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1.
Nat Commun ; 14(1): 8343, 2023 Dec 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38102141

RESUMO

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth and play a significant role in the evolution of many organisms and ecosystems. In pathogenic protozoa, the presence of viruses has been linked to an increased risk of treatment failure and severe clinical outcome. Here, we studied the molecular epidemiology of the zoonotic disease cutaneous leishmaniasis in Peru and Bolivia through a joint evolutionary analysis of Leishmania braziliensis and their dsRNA Leishmania virus 1. We show that parasite populations circulate in tropical rainforests and are associated with single viral lineages that appear in low prevalence. In contrast, groups of hybrid parasites are geographically and ecologically more dispersed and associated with an increased prevalence, diversity and spread of viruses. Our results suggest that parasite gene flow and hybridization increased the frequency of parasite-virus symbioses, a process that may change the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in the region.


Assuntos
Leishmania braziliensis , Leishmania , Leishmaniose Cutânea , Humanos , Ecossistema , Leishmaniose Cutânea/parasitologia , Leishmania braziliensis/genética , Leishmania/genética , Peru/epidemiologia
2.
J Infect Dis ; 228(9): 1292-1298, 2023 11 02.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37832036

RESUMO

Cryptosporidium species are a major cause of diarrhea and associated with growth failure. There is currently only limited knowledge of the parasite's genomic variability. We report a genomic analysis of Cryptosporidium parvum isolated from Bangladeshi infants and reanalysis of sequences from the United Kingdom. Human isolates from both locations shared 154 variants not present in the cattle-derived reference genome, suggesting host-specific adaptation of the parasite. Remarkably 34.6% of single-nucleotide polymorphisms unique to human isolates were nonsynonymous and 8.2% of these were in secreted proteins. Linkage disequilibrium decay indicated frequent recombination. The genetic diversity of C. parvum has potential implications for vaccine and therapeutic design. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT02764918.


Assuntos
Criptosporidiose , Cryptosporidium parvum , Cryptosporidium , Parasitos , Lactente , Humanos , Criança , Animais , Bovinos , Cryptosporidium parvum/genética , Criptosporidiose/epidemiologia , Criptosporidiose/parasitologia , Bangladesh/epidemiologia , Genômica
3.
Skin Health Dis ; 3(4): e229, 2023 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37538321

RESUMO

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease that primarily affects the most vulnerable populations. In Ethiopia, where this study took place, CL is an important health problem, however, the incidence of CL is poorly monitored. Objectives: This study took place in a recently established CL treatment centre, at Nefas Mewcha Hospital, Lay Gayint. This area was considered to be endemic for CL, however, no cases of CL from Lay Gayint had previously been officially reported to the Amhara Regional Health Bureau. Methods: Following a CL awareness campaign, a retrospective data review was performed of patients presenting to this centre between July 2019 and March 2021. Basic demographic and clinical data were collected by a nurse and recorded in the logbook of the CL treatment centre. Results: Two hundred and one patients presented for diagnosis and treatment. The age of the patients ranged from 2 to 75 years and 63.2% were males. Most patients were between 10- and 19-years-old. The majority (79.1%) of the patients presented with localised cutaneous leishmaniasis and 20.9% with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. 98% of the patients tested positive for Leishmania parasites by microscopy. Conclusions: This work underpinned how CL is a major public health problem in the Lay Gayint district. It also shows that raising awareness about CL in the community and providing diagnosis and treatment encouraged patients to travel to seek diagnosis and treatment.

4.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 29(5): 1076-1078, 2023 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37081624

RESUMO

We discovered a hybrid Leishmania parasite in Costa Rica that is genetically similar to hybrids from Panama. Genome analyses demonstrated the hybrid is triploid and identified L. braziliensis and L. guyanensis-related strains as parents. Our findings highlight the existence of poorly sampled Leishmania (Viannia) variants infectious to humans.


