Parasitic helminth reference genomes

LUCAS L MALDONADO; LAURA KAMENETZKY; NAHILI GIORELLO

Atenas

Congreso; Parasitic Helminths: New Perspectives in Biology and Infection, Hydra, Greece, 2020.; 2020

Hydra

1Impam-Conicet, Facultad De Medicina, University Of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Inibiolp Faculty Of Veterinary Sciences; 2Universidad Nacional De La Plata; Argentina; 3INMet, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. 4Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia; 5Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Brazil; 6Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK Whole genome sequences provide extraordinary information about any organism. Despite the global impact, both medically and economically of helminthic infections these parasite genomes are underrepresented in genomic databases. The first genome sequence from a parasitic helminth was published in 2007, since then only ~200 genomes are available most of them being draft assemblies. Our work centers in complete genome sequencing of neglected parasitic helminthes. Recently, we sequenced the complete genome of Echinococcus canadensis (G7) and compared it with Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus (G1) genomes. Comparative genomics allowed us to confirm the status of E. canadensis (G7) as a separate species and demonstrated a high nucleotide sequences divergence in relation to E. granulosus (G1). This result was unexpected since both parasite species are considered to belong to the same species complex: Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. At present there is no unequivocal taxonomic classification of Echinococcus species therefore additional Cestode genomes are needed to be sequenced. In this regard, we sequence Echinococcus oligarthrus genome to and reconstruct Echinococcus phylogeny by whole genome SNPs analysis. Also, in an international consortium we are sequencing Echinococcus vogeli and re sequencing Echinococcus spp. form several host and geographical regions. Moreover, we are also sequencing the genome of the giant kidney worm Dioctophyma renale, the largest parasitic nematode of terrestrial vertebrates described so far which affects domestic animals, endangered wildlife, and humans. With this foundational project we aimed to obtain complete information about Clade I nematodes which is the least studied group of this phylum.largest parasitic nematode of terrestrial vertebrates described so far and is distributed worldwide