scholarly journals Morphological and genomic characterisation of the Schistosoma hybrid infecting humans in Europe reveals admixture between Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma bovis

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0010062
Author(s):  
Julien Kincaid-Smith ◽  
Alan Tracey ◽  
Ronaldo de Carvalho Augusto ◽  
Ingo Bulla ◽  
Nancy Holroyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Schistosoma Haematobium ◽  
Cycle Progression ◽  
Bulinus Truncatus ◽  
Schistosoma Bovis ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Egg Morphology ◽  
Specific Species ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Human Specific

Schistosomes cause schistosomiasis, the world’s second most important parasitic disease after malaria in terms of public health and social-economic impacts. A peculiar feature of these dioecious parasites is their ability to produce viable and fertile hybrid offspring. Originally only present in the tropics, schistosomiasis is now also endemic in southern Europe. Based on the analysis of two genetic markers the European schistosomes had previously been identified as hybrids between the livestock- and the human-infective species Schistosoma bovis and Schistosoma haematobium, respectively. Here, using PacBio long-read sequencing technology we performed genome assembly improvement and annotation of S. bovis, one of the parental species for which no satisfactory genome assembly was available. We then describe the whole genome introgression levels of the hybrid schistosomes, their morphometric parameters (eggs and adult worms) and their compatibility with two European snail strains used as vectors (Bulinus truncatus and Planorbarius metidjensis). Schistosome-snail compatibility is a key parameter for the parasites life cycle progression, and thus the capability of the parasite to establish in a given area. Our results show that this Schistosoma hybrid is strongly introgressed genetically, composed of 77% S. haematobium and 23% S. bovis origin. This genomic admixture suggests an ancient hybridization event and subsequent backcrosses with the human-specific species, S. haematobium, before its introduction in Corsica. We also show that egg morphology (commonly used as a species diagnostic) does not allow for accurate hybrid identification while genetic tests do.

scholarly journals Morphological and genomic characterisation of the hybrid schistosome infecting humans in Europe reveals a complex admixture between Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma bovis parasites

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Kincaid-Smith ◽  
Alan Tracey ◽  
Ronaldo Augusto ◽  
Ingo Bulla ◽  
Nancy Holroyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Schistosoma Haematobium ◽  
Cycle Progression ◽  
Schistosoma Bovis ◽  
Egg Morphology ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Fertile Hybrids ◽  
First Time ◽  
Key Parameter ◽  
Do So

AbstractSchistosomes cause schistosomiasis, the world’s second most important parasitic disease after malaria. A peculiar feature of schistosomes is their ability to produce viable and fertile hybrids. Originally only present in the tropics, schistosomiasis is now also endemic in Europe. Based on two genetic markers the European species had been identified as a hybrid between the ruminant-infective Schistosoma bovis and the human-infective Schistosoma haematobium.Here we describe for the first time the genomic composition of the European schistosome hybrid (77% of S. haematobium and 23% of S. bovis origins), its morphometric parameters and its compatibility with the European vector snail and intermediate host Compatibility is a key parameter for the parasites life cycle progression. We also show that egg morphology (a classical diagnostic parameter) does not allow for differential diagnosis while genetic tests do so. Additionally, we performed genome assembly improvement and annotation of S. bovis, the parental species for which no satisfactory genome assembly was available.For the first time since the discovery of hybrid schistosomes, these results reveal at the whole genomic level a complex admixture of parental genomes highlighting (i) the high permeability of schistosomes to other species’ alleles, and (ii) the importance of hybrid formation for pushing species boundaries not only conceptionally but also geographically.

scholarly journals Caractérisation biologique de Schistosoma haematobium, S. bovis et leurs hybrides chez l’homme et chez les mollusques Bulinus truncatus naturellement infestés, au Centre et Nord de la Côte d’Ivoire.