Assuntos
Leishmania , Leishmaniose Cutânea , Triploidia , Animais , Humanos , Leishmania/genética , Leishmaniose Cutânea/parasitologia , Parasitos , Genômica
5.
bioRxiv ; 2023 Mar 25.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36993291

RESUMO

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth and play a significant role in the evolution of many organisms and ecosystems. In pathogenic protozoa, the presence of endosymbiotic viruses has been linked to an increased risk of treatment failure and severe clinical outcome. Here, we studied the molecular epidemiology of the zoonotic disease cutaneous leishmaniasis in Peru and Bolivia through a joint evolutionary analysis of Leishmania braziliensis parasites and their endosymbiotic Leishmania RNA virus. We show that parasite populations circulate in isolated pockets of suitable habitat and are associated with single viral lineages that appear in low prevalence. In contrast, groups of hybrid parasites were geographically and ecologically dispersed, and commonly infected from a pool of genetically diverse viruses. Our results suggest that parasite hybridization, likely due to increased human migration and ecological perturbations, increased the frequency of endosymbiotic interactions known to play a key role in disease severity.

6.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis ; 16(10): e0010830, 2022 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36206300

RESUMO

Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea worm) is a parasitic nematode that can cause the debilitating disease dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) in humans. The global Guinea Worm Eradication Program has led intervention and eradication efforts since the 1980s, and Guinea worm infections in people have decreased >99.99%. With the final goal of eradication drawing nearer, reports of animal infections from some remaining endemic countries pose unique challenges. Currently, confirmation of suspected Guinea worm infection relies on conventional molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is not specific to Guinea worm and, therefore, requires sequencing of the PCR products to confirm the identity of suspect samples, a process that often takes a few weeks. To decrease the time required for species confirmation, we developed a quantitative PCR assay targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene of Guinea worm. Our assay has a limit of detection of 10 copies per reaction. The mean analytical parameters (± SE) were as follows: efficiency = 93.4 ± 7.7%, y-intercept = 40.93 ± 1.11, slope = -3.4896 ± 0.12, and the R2 = 0.999 ± 0.004. The assay did not amplify other nematodes found in Guinea worm-endemic regions and demonstrated 100% diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Implementation of this quantitative PCR assay for Guinea worm identification could eliminate the need for DNA sequencing to confirm species. Thus, this approach can be implemented to provide more rapid confirmation of Guinea worm infections, leading to faster execution of Guinea worm interventions while increasing our understanding of infection patterns.


Assuntos
Dracunculíase , Dracunculus , Humanos , Animais , Dracunculus/genética , Citocromos b/genética , Dracunculíase/diagnóstico , Dracunculíase/epidemiologia , Dracunculíase/veterinária , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase
7.
Cell Rep ; 41(3): 111522, 2022 10 18.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36261007

RESUMO

Like other pathogens, parasitic helminths can rapidly evolve resistance to drug treatment. Understanding the genetic basis of anthelmintic drug resistance in parasitic nematodes is key to tracking its spread and improving the efficacy and sustainability of parasite control. Here, we use an in vivo genetic cross between drug-susceptible and multi-drug-resistant strains of Haemonchus contortus in a natural host-parasite system to simultaneously map resistance loci for the three major classes of anthelmintics. This approach identifies new alleles for resistance to benzimidazoles and levamisole and implicates the transcription factor cky-1 in ivermectin resistance. This gene is within a locus under selection in ivermectin-resistant populations worldwide; expression analyses and functional validation using knockdown experiments support that cky-1 is associated with ivermectin survival. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of high-resolution forward genetics in a parasitic nematode and identifies variants for the development of molecular diagnostics to combat drug resistance in the field.


