Exploring molecular variation in Schistosoma japonicum in China

Young, N.D. and Chan, Kok Gan and Korhonen, P.K. and Chong, T.M. and Ee, R. and Mohandas, N. and Koehler, A.V. and Lim, Y.L. and Hofmann, A. and Jex, A.R. and Qian, B. and Chilton, N.B. and Gobert, G.N. and McManus, D.P. and Tan, P. and Webster, B.L. and Rollinson, D. and Gasser, R.B. (2015) Exploring molecular variation in Schistosoma japonicum in China. Scientific Reports, 5. p. 17345. ISSN 2045-2322, DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/srep17345.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep17345

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 200 million people worldwide. The main disease-causing agents, Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium, are blood flukes that have complex life cycles involving a snail intermediate host. In Asia, S. japonicum causes hepatointestinal disease (schistosomiasis japonica) and is challenging to control due to a broad distribution of its snail hosts and range of animal reservoir hosts. In China, extensive efforts have been underway to control this parasite, but genetic variability in S. japonicum populations could represent an obstacle to eliminating schistosomiasis japonica. Although a draft genome sequence is available for S. japonicum, there has been no previous study of molecular variation in this parasite on a genome-wide scale. In this study, we conducted the first deep genomic exploration of seven S. japonicum populations from mainland China, constructed phylogenies using mitochondrial and nuclear genomic data sets, and established considerable variation between some of the populations in genes inferred to be linked to key cellular processes and/or pathogen-host interactions. Based on the findings from this study, we propose that verifying intraspecific conservation in vaccine or drug target candidates is an important first step toward developing effective vaccines and chemotherapies against schistosomiasis.

Item Type: Article
Funders: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia and the Australian Research Council and Melbourne Water Corporation, Malaysian government through the High Impact Research (HIR) initiative at the University of Malaya (grant numbers H-50001-A000027 and A000001-50001), Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative (grant number VR0007)
Uncontrolled Keywords: Animals; China; Female; Genetic Variation; Genome, Helminth; Genome-Wide Association Study; Humans; Male; Schistosoma japonicum; Schistosomiasis japonica
Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
Q Science > QH Natural history
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Institute of Biological Sciences
Depositing User: Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim
Date Deposited: 21 Sep 2018 02:28
Last Modified: 23 Dec 2019 05:51
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/19349

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