2021 ◽  
Vol 158 ◽  
pp. 16340-16350
Author(s):  
Sonya C. GLITHO ◽  
Yves-Nathan T. TIAN-BI ◽  
Nana Rose DIAKITÉ ◽  
Cyrille Koffi KONAN ◽  
Eliézer Kouakou N’GORAN
Keyword(s):  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Schistosoma Haematobium ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
White Mouse ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Bulinus Truncatus ◽  
Côte D'ivoire ◽  
Schistosoma Bovis ◽  
Cercarial Emergence

Objectif : Identifier les espèces Schistosoma haematobium, S. bovis et leurs hybrides et, évaluer la compatibilité des schistosomes avec les mollusques hôtes intermédiaires et la souris blanche (Mus musculus albinos), hôte définitif, en infestation expérimentale. Méthodologie et résultats : Des schistosomes ont été obtenus à partir de bulins infestés naturellement ou expérimentalement avec des miracidiums provenant des urines de l’homme. Ils ont permis d’étudier la compatibilité de quatre populations de Bulinus truncatus avec deux souches du groupe S. haematobium. La chronobiologie cercarienne a été étudiée à partir de quatre tranches horaires : 6-10h, 10-12h, 12-15h et 15- 18h. Des souris blanches infestées expérimentalement, ont été perfusées pour dénombrer les vers adultes. Une meilleure compatibilité schistosome-mollusque a été observée au niveau des infestations sympatriques. Le pic d’émergence cercarienne pour les mollusques naturellement infestés a été observé entre 6-10h, 10h15h et à 15-18h, tandis que celui des bulins infestés expérimentalement a été majoritairement observé entre 10-15h. En termes de nombre de vers collectés, les souris blanches ont été plus permissives aux schistosomes provenant des mollusques naturellement infestés. Conclusion et application des résultats : Les pics d’émergence cercarienne précoce (6-10h) et tardif (15-18h) pourraient être liés à S. bovis, tandis que celui de 10-15h correspondrait à S. haematobium. De même, en raison de la très faible compatibilité connue entre Mus musculus albinos et S. haematobium, les schistosomes auxquels les souris blanches ont été plus permissives sont fort probablement des S. bovis et/ou hybrides S. bovis x S. haematobium. Ainsi, les espèces anthropophiles et celles zoophiles du groupe Schistosoma haematobium peuvent être distinguées de manière routinière par deux approches. La première, en disséquant des souris de laboratoire (Mus musculus albinos) 4 mois après leur mise au contact de l’eau contenant des cercaires obtenues après exposition à la lumière de mollusques infestés prélevés sur le terrain ; la seconde en comparant les profils obtenus après dénombrement des cercaires émises au cours de quatre tranches horaires bien choisies. Mots clés : Bulinus truncatus, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma bovis, Caractérisation, Chronobiologie. Glitho et al., J. Appl. Biosci. 2021 Caractérisation biologique de Schistosoma haematobium, S. bovis et leurs hybrides chez l’homme et chez les mollusques Bulinus truncatus naturellement infestés, au Centre et Nord de la Côte d’Ivoire. 16341 ABSTRACT Objective: Identify the species Schistosoma haematobium, S. bovis and their hybrids; to evaluate the compatibility of schistosomes with intermediate host snails and the white mouse (Mus musculus albinos), the definitive host for experimental infestation. Methodology and results: Schistosomes have been obtained from naturally or experimentally infested snails with miracidiums from human urine. The compatibility of four populations of Bulinus truncatus with two strains of the S. haematobium group was studied. The chronobiology of cercariae was studied in four time slots: 6- 10h, 10-12h, 12-15h and 15-18h. Experimentally infested white mice were perfused and adult worms were collected. A better schistosome-snail compatibility was observed in sympatric infestations. The peak of cercarial emergence for naturally infested snails was at 6-10h, 10h-15h and 15-18h, while that of the snails experimentally infested was mostly observed at 10-15h. In terms of number of worms collected, white mice were more permissive to schistosomes from naturally infested snails. Conclusion and application of results: Early (6-10h) and late (15-18h) cercarial emergence peaks can be related to S. bovis, while the 10-15h peak correspond to S. haematobium. Due to the reported low compatibility between the white mice Mus musculus albinos and S. haematobium, the observed schistosomes permissive to the white mice are most likely S. bovis and/or hybrids S. bovis x S. haematobium. Therefore, anthropophilic and zoophilic species of the Schistosoma haematobium group can be routinely distinguished by two approaches. The first, dissecting laboratory mice (Mus musculus albinos) 4 months after their contact with water containing cercariae obtained after exposure to light from infested snails collected in the field; the second by comparing the profiles obtained after enumeration of cercariae emitted during four well-chosen time slots. Keywords: Bulinus truncatus, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma bovis, hybrid, Characterization, Chronobiology.

scholarly journals Mastomys natalensis (Smith, 1834) as a natural host for Schistosoma haematobium (Bilharz, 1852) Weinland, 1858 x Schistosoma bovis Sonsino, 1876 introgressive hybrids