Assuntos
Anti-Helmínticos , Ivermectina , Ivermectina/farmacologia , Levamisol , Anti-Helmínticos/farmacologia , Anti-Helmínticos/uso terapêutico , Resistência a Medicamentos/genética , Benzimidazóis , Genômica , Fatores de Transcrição
8.
Int J Parasitol ; 52(10): 677-689, 2022 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36113620

RESUMO

Genome-wide methods offer a powerful approach to detect signatures of drug selection. However, limited availability of suitable reference genomes and the difficulty of obtaining field populations with well-defined, distinct drug treatment histories mean there is little information on the signatures of selection in parasitic nematodes and on how best to detect them. This study addresses these knowledge gaps by using field populations of Haemonchus contortus with well-defined benzimidazole treatment histories, leveraging a recently completed chromosomal-scale reference genome assembly. We generated a panel of 49,393 genomic markers to genotype 20 individual adult worms from each of four H. contortus populations: two from closed sheep flocks with an approximate 20 year history of frequent benzimidazole treatment, and two populations with a history of little or no treatment. Sampling occurred in the same geographical region to limit genetic differentiation and maximise the detection sensitivity. A clear signature of selection was detected on chromosome I, centred on the isotype-1 ß-tubulin gene. Two additional, but weaker, signatures of selection were detected; one near the middle of chromosome I spanning 3.75 Mbp and 259 annotated genes, and one on chromosome II spanning a region of 3.3 Mbp and 206 annotated genes, including the isotype-2 ß-tubulin locus. We also assessed how sensitivity was impacted by sequencing depth, worm number, and pooled versus individual worm sequence data. This study provides the first known direct genome-wide evidence for any parasitic nematode, that the isotype-1 ß-tubulin gene is quantitatively the single most important benzimidazole resistance locus. It also identified two additional genomic regions that likely contain benzimidazole resistance loci of secondary importance. This study provides an experimental framework to maximise the power of genome-wide approaches to detect signatures of selection driven by anthelmintic drug treatments in field populations of parasitic nematodes.


Assuntos
Anti-Helmínticos , Hemoncose , Haemonchus , Ovinos , Animais , Haemonchus/genética , Tubulina (Proteína)/genética , Resistência a Medicamentos/genética , Anti-Helmínticos/farmacologia , Anti-Helmínticos/uso terapêutico , Benzimidazóis/farmacologia , Benzimidazóis/uso terapêutico , Genômica , Hemoncose/tratamento farmacológico , Hemoncose/veterinária , Hemoncose/parasitologia
9.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis ; 16(8): e0010188, 2022 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35981002

RESUMO

Populations within schistosomiasis control areas, especially those in Africa, are recommended to receive regular mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel (PZQ) as the main strategy for controlling the disease. The impact of PZQ treatment on schistosome genetics remains poorly understood, and is limited by a lack of high-resolution genetic data on the population structure of parasites within these control areas. We generated whole-genome sequence data from 174 individual miracidia collected from both children and adults from fishing communities on islands in Lake Victoria in Uganda that had received either annual or quarterly MDA with PZQ over four years, including samples collected immediately before and four weeks after treatment. Genome variation within and between samples was characterised and we investigated genomic signatures of natural selection acting on these populations that could be due to PZQ treatment. The parasite population on these islands was more diverse than found in nearby villages on the lake shore. We saw little or no genetic differentiation between villages, or between the groups of villages with different treatment intensity, but slightly higher genetic diversity within the pre-treatment compared to post-treatment parasite populations. We identified classes of genes significantly enriched within regions of the genome with evidence of recent positive selection among post-treatment and intensively treated parasite populations. The differential selection observed in post-treatment and pre-treatment parasite populations could be linked to any reduced susceptibility of parasites to praziquantel treatment.


Assuntos
Anti-Helmínticos , Esquistossomose mansoni , Adulto , Animais , Anti-Helmínticos/uso terapêutico , Criança , Humanos , Preparações Farmacêuticas , Praziquantel/uso terapêutico , Schistosoma mansoni/genética , Esquistossomose mansoni/tratamento farmacológico , Esquistossomose mansoni/epidemiologia , Esquistossomose mansoni/parasitologia , Uganda/epidemiologia
10.
PLoS Pathog ; 18(8): e1010706, 2022 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35939508

