and Lysobacter, suggesting that bacterial far genes might be derived from plant-parasitic nematodes by horizontal gene transfer. Conclusions Data from these comparative analyses have provided insights into genus-level diversity of FAR proteins in the phylum Nematoda. FAR diversification provides a glimpse into the complicated evolution history across free-living and parasitic nematodes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01111-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjuan Yuan
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Song Li
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Ziyu Shang
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Muchun Wan
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yu Lin
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yanhua Zhang
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Lian Xu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China.
| | - Lihua Xiao
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. .,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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de Mattos Pereira L, de Jezuz MPG, Rangel AR, Baldasso BD, Zaluski AB, Graeff-Teixeira C, Morassutti AL. De novo transcriptome reveals blood coagulation/antithrombin factors and infection mechanisms in Angiostrongylus cantonensis adult worms. Parasitology 2021; 148:857-870. [PMID: 33729108 PMCID: PMC11010222 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021000469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the main aetiological agent of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. Several outbreaks have been documented around the world, cementing its status as an emerging global public health concern. As a result, new strategies for the diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment of cerebral angiostrongyliasis are urgently needed. In this study, we report on the de novo assembly of the A. cantonensis transcriptome, its full functional annotation and a reconstruction of complete metabolic pathways. All results are available at AngiostrongylusDB (http://angiostrongylus.lad.pucrs.br/admin/welcome). The aim of this study was to identify the active genes and metabolic pathways involved in the mechanisms of infection and survival inside Rattus norvegicus. Among 389 metabolic mapped pathways, the blood coagulation/antithrombin pathways of heparan sulphate/heparin are highlighted. Moreover, we identified genes codified to GP63 (leishmanolysin), CALR (calreticulin), ACE (peptidyl-dipeptidase A), myoglobin and vWD (von Willebrand factor type D domain protein) involved in the infection invasion and survival of the parasite. The large dataset of functional annotations provided and the full-length transcripts identified in this research may facilitate future functional genomics studies and provides a basis for the development of new techniques for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cerebral angiostrongyliasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro de Mattos Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Parasitária, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Escola de Ciências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Databiomics, Parque Tecnológico Tecnovates, Lajeado, RS95914-014, Brazil
| | - Milene Pereira Guimarães de Jezuz
- Laboratório de Biologia Parasitária, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Escola de Ciências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Amaranta Ramos Rangel
- Laboratório de Biologia Parasitária, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Escola de Ciências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Bruna Dalcin Baldasso
- Laboratório de Biologia Parasitária, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Escola de Ciências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Amanda Bungi Zaluski
- Laboratório de Biologia e Desenvolvimento do Sistema Nervoso, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Escola de Ciências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos Graeff-Teixeira
- Laboratório de Biologia Parasitária, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Escola de Ciências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Loureiro Morassutti
- Escola de Medicina IMED, Passo Fundo, RS99070-220, Brazil
- Instituto de Patologia de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS99010-081, Brazil
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Elucidating the molecular and developmental biology of parasitic nematodes: Moving to a multiomics paradigm. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2020; 108:175-229. [PMID: 32291085 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the sequencing, assembly, annotation and analyses of genomes and transcriptomes of parasitic worms of socioeconomic importance. This progress has somewhat improved our knowledge and understanding of these pathogens at the molecular level. However, compared with the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the areas of functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics of parasitic nematodes are still in their infancy, and there are major gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the molecular biology of parasitic nematodes. The information on signalling molecules, molecular pathways and microRNAs (miRNAs) that are known to be involved in developmental processes in C. elegans and the availability of some molecular resources (draft genomes, transcriptomes and some proteomes) for selected parasitic nematodes provide a basis to start exploring the developmental biology of parasitic nematodes. Indeed, some studies have identified molecules and pathways that might associate with developmental processes in related, parasitic nematodes, such as Haemonchus contortus (barber's pole worm). However, detailed information is often scant and 'omics resources are limited, preventing a proper integration of 'omic