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris A.E.S. Savassi ◽  
Gauthier Dobigny ◽  
Jonas R. Etougbétché ◽  
Thalasse T. Avocegan ◽  
François T. Quinsou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Definitive Host ◽  
Schistosoma Haematobium ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Introgressive Hybridization ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
New Host ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Schistosoma Bovis ◽  
Bulinus Globosus ◽  
Internal Transcribed Spacer Rdna

AbstractCercarial emission of schistosomes is a determinant in the transmission to the definitive host and constitutes a good marker to identify which definitive host is responsible for transmission, mainly in introgressive hybridization situations. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that micro-mammals play a role in Schistosoma haematobium, S. bovis, and/or S. haematobium x S. bovis transmission. Small mammal sampling was conducted in seven semi-lacustrine villages of southern Benin. Among the 62 animals trapped, 50 individuals were investigated for Schistosoma adults and eggs: 37 Rattus rattus, 3 Rattus norvegicus, 9 Mastomys natalensis, and 1 Crocidura olivieri. Schistosoma adults were found in four R. rattus and two M. natalensis, with a local prevalence reaching 80% and 50%, respectively. Two cercarial chronotypes were found from Bulinus globosus experimentally infected with miracidia extracted from naturally infected M. natalensis: a late diurnal and nocturnal chronotype, and an early diurnal, late diurnal, and nocturnal chronotype. The cytochrome C oxidase subunit I mtDNA gene of the collected schistosomes (adults, miracidia, and cercariae) belonged to the S. bovis clade. Eleven internal transcribed spacer rDNA profiles were found; four belonged to S. bovis and seven to S. haematobium x S. bovis. These molecular results together with the observed multi-peak chronotypes add M. natalensis as a new host implicated in S. haematobium x S. bovis transmission. We discuss the origin of the new chronotypes which have become more complex with the appearance of several peaks in a 24-h day. We also discuss how the new populations of offspring may optimize intra-host ecological niche, host spectrum, and transmission time period.

scholarly journals Evidence for opposing selective forces operating on human-specific duplicated TCAF genes in Neanderthals and humans

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
PingHsun Hsieh ◽  
Vy Dang ◽  
Mitchell R. Vollger ◽  
Yafei Mao ◽  
Tzu-Hsueh Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Copy Number ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Segmental Duplications ◽  
Sensor Protein ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Number Variation ◽  
Selective Forces ◽  
Structural Mutations ◽  
Cold Sensor ◽  
Human Specific

AbstractTRP channel-associated factor 1/2 (TCAF1/TCAF2) proteins antagonistically regulate the cold-sensor protein TRPM8 in multiple human tissues. Understanding their significance has been complicated given the locus spans a gap-ridden region with complex segmental duplications in GRCh38. Using long-read sequencing, we sequence-resolve the locus, annotate full-length TCAF models in primate genomes, and show substantial human-specific TCAF copy number variation. We identify two human super haplogroups, H4 and H5, and establish that TCAF duplications originated ~1.7 million years ago but diversified only in Homo sapiens by recurrent structural mutations. Conversely, in all archaic-hominin samples the fixation for a specific H4 haplotype without duplication is likely due to positive selection. Here, our results of TCAF copy number expansion, selection signals in hominins, and differential TCAF2 expression between haplogroups and high TCAF2 and TRPM8 expression in liver and prostate in modern-day humans imply TCAF diversification among hominins potentially in response to cold or dietary adaptations.

scholarly journals Amynthas corticis genome reveals molecular mechanisms behind global distribution

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Wang ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Yufeng Zhang ◽  
Mingming Kang ◽  
Yuanbo Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Gene Families ◽  
The Body ◽  
Gene Family Evolution ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Itraq Analysis ◽  
Rdna Sequencing ◽  
Long Read

AbstractEarthworms (Annelida: Crassiclitellata) are widely distributed around the world due to their ancient origination as well as adaptation and invasion after introduction into new habitats over the past few centuries. Herein, we report a 1.2 Gb complete genome assembly of the earthworm Amynthas corticis based on a strategy combining third-generation long-read sequencing and Hi-C mapping. A total of 29,256 protein-coding genes are annotated in this genome. Analysis of resequencing data indicates that this earthworm is a triploid species. Furthermore, gene family evolution analysis shows that comprehensive expansion of gene families in the Amynthas corticis genome has produced more defensive functions compared with other species in Annelida. Quantitative proteomic iTRAQ analysis shows that expression of 147 proteins changed in the body of Amynthas corticis and 16 S rDNA sequencing shows that abundance of 28 microorganisms changed in the gut of Amynthas corticis when the earthworm was incubated with pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7. Our genome assembly provides abundant and valuable resources for the earthworm research community, serving as a first step toward uncovering the mysteries of this species, and may provide molecular level indicators of its powerful defensive functions, adaptation to complex environments and invasion ability.