RESUMO

Hybridization between different species of parasites is increasingly being recognised as a major public and veterinary health concern at the interface of infectious diseases biology, evolution, epidemiology and ultimately control. Recent research has revealed that viable hybrids and introgressed lineages between Schistosoma spp. are prevalent across Africa and beyond, including those with zoonotic potential. However, it remains unclear whether these hybrid lineages represent recent hybridization events, suggesting hybridization is ongoing, and/or whether they represent introgressed lineages derived from ancient hybridization events. In human schistosomiasis, investigation is hampered by the inaccessibility of adult-stage worms due to their intravascular location, an issue which can be circumvented by post-mortem of livestock at abattoirs for Schistosoma spp. of known zoonotic potential. To characterise the composition of naturally-occurring schistosome hybrids, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 21 natural livestock infective schistosome isolates. To facilitate this, we also assembled a de novo chromosomal-scale draft assembly of Schistosoma curassoni. Genomic analyses identified isolates of S. bovis, S. curassoni and hybrids between the two species, all of which were early generation hybrids with multiple generations found within the same host. These results show that hybridization is an ongoing process within natural populations with the potential to further challenge elimination efforts against schistosomiasis.


Assuntos
Schistosoma , Esquistossomose , Animais , Genoma , Genômica , Humanos , Hibridização Genética , Gado/parasitologia , Schistosoma/genética , Esquistossomose/epidemiologia , Esquistossomose/genética , Esquistossomose/veterinária
11.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol ; 12: 900084, 2022.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35811682

RESUMO

Visceral leishmaniasis is an important global health problem with an estimated of 50,000 to 90,000 new cases per year. VL is the most serious form of leishmaniasis as it can be fatal in 95% of the cases if it remains untreated. VL is a particularly acute problem in Brazil which contributed with 97% of all cases reported in 2020 in the Americas. In this country, VL affects mainly the poorest people in both urban and rural areas and continues to have a high mortality rate estimated around 8.15%. Here, we performed a temporal parasite population study using whole genome sequence data from a set of 34 canine isolates sampled in 2008, 2012 and 2015 from a re-emergent focus in Southeastern Brazil. Our study found the presence of two distinct sexual subpopulations that corresponded to two isolation periods. These subpopulations diverged hundreds of years ago with no apparent gene flow between them suggesting a process of rapid replacement during a two-year period. Sequence comparisons and analysis of nucleotide diversity also showed evidence of balancing selection acting on transport-related genes and antigenic families. To our knowledge this is the first population genomic study showing a turn-over of parasite populations in an endemic region for leishmaniasis. The complexity and rapid adaptability of these parasites pose new challenges to control activities and demand more integrated approaches to understand this disease in New World foci.


Assuntos
Doenças do Cão , Leishmania infantum , Leishmaniose Visceral , Leishmaniose , Animais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Doenças do Cão/epidemiologia , Doenças do Cão/parasitologia , Cães , Humanos , Leishmania infantum/genética , Leishmaniose Visceral/epidemiologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/parasitologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/veterinária
12.
PLoS Pathog ; 18(6): e1010545, 2022 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35696434

RESUMO

The antiparasitic drug ivermectin plays an essential role in human and animal health globally. However, ivermectin resistance is widespread in veterinary helminths and there are growing concerns of sub-optimal responses to treatment in related helminths of humans. Despite decades of research, the genetic mechanisms underlying ivermectin resistance are poorly understood in parasitic helminths. This reflects significant uncertainty regarding the mode of action of ivermectin in parasitic helminths, and the genetic complexity of these organisms; parasitic helminths have large, rapidly evolving genomes and differences in evolutionary history and genetic background can confound comparisons between resistant and susceptible populations. We undertook a controlled genetic cross of a multi-drug resistant and a susceptible reference isolate of Haemonchus contortus, an economically important gastrointestinal nematode of sheep, and ivermectin-selected the F2 population for comparison with an untreated F2 control. RNA-seq analyses of male and female adults of all populations identified high transcriptomic differentiation between parental isolates, which was significantly reduced in the F2, allowing differences associated specifically with ivermectin resistance to be identified. In all resistant populations, there was constitutive upregulation of a single gene, HCON_00155390:cky-1, a putative pharyngeal-expressed transcription factor, in a narrow locus on chromosome V previously shown to be under ivermectin selection. In addition, we detected sex-specific differences in gene expression between resistant and susceptible populations, including constitutive upregulation of a P-glycoprotein, HCON_00162780:pgp-11, in resistant males only. After ivermectin selection, we identified differential expression of genes with roles in neuronal function and chloride homeostasis, which is consistent with an adaptive response to ivermectin-induced hyperpolarisation of neuromuscular cells. Overall, we show the utility of a genetic cross to identify differences in gene expression that are specific to ivermectin selection and provide a framework to better understand ivermectin resistance and response to treatment in parasitic helminths.