data sets and comprehensive analyses. Moreover, little is known about the functional roles of pheromones, hormones, signalling pathways and post-transcriptional/post-translational regulations in the development of key parasitic nematodes throughout their entire life cycles. Although C. elegans is an excellent model to assist molecular studies of parasitic nematodes, its use is limited when it comes to explorations of processes that are specific to parasitism within host animals. A deep understanding of parasitic nematodes, such as H. contortus, requires substantially enhanced resources and the use of integrative 'omics approaches for analyses. The improved genome and well-established in vitro larval culture system for H. contortus provide unprecedented opportunities for comprehensive studies of the transcriptomes (mRNA and miRNA), proteomes (somatic, excretory/secretory and phosphorylated proteins) and lipidomes (e.g., polar and neutral lipids) of this nematode. Such resources should enable in-depth explorations of its developmental biology at a level, not previously possible. The main aims of this review are (i) to provide a background on the development of nematodes, with a particular emphasis on the molecular aspects involved in the dauer formation and exit in C. elegans; (ii) to critically appraise the current state of knowledge of the developmental biology of parasitic nematodes and identify key knowledge gaps; (iii) to cover salient aspects of H. contortus, with a focus on the recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and lipidomics as well as in vitro culturing systems; (iv) to review recent advances in our knowledge and understanding of the molecular and developmental biology of H. contortus using an integrative multiomics approach, and discuss the implications of this approach for detailed explorations of signalling molecules, molecular processes and pathways likely associated with nematode development, adaptation and parasitism, and for the identification of novel intervention targets against these pathogens. Clearly, the multiomics approach established recently is readily applicable to exploring a wide range of interesting and socioeconomically significant parasitic worms (including also trematodes and cestodes) at the molecular level, and to elucidate host-parasite interactions and disease processes.
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Wang T, Ma G, Ang CS, Korhonen PK, Xu R, Nie S, Koehler AV, Simpson RJ, Greening DW, Reid GE, Williamson NA, Gasser RB. Somatic proteome of Haemonchus contortus. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:311-320. [PMID: 30771357 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Currently, there is a dearth of proteomic data to underpin fundamental investigations of parasites and parasitism at the molecular level. Here, using a high throughput LC-MS/MS-based approach, we undertook the first reported comprehensive, large-scale proteomic investigation of the barber's pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) - one of the most important parasitic nematodes of livestock animals worldwide. In total, 2487 unique H. contortus proteins representing different developmental stages/sexes (i.e. eggs, L3s and L4s, female (Af) and male (Am) adults) were identified and quantified with high confidence. Bioinformatic analyses of this proteome revealed substantial alterations in protein profiles during the life cycle, particularly in the transition from the free-living to the parasitic phase, and key groups of proteins involved specifically in feeding, digestion, metabolism, development, parasite-host interactions (including immunomodulation), structural remodelling of the body wall and adaptive processes during parasitism. This proteomic data set will facilitate future molecular, biochemical and physiological investigations of H. contortus and related nematodes, and the discovery of novel intervention targets against haemonchosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Guangxu Ma
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Ching-Seng Ang
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Pasi K Korhonen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Rong Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Shuai Nie
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Anson V Koehler
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Richard J Simpson
- Department of Biochemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - David W Greening
- Department of Biochemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS), La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Gavin E Reid
- School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010 Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute. The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Williamson
- Bio21 Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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7
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Abstract
Parasitic nematodes (roundworms) and platyhelminths (flatworms) cause debilitating chronic infections of humans and animals, decimate crop production and are a major impediment to socioeconomic development. Here we report a broad comparative study of 81 genomes of parasitic and non-parasitic worms. We have identified gene family births and hundreds of expanded gene families at key nodes in the phylogeny that are relevant to parasitism. Examples include gene families that modulate host immune responses, enable parasite migration though host tissues or allow the parasite to feed. We reveal extensive lineage-specific differences in core metabolism and protein families historically targeted for drug development. From an in silico screen, we have identified and prioritized new potential drug targets and compounds for testing. This comparative genomics resource provides a much-needed boost for the research community to understand and combat parasitic worms.