The cercarial output from three Nigerian bulinids infected with two strains of Schistosoma haematobium

1988 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Fryer ◽  
A. J. Probert
Keyword(s):  
Schistosoma Haematobium ◽  
Daily Production ◽  
Bulinus Truncatus ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Second Period ◽  
Initial Peak

ABSTRACTThe daily cercarial output of two Nigerian strains of Schistosoma haematobium in sympatric Bulinus truncatus, B. globosus and B. senegalensis was measured at weekly intervals from the start of emission to the snails' death. In all cases cercariae were released throughout the life of the host, with no cases of “self cure”. Patterns of output through the course of infections in B. truncatus and B. senegalensis were similar to those reported for S. haematobium by other workers, with daily production of cercariae rising to a peak within a few weeks of the onset of shedding, then declining until the host's death. In the longer lived B. globosus production was significantly higher, but declined to very low levels after the initial peak; in some individuals cercarial output remained very low, while others showed a second period of high cercarial emission. The relative compatibility of each host-parasite combination is discussed.

Detecting hybridization in African schistosome species: does egg morphology complement molecular species identification?

Parasitology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 144 (7) ◽  
pp. 954-964 ◽  
Author(s):  
NELE A. M. BOON ◽  
WOUTER FANNES ◽  
SARA ROMBOUTS ◽  
KATJA POLMAN ◽  
FILIP A. M. VOLCKAERT ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Parental Species ◽  
Crossing Experiments ◽  
Transmission Potential ◽  
Human Parasite ◽  
Hybrid Detection ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Schistosoma Bovis ◽  
Egg Morphology ◽  
Nuclear Its

SUMMARYHybrid parasites may have an increased transmission potential and higher virulence compared to their parental species. Consequently, hybrid detection is critical for disease control. Previous crossing experiments showed that hybrid schistosome eggs have distinct morphotypes. We therefore compared the performance of egg morphology with molecular markers with regard to detecting hybridization in schistosomes. We studied the morphology of 303 terminal-spined eggs, originating from 19 individuals inhabiting a hybrid zone with natural crosses between the human parasite Schistosoma haematobium and the livestock parasite Schistosoma bovis in Senegal. The egg sizes showed a high variability and ranged between 92·4 and 176·4 µm in length and between 35·7 and 93·0 µm in width. No distinct morphotypes were found and all eggs resembled, to varying extent, the typical S. haematobium egg type. However, molecular analyses on the same eggs clearly showed the presence of two distinct partial mitochondrial cox1 profiles, namely S. bovis and S. haematobium, and only a single nuclear ITS rDNA profile (S. haematobium). Therefore, in these particular crosses, egg morphology appears not a good indicator of hybrid ancestry. We conclude by discussing strengths and limitations of molecular methods to detect hybrids in the context of high-throughput screening of field samples.

scholarly journals Genome sequence resource of Phomopsis longicolla strain YC2-1, a fungal pathogen causing Phomopsis stem blight in soybean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Zhao ◽  
Zhichao Zhang ◽  
Sujiao Zheng ◽  
Wenwu Ye ◽  
Xiaobo Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Stem Canker ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Phomopsis Longicolla ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Stem Blight ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Long Read ◽  
Genomic Resource ◽  
Blight Disease

Diaporthe-Phomopsis disease complex causes considerable yield losses in soybean production worldwide. As one of the major pathogens, Phomopsis longicolla T. W. Hobbs (syn. Diaporthe longicolla) is not only the primary agent of Phomopsis seed decay, but also one of the agents of Phomopsis pod and stem blight, and Phomopsis stem canker. We performed both PacBio long read sequencing and Illumina short read sequencing, and obtained a genome assembly for the P. longicolla strain YC2-1, which was isolated from soybean stem with Phomopsis stem blight disease. The 63.1 Mb genome assembly contains 87 scaffolds, with a minimum, maximum, and N50 scaffold length of 20 kb, 4.6 Mb, and 1.5 Mb respectively, and a total of 17,407 protein-coding genes. The high-quality data expand the genomic resource of P. longicolla species and will provide a solid foundation for a better understanding of their genetic diversity and pathogenic mechanisms.

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