Assuntos
Anti-Helmínticos , Haemonchus , Nematoides , Animais , Anti-Helmínticos/farmacologia , Cloretos/metabolismo , Cloretos/farmacologia , Resistência a Medicamentos/genética , Feminino , Homeostase , Ivermectina/metabolismo , Ivermectina/farmacologia , Ivermectina/uso terapêutico , Masculino , Nematoides/genética , Plasticidade Neuronal , Ovinos/genética , Transcriptoma
13.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 28(6): 1211-1223, 2022 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35608628

RESUMO

Vertical transmission of leishmaniasis is common but is difficult to study against the background of pervasive vector transmission. We present genomic data from dogs in the United States infected with Leishmania infantum parasites; these infections have persisted in the apparent absence of vector transmission. We demonstrate that these parasites were introduced from the Old World separately and more recently than L. infantum from South America. The parasite population shows unusual genetics consistent with a lack of meiosis: a high level of heterozygous sites shared across all isolates and no decrease in linkage with genomic distance between variants. Our data confirm that this parasite population has been evolving with little or no sexual reproduction. This demonstration of vertical transmission has profound implications for the population genetics of Leishmania parasites. When investigating transmission in complex natural settings, considering vertical transmission alongside vector transmission is vital.


Assuntos
Doenças do Cão , Leishmania infantum , Leishmaniose Visceral , Parasitos , Animais , Cães , Doenças do Cão/parasitologia , Transmissão Vertical de Doenças Infecciosas , Leishmania infantum/genética , Leishmaniose Visceral/epidemiologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/parasitologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/veterinária , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , Cães Trabalhadores
14.
Trends Parasitol ; 38(5): 351-352, 2022 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35246385

RESUMO

The anthelmintic praziquantel (PZQ) is an essential tool in controlling schistosomiasis, so reports of reduced PZQ efficacy are of great public health concern. Le Clec'h et al. recently identified a gene responsible for PZQ resistance in experimentally selected resistant Schistosoma mansoni. The importance of this locus in natural infections remains to be established.


Assuntos
Anti-Helmínticos , Esquistossomose mansoni , Animais , Anti-Helmínticos/farmacologia , Anti-Helmínticos/uso terapêutico , Resistência a Medicamentos/genética , Praziquantel/farmacologia , Praziquantel/uso terapêutico , Schistosoma mansoni/genética , Esquistossomose mansoni/tratamento farmacológico
15.
PLoS Pathog ; 18(2): e1010364, 2022 02.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35202447