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Leroux LP, Nasr M, Valanparambil R, Tam M, Rosa BA, Siciliani E, Hill DE, Zarlenga DS, Jaramillo M, Weinstock JV, Geary TG, Stevenson MM, Urban JF, Mitreva M, Jardim A. Analysis of the Trichuris suis excretory/secretory proteins as a function of life cycle stage and their immunomodulatory properties. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15921. [PMID: 30374177 PMCID: PMC6206011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34174-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic worms have a remarkable ability to modulate host immune responses through several mechanisms including excreted/secreted proteins (ESP), yet the exact nature of these proteins and their targets often remains elusive. Here, we performed mass spectrometry analyses of ESP (TsESP) from larval and adult stages of the pig whipworm Trichuris suis (Ts) and identified ~350 proteins. Transcriptomic analyses revealed large subsets of differentially expressed genes in the various life cycle stages of the parasite. Exposure of bone marrow-derived macrophages and dendritic cells to TsESP markedly diminished secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-12p70. Conversely, TsESP exposure strongly induced release of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and also induced high levels of nitric oxide (NO) and upregulated arginase activity in macrophages. Interestingly, TsESP failed to directly induce CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells), while OVA-pulsed TsESP-treated dendritic cells suppressed antigen-specific OT-II CD4+ T cell proliferation. Fractionation of TsESP identified a subset of proteins that promoted anti-inflammatory functions, an activity that was recapitulated using recombinant T. suis triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) and nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK). Our study helps illuminate the intricate balance that is characteristic of parasite-host interactions at the immunological interface, and further establishes the principle that specific parasite-derived proteins can modulate immune cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Philippe Leroux
- Institute of Parasitology McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
- Centre for Host-Parasite Interaction (CHPI), Montreal, Canada
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)-Institut Armand-Frappier (IAF), Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Mohamad Nasr
- Institute of Parasitology McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
- Centre for Host-Parasite Interaction (CHPI), Montreal, Canada
| | - Rajesh Valanparambil
- Centre for Host-Parasite Interaction (CHPI), Montreal, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mifong Tam
- Centre for Host-Parasite Interaction (CHPI), Montreal, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bruce A Rosa
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Elizabeth Siciliani
- Institute of Parasitology McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Dolores E Hill
- United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | | | - Maritza Jaramillo
- Centre for Host-Parasite Interaction (CHPI), Montreal, Canada
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)-Institut Armand-Frappier (IAF), Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Joel V Weinstock
- Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Timothy G Geary
- Institute of Parasitology McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
- Centre for Host-Parasite Interaction (CHPI), Montreal, Canada
| | - Mary M Stevenson
- Centre for Host-Parasite Interaction (CHPI), Montreal, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Joseph F Urban
- United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University in, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Armando Jardim
- Institute of Parasitology McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada.
- Centre for Host-Parasite Interaction (CHPI), Montreal, Canada.
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Jex AR, Gasser RB, Schwarz EM. Transcriptomic Resources for Parasitic Nematodes of Veterinary Importance. Trends Parasitol 2018; 35:72-84. [PMID: 30529253 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic nematodes are important pathogens of animals, causing diseases that impact on agricultural production worldwide. Research on these worms has been constrained by a lack of genetic and genomic tools. Nonetheless, over the past decade this field has made substantial advances, many of which have been led by transcriptomic sequencing. The present review summarises major transcriptomic studies of veterinary parasitic nematodes in recent years, and comments on overarching themes stemming from this work that inform our understanding of parasitism. Finally, we comment on current, state-of-the-art informatic tools for the analysis of complex worm transcriptomes to extract maximum the molecular information from them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron R Jex
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Erich M Schwarz
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Ma G, Wang T, Korhonen PK, Ang CS, Williamson NA, Young ND, Stroehlein AJ, Hall RS, Koehler AV, Hofmann A, Gasser RB. Molecular alterations during larval development of Haemonchus contortus in vitro are under tight post-transcriptional control. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:763-772. [PMID: 29792880 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we explored the molecular alterations in the developmental switch from the L3 to the exsheathed L3 (xL3) and to the L4 stage of Haemonchus contortus in vitro using an integrated transcriptomic, proteomic and bioinformatic approach. Totals of 9,754 mRNAs, 88 microRNAs (miRNAs) and 1,591 proteins were identified, and 6,686 miRNA-mRNA pairs inferred in all larval stages studied. Approximately 16% of transcripts in the combined transcriptome (representing all three larval stages) were expressed as proteins, and there were positive correlations (r = 0.39-0.44) between mRNA transcription and protein expression in the three distinct developmental stages of the parasite. Of the predicted targets, 1,019 (27.0%) mRNA transcripts were expressed as proteins, and there was a negative correlation (r = -0.60 to -0.50) in the differential mRNA transcription and protein expression between