Genomic analyses of a livestock pest, the New World screwworm, find potential targets for genetic control programs

Maxwell J Scott; Joshua B Benoit; Rebecca J Davis; Samuel T Bailey; Virag Varga; Ellen O Martinson; Paul V Hickner; Zainulabeuddin Syed; Gisele A Cardoso; Tatiana T Torres; Matthew T Weirauch; Elizabeth H Scholl; Adam M Phillippy; Agustin Sagel; Mario Vasquez; Gladys Quintero; Steven R Skoda

doi:10.1038/s42003-020-01152-4

Genomic analyses of a livestock pest, the New World screwworm, find potential targets for genetic control programs

Commun Biol. 2020 Aug 4;3(1):424. doi: 10.1038/s42003-020-01152-4.

Authors

Maxwell J Scott¹, Joshua B Benoit², Rebecca J Davis³, Samuel T Bailey², Virag Varga², Ellen O Martinson⁴, Paul V Hickner⁵, Zainulabeuddin Syed⁵, Gisele A Cardoso⁶, Tatiana T Torres⁶, Matthew T Weirauch^{7

8

9}, Elizabeth H Scholl¹⁰, Adam M Phillippy¹¹, Agustin Sagel¹², Mario Vasquez¹², Gladys Quintero¹², Steven R Skoda¹³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7613, USA. mjscott3@ncsu.edu.
² Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, McMicken School of Arts and Sciences, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
³ Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7613, USA.
⁴ Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
⁵ Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
⁶ Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁷ Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
⁸ Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA.
¹⁰ Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7566, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7566, USA.
¹¹ Genome Informatics Section, Computational and Statistical Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
¹² USDA-ARS, Screwworm Research Unit, Pacora, Panama.
¹³ USDA-ARS, Tick and Biting Fly Research Unit, Knipling-Bushland Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, 2700 Fredericksburg Rd., Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA.

Abstract

The New World Screwworm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax, is a major pest of livestock in South America and Caribbean. However, few genomic resources have been available for this species. A genome of 534 Mb was assembled from long read PacBio DNA sequencing of DNA from a highly inbred strain. Analysis of molecular evolution identified 40 genes that are likely under positive selection. Developmental RNA-seq analysis identified specific genes associated with each stage. We identify and analyze the expression of genes that are likely important for host-seeking behavior (chemosensory), development of larvae in open wounds in warm-blooded animals (heat shock protein, immune response) and for building transgenic strains for genetic control programs including gene drive (sex determination, germline). This study will underpin future experiments aimed at understanding the parasitic lifestyle of the screwworm fly and greatly facilitate future development of strains for efficient systems for genetic control of screwworm.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Animals
Calliphoridae / genetics*
Calliphoridae / pathogenicity
Evolution, Molecular*
Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
Genomics / methods
Host-Parasite Interactions / genetics
Larva / genetics
Larva / growth & development
Livestock / genetics*
Livestock / parasitology
Pest Control, Biological
RNA-Seq
Screw Worm Infection / genetics*
Screw Worm Infection / parasitology
South America

Associated data

Dryad/10.5061/dryad.x69p8czg2