RESUMO

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania for which there are no approved human vaccines. Infections localise to different tissues in a species-specific manner with the visceral form of the disease caused by Leishmania donovani and L. infantum being the most deadly in humans. Although Leishmania spp. parasites are predominantly intracellular, the visceral disease can be prevented in dogs by vaccinating with a complex mixture of secreted products from cultures of L. infantum promastigotes. With the logic that extracellular parasite proteins make good subunit vaccine candidates because they are directly accessible to vaccine-elicited host antibodies, here we attempt to discover proteins that are essential for in vitro growth and host infection with the goal of identifying subunit vaccine candidates. Using an in silico analysis of the Leishmania donovani genome, we identified 92 genes encoding proteins that are predicted to be secreted or externally anchored to the parasite membrane by a single transmembrane region or a GPI anchor. By selecting a transgenic L. donovani parasite that expresses both luciferase and the Cas9 nuclease, we systematically attempted to target all 92 genes by CRISPR genome editing and identified four that were required for in vitro growth. For fifty-five genes, we infected cohorts of mice with each mutant parasite and by longitudinally quantifying parasitaemia with bioluminescent imaging, showed that nine genes had evidence of an attenuated infection although all ultimately established an infection. Finally, we expressed two genes as full-length soluble recombinant proteins and tested them as subunit vaccine candidates in a murine preclinical infection model. Both proteins elicited significant levels of protection against the uncontrolled development of a splenic infection warranting further investigation as subunit vaccine candidates against this deadly infectious tropical disease.


Assuntos
Leishmania donovani , Leishmania infantum , Leishmaniose Visceral , Leishmaniose , Parasitos , Animais , Cães , Leishmania donovani/genética , Camundongos
16.
mBio ; 13(1): e0326421, 2022 02 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35012338

RESUMO

The implementation of prospective drug resistance (DR) studies in the research-and-development (R&D) pipeline is a common practice for many infectious diseases but not for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Here, we explored and demonstrated the importance of this approach using as paradigms Leishmania donovani, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and TCMDC-143345, a promising compound of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) "Leishbox" to treat VL. We experimentally selected resistance to TCMDC-143345 in vitro and characterized resistant parasites at the genomic and phenotypic levels. We found that it took more time to develop resistance to TCMDC-143345 than to other drugs in clinical use and that there was no cross-resistance to these drugs, suggesting a new and unique mechanism. By whole-genome sequencing, we found two mutations in the gene encoding the L. donovani dynamin-1-like protein (LdoDLP1) that were fixed at the highest drug pressure. Through phylogenetic analysis, we identified LdoDLP1 as a family member of the dynamin-related proteins, a group of proteins that impacts the shapes of biological membranes by mediating fusion and fission events, with a putative role in mitochondrial fission. We found that L. donovani lines genetically engineered to harbor the two identified LdoDLP1 mutations were resistant to TCMDC-143345 and displayed altered mitochondrial properties. By homology modeling, we showed how the two LdoDLP1 mutations may influence protein structure and function. Taken together, our data reveal a clear involvement of LdoDLP1 in the adaptation/reduced susceptibility of L. donovani to TCMDC-143345. IMPORTANCE Humans and their pathogens are continuously locked in a molecular arms race during which the eventual emergence of pathogen drug resistance (DR) seems inevitable. For neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), DR is generally studied retrospectively once it has already been established in clinical settings. We previously recommended to keep one step ahead in the host-pathogen arms race and implement prospective DR studies in the R&D pipeline, a common practice for many infectious diseases but not for NTDs. Here, using Leishmania donovani, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and TCMDC-143345, a promising compound of the GSK Leishbox to treat VL, as paradigms, we experimentally selected resistance to the compound and proceeded to genomic and phenotypic characterization of DR parasites. The results gathered in the present study suggest a new DR mechanism involving the L. donovani dynamin-1-like protein (LdoDLP1) and demonstrate the practical relevance of prospective DR studies.


Assuntos
Antiprotozoários , Resistência a Medicamentos , Dinamina I , Leishmania donovani , Leishmaniose Visceral , Humanos , Antiprotozoários/imunologia , Dinamina I/genética , Dinamina I/imunologia , Genômica , Leishmania donovani/genética , Leishmania donovani/imunologia , Leishmania donovani/parasitologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/genética , Leishmaniose Visceral/imunologia , Leishmaniose Visceral/parasitologia , Filogenia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resistência a Medicamentos/genética , Resistência a Medicamentos/imunologia
17.
Genome Res ; 32(1): 203-213, 2022 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34764149