developmental stages upon pairwise comparison. The changes in transcription (mRNA and miRNA) and protein expression from the free-living to the parasitic life cycle phase of H. contortus related to enrichments in biological pathways associated with metabolism (e.g., carbohydrate and lipid degradation, and amino acid metabolism), environmental information processing (e.g., signal transduction, signalling molecules and interactions) and/or genetic information processing (e.g., transcription and translation). Specifically, fatty acid degradation, steroid hormone biosynthesis and the Rap1 signalling pathway were suppressed, whereas transcription, translation and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum were upregulated during the transition from the free-living L3 to the parasitic xL3 and L4 stages of the nematode in vitro. Dominant post-transcriptional regulation was inferred to elicit these changes, and particular miRNAs (e.g., hco-miR-34 and hco-miR-252) appear to play roles in stress responses and/or environmental adaptations during developmental transitions of H. contortus. Taken together, these integrated results provide a comprehensive insight into the developmental biology of this important parasite at the molecular level in vitro. The approach applied here to H. contortus can be readily applied to other parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxu Ma
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Pasi K Korhonen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Ching-Seng Ang
- The Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Williamson
- The Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Neil D Young
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andreas J Stroehlein
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Ross S Hall
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Anson V Koehler
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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11
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Stutzer C, Richards SA, Ferreira M, Baron S, Maritz-Olivier C. Metazoan Parasite Vaccines: Present Status and Future Prospects. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:67. [PMID: 29594064 PMCID: PMC5859119 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic parasites and pathogens continue to cause some of the most detrimental and difficult to treat diseases (or disease states) in both humans and animals, while also continuously expanding into non-endemic countries. Combined with the ever growing number of reports on drug-resistance and the lack of effective treatment programs for many metazoan diseases, the impact that these organisms will have on quality of life remain a global challenge. Vaccination as an effective prophylactic treatment has been demonstrated for well over 200 years for bacterial and viral diseases. From the earliest variolation procedures to the cutting edge technologies employed today, many protective preparations have been successfully developed for use in both medical and veterinary applications. In spite of the successes of these applications in the discovery of subunit vaccines against prokaryotic pathogens, not many targets have been successfully developed into vaccines directed against metazoan parasites. With the current increase in -omics technologies and metadata for eukaryotic parasites, target discovery for vaccine development can be expedited. However, a good understanding of the host/vector/pathogen interface is needed to understand the underlying biological, biochemical and immunological components that will confer a protective response in the host animal. Therefore, systems biology is rapidly coming of age in the pursuit of effective parasite vaccines. Despite the difficulties, a number of approaches have been developed and applied to parasitic helminths and arthropods. This review will focus on key aspects of vaccine development that require attention in the battle against these metazoan parasites, as well as successes in the field of vaccine development for helminthiases and ectoparasites. Lastly, we propose future direction of applying successes in pursuit of next generation vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Stutzer
- Tick Vaccine Group, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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12
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Magrini V, Gao X, Rosa BA, McGrath S, Zhang X, Hallsworth-Pepin K, Martin J, Hawdon J, Wilson RK, Mitreva M. Improving eukaryotic genome annotation using single molecule mRNA sequencing. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:172. [PMID: 29495964 PMCID: PMC5833154 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4555-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The advantages of Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) technology include long reads, low systematic bias, and high consensus read accuracy. Here we use these attributes to improve on the genome annotation of the parasitic hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum using PacBio RNA-Seq. RESULTS We sequenced 192,888 circular consensus sequences (CCS) derived from cDNAs generated using the CloneTech SMARTer system. These SMARTer-SMRT libraries were normalized and size-selected providing a robust population of expressed structural genes for subsequent genome annotation. We demonstrate PacBio mRNA sequences based genome annotation improvement, compared to genome annotation using conventional sequencing-by-synthesis alone, by identifying 1609 (9.2%) new genes, extended the length of 3965 (26.7%) genes and increased the total genomic exon length by 1.9 Mb (12.4%). Non-coding sequence representation (primarily from UTRs based on dT reverse transcription priming) was particularly improved, increasing in total length by fifteen-fold, by increasing both the length and number of UTR exons. In addition, the UTR data provided by these CCS allowed for the identification of a novel SL2 splice leader sequence for A. ceylanicum and an increase in the number and proportion of functionally annotated genes. RNA-seq data also confirmed some of the newly annotated genes and gene features. CONCLUSION Overall, PacBio data has supported a significant improvement in gene annotation in this genome, and is an appealing alternative or complementary technique for genome annotation to the other transcript sequencing technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Magrini
