The genomes of four tapeworm species reveal adaptations to parasitism

ISHENG J. TSAI; MAGDALENA ZAROWIECKI; NANCY HOLROYD; ALEJANDRO GARCIARRUBIO; ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ-FLORES; KAREN L. BROOKS; ALAN TRACEY; RAÚL J. BOBES; GLADIS FRAGOSO; EDDA SCIUTTO; MARTIN ASLETT; HELEN BEASLEY; HAYLEY M. BENNETT; JIANPING CAI; FEDERICO CAMICIA; RICHARD CLARK; MARCELA CUCHER; NISHADI DE SILVA; TIM A. DAY; PETER DEPLAZES; KAREL ESTRADA; CECILIA FERNÁNDEZ; PETER W. H.HOLLAND; JUNLING HOU; SONGNIAN HU; THOMAS HUCKVALE; STACY S.HUNG; LAURA KAMENETZKY; JACQUELINE A. KEANE; FERENC KISS; URIEL KOZIOL; OLIVIA LAMBERT; KAN LIU; XUENONG LUO; YINGFENG LUO; NATALIA MACCHIAROLI; SARAH NICHOL; JORDI PAPS; JOHN PARKINSON; NATASHA POUCHKINA-STANTCHEVA; NICK RIDDIFORD; MARA ROSENZVIT; GUSTAVO SALINAS; JAMES D. WASMUTH; MOSTAFA ZAMANIAN; YADONG ZHENG; THE TAENIA SOLIUM GENOME CONSORTIUM; XUEPENG CAI; XAVIER SOBERÓN; PETER D. OLSON; JUAN P. LACLETTE; KLAUS BREHM; MATTHEW BERRIMAN

NATURE

NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 496 p. 57 - 63

0028-0836

Tapeworms (Cestoda) cause neglected diseases that can be fatal and are difficult to treat, owing to inefficient drugs. Here we present an analysis of tapeworm genome sequences using the human-infective species Echinococcus multilocularis, E. granulosus, Taenia solium and the laboratory model Hymenolepis microstoma as examples. The 115- to 141-megabase genomes offer insights into the evolution of parasitism. Synteny is maintained with distantly related blood flukes but we find extreme losses of genes and pathways that are ubiquitous in other animals, including 34 homeobox families and several determinants of stem cell fate. Tapeworms have specialized detoxification pathways, metabolism that is finely tuned to rely on nutrients scavenged from their hosts, and species-specific expansions of non-canonical heat shock proteins and families of known antigens. We identify new potential drug targets, including some on which existing pharmaceuticals may act. The genomes provide a rich resource to underpin the development of urgently needed treatments and control.