A genomic can of worms for schistosome host-specificity

Zachary L Nikolakis; Elizabeth J Carlton; David D Pollock; Todd A Castoe

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2022.04.005

A genomic can of worms for schistosome host-specificity

Trends Parasitol. 2022 Jul;38(7):496-497. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.04.005. Epub 2022 May 1.

Authors

Zachary L Nikolakis¹, Elizabeth J Carlton², David D Pollock³, Todd A Castoe⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA.
² Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
⁴ Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA. Electronic address: todd.castoe@uta.edu.

Abstract

Understanding the genetic underpinnings of schistosome host preferences is critical. Luo et al. recently identified genes associated with intermediate and definitive host-switching based on a new chromosome-level genome for Schistosoma japonicum, population genetic comparisons, and follow-up experiments. This represents a guide to fully map-selected schistosome genes using population genetics.

Keywords: RNAi; Schistosoma japonicum; chromosome-level reference genome; genome scans; host-preference genes; selection.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Comment

MeSH terms

Animals
Genetics, Population
Genomics
Host Specificity / genetics
Schistosoma japonicum* / genetics

Grants and funding

R01 AI134673/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States