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - Xin Gao
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - Bruce A. Rosa
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - Sean McGrath
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - Xu Zhang
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | | | - John Martin
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
| | - John Hawdon
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington DC, 20037 USA
| | - Richard K. Wilson
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108 USA
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
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13
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Screening of a small, well-curated natural product-based library identifies two rotenoids with potent nematocidal activity against Haemonchus contortus. Vet Parasitol 2017; 244:172-175. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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14
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McNulty SN, Tort JF, Rinaldi G, Fischer K, Rosa BA, Smircich P, Fontenla S, Choi YJ, Tyagi R, Hallsworth-Pepin K, Mann VH, Kammili L, Latham PS, Dell’Oca N, Dominguez F, Carmona C, Fischer PU, Brindley PJ, Mitreva M. Genomes of Fasciola hepatica from the Americas Reveal Colonization with Neorickettsia Endobacteria Related to the Agents of Potomac Horse and Human Sennetsu Fevers. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006537. [PMID: 28060841 PMCID: PMC5257007 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Food borne trematodes (FBTs) are an assemblage of platyhelminth parasites transmitted through the food chain, four of which are recognized as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Fascioliasis stands out among the other NTDs due to its broad and significant impact on both human and animal health, as Fasciola sp., are also considered major pathogens of domesticated ruminants. Here we present a reference genome sequence of the common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica isolated from sheep, complementing previously reported isolate from cattle. A total of 14,642 genes were predicted from the 1.14 GB genome of the liver fluke. Comparative genomics indicated that F. hepatica Oregon and related food-borne trematodes are metabolically less constrained than schistosomes and cestodes, taking advantage of the richer millieux offered by the hepatobiliary organs. Protease families differentially expanded between diverse trematodes may facilitate migration and survival within the heterogeneous environments and niches within the mammalian host. Surprisingly, the sequencing of Oregon and Uruguay F. hepatica isolates led to the first discovery of an endobacteria in this species. Two contigs from the F. hepatica Oregon assembly were joined to complete the 859,205 bp genome of a novel Neorickettsia endobacterium (nFh) closely related to the etiological agents of human Sennetsu and Potomac horse fevers. Immunohistochemical studies targeting a Neorickettsia surface protein found nFh in specific organs and tissues of the adult trematode including the female reproductive tract, eggs, the Mehlis' gland, seminal vesicle, and oral suckers, suggesting putative routes for fluke-to-fluke and fluke-to-host transmission. The genomes of F. hepatica and nFh will serve as a resource for further exploration of the biology of F. hepatica, and specifically its newly discovered trans-kingdom interaction with nFh and the impact of both species on disease in ruminants and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha N. McNulty
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jose F. Tort
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gabriel Rinaldi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, and Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Kerstin Fischer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Bruce A. Rosa
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Pablo Smircich
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Santiago Fontenla
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Young-Jun Choi
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Rahul Tyagi
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | | | - Victoria H. Mann
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, and Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Lakshmi Kammili
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Patricia S. Latham
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Dell’Oca
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Fernanda Dominguez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Carlos Carmona
- Unidad de Biología Parasitaria, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Higiene, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Peter U. Fischer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Paul J. Brindley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, and Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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15
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Jiménez-Castells C, Vanbeselaere J, Kohlhuber S, Ruttkowski B, Joachim A, Paschinger K. Gender and developmental specific N-glycomes of the porcine parasite Oesophagostomum dentatum. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1861:418-430. [PMID: 27751954 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The porcine nodule worm Oesophagostomum dentatum is a strongylid class V nematode rather closely related to the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. However, in contrast to the non-parasitic C. elegans, the parasitic O. dentatum is an obligate sexual organism, which makes both a gender and developmental glycomic comparison possible. METHODS Different enzymatic and chemical methods were used to release N-glycans from male and female O. dentatum as well as from L3 and L4 larvae. Glycans were analysed by MALDI-TOF MS after either 2D-HPLC (normal then reversed phase) or fused core RP-HPLC. RESULTS Whereas the L3 N-glycome was simpler and more dominated by phosphorylcholine-modified structures, the male and female worms express a wide range of core fucosylated N-glycans with up to three fucose residues. Seemingly, simple methylated paucimannosidic structures can be considered 'male', while methylation of fucosylated glycans was more pronounced in females. On the other hand, while many of the fucosylated paucimannosidic glycans are identical with examples from other nematode species, but simpler than the tetrafucosylated glycans of C. elegans, there is a wide range of phosphorylcholine-modified glycans with extended HexNAc2-4PC2-4 motifs not observed in our previous studies on other nematodes. CONCLUSION The interspecies tendency of class V nematodes to share most, but not all, N-glycans applies also to O. dentatum; furthermore, we establish, for the first time in a parasitic nematode, that glycomes vary upon development and sexual differentiation. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Unusual methylated, core fucosylated and phosphorylcholine-containing N-glycans vary between stages and genders in a parasitic nematode.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sonja Kohlhuber
- Department für Chemie, Universität für Bodenkultur, 1190 Wien, Austria
| | - Bärbel Ruttkowski
- Institut für Parasitologie, Department für Pathobiologie, Veterinärmedizinische Universität, A-1210 Wien, Austria
| | - Anja Joachim
- Institut für Parasitologie, Department für Pathobiologie, Veterinärmedizinische Universität, A-1210 Wien, Austria
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Haemonchus contortus: Genome Structure, Organization and Comparative Genomics. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2016; 93:569-98. [PMID: 27238013 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2016.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
One of the first genome sequencing projects for a parasitic nematode was that for Haemonchus contortus. The open access data from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute provided a valuable early resource for the research community, particularly for the identification of specific genes and genetic markers. Later, a second sequencing project was initiated by the University of Melbourne, and the two draft genome sequences for H. contortus were published back-to-back in 2013. There is a pressing need for long-range genomic information for genetic mapping, population genetics and functional genomic studies, so we are continuing to improve the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute assembly to provide a finished reference genome for H. contortus. This review describes this process, compares the H. contortus genome assemblies with draft genomes from other members of the strongylid group and discusses future directions for parasite genomics using the H. contortus model.
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17
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Gasser RB, Schwarz EM, Korhonen PK, Young ND. Understanding Haemonchus contortus Better Through Genomics and Transcriptomics. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2016; 93:519-67. [PMID: 27238012 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2016.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic roundworms (nematodes) cause substantial mortality and morbidity in animals globally. The barber's pole worm, Haemonchus contortus, is one of the most economically significant parasitic nematodes of small ruminants worldwide. Although this and related nematodes can be controlled relatively well using anthelmintics, resistance against most drugs in common use has become a major problem. Until recently, almost nothing was known about the molecular biology of H. contortus on a global scale. This chapter gives a brief background on H. contortus and haemonchosis, immune responses, vaccine research, chemotherapeutics and current problems associated with drug resistance. It also describes progress in transcriptomics before the availability of H. contortus genomes and the challenges associated with such work. It then reviews major progress on the two draft genomes and developmental transcriptomes of H. contortus, and summarizes their implications for the molecular biology of this worm in both the free-living and the parasitic stages of its life cycle. The chapter concludes by considering how genomics and transcriptomics can accelerate research on Haemonchus and related parasites, and can enable the development of new interventions against haemonchosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R B Gasser
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - E M Schwarz
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - P K Korhonen
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - N D Young
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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18
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Ondrovics M, Gasser RB, Joachim A. Recent Advances in Elucidating Nematode Moulting - Prospects of Using Oesophagostomum dentatum as a Model. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 91:233-64. [PMID: 27015950 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
There are major gaps in our knowledge of many molecular biological processes that take place during the development of parasitic nematodes, in spite of the fact that understanding such processes could lead to new ways of treating and controlling parasitic diseases via the disruption of one or more biological pathways in the parasites. Progress in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and bioinformatics now provides unique opportunities to investigate the molecular basis of key developmental processes in parasitic nematodes. The porcine nodule worm, Oesophagostomum dentatum, represents a large order (Strongylida) of socioeconomically important nematodes, and provides a useful platform for exploring molecular developmental processes, particularly given that this nematode can be grown and maintained in culture in vitro for periods longer than most other nematodes of this order. In this article, we focus on the moulting process (ecdysis) in nematodes; review recent advances in our understanding of molecular aspects of moulting in O. dentatum achieved by using integrated proteomic-bioinformatic tools and discuss key implications and future prospects for research in this area, also with respect to developing new anti-nematode interventions and biotechnological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ondrovics
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anja Joachim
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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