RESUMO

Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of waterborne diarrheal disease globally and an important contributor to mortality in infants and the immunosuppressed. Despite its importance, the Cryptosporidium community has only had access to a good, but incomplete, Cryptosporidium parvum IOWA reference genome sequence. Incomplete reference sequences hamper annotation, experimental design, and interpretation. We have generated a new C. parvum IOWA genome assembly supported by Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) and Oxford Nanopore long-read technologies and a new comparative and consistent genome annotation for three closely related species: C. parvum, Cryptosporidium hominis, and Cryptosporidium tyzzeri We made 1926 C. parvum annotation updates based on experimental evidence. They include new transporters, ncRNAs, introns, and altered gene structures. The new assembly and annotation revealed a complete Dnmt2 methylase ortholog. Comparative annotation between C. parvum, C. hominis, and C. tyzzeri revealed that most "missing" orthologs are found, suggesting that the biological differences between the species must result from gene copy number variation, differences in gene regulation, and single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). Using the new assembly and annotation as reference, 190 genes are identified as evolving under positive selection, including many not detected previously. The new C. parvum IOWA reference genome assembly is larger, gap free, and lacks ambiguous bases. This chromosomal assembly recovers all 16 chromosome ends, 13 of which are contiguously assembled. The three remaining chromosome ends are provisionally placed. These ends represent duplication of entire chromosome ends including subtelomeric regions revealing a new level of genome plasticity that will both inform and impact future research.


Assuntos
Criptosporidiose , Cryptosporidium , Criptosporidiose/genética , Cryptosporidium/genética , Variações do Número de Cópias de DNA , Genoma , Humanos , Telômero/genética
18.
Nat Commun ; 12(1): 4776, 2021 08 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34362894

RESUMO

Control and elimination of the parasitic disease schistosomiasis relies on mass administration of praziquantel. Whilst these programmes reduce infection prevalence and intensity, their impact on parasite transmission and evolution is poorly understood. Here we examine the genomic impact of repeated mass drug administration on Schistosoma mansoni populations with documented reduced praziquantel efficacy. We sequenced whole-genomes of 198 S. mansoni larvae from 34 Ugandan children from regions with contrasting praziquantel exposure. Parasites infecting children from Lake Victoria, a transmission hotspot, form a diverse panmictic population. A single round of treatment did not reduce this diversity with no apparent population contraction caused by long-term praziquantel use. We find evidence of positive selection acting on members of gene families previously implicated in praziquantel action, but detect no high frequency functionally impactful variants. As efforts to eliminate schistosomiasis intensify, our study provides a foundation for genomic surveillance of this major human parasite.


Assuntos
Administração Massiva de Medicamentos , Praziquantel/farmacologia , Schistosoma mansoni/genética , Sequenciamento Completo do Genoma , Animais , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Schistosoma mansoni/efeitos dos fármacos , Esquistossomose mansoni/tratamento farmacológico , Uganda
19.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis ; 15(7): e0009609, 2021 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34310598

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) was detected in Chad in 2010 after a supposed ten-year absence, posing a challenge to the global eradication effort. Initiation of a village-based surveillance system in 2012 revealed a substantial number of dogs infected with Guinea worm, raising questions about paratenic hosts and cross-species transmission. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We coupled genomic and surveillance case data from 2012-2018 to investigate the modes of transmission between dog and human hosts and the geographic connectivity of worms. Eighty-six variants across four genes in the mitochondrial genome identified 41 genetically distinct worm genotypes. Spatiotemporal modeling revealed worms with the same genotype ('genetically identical') were within a median range of 18.6 kilometers of each other, but largely within approximately 50 kilometers. Genetically identical worms varied in their degree of spatial clustering, suggesting there may be different factors that favor or constrain transmission. Each worm was surrounded by five to ten genetically distinct worms within a 50 kilometer radius. As expected, we observed a change in the genetic similarity distribution between pairs of worms using variants across the complete mitochondrial genome in an independent population. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In the largest study linking genetic and surveillance data to date of Guinea worm cases in Chad, we show genetic identity and modeling can facilitate the understanding of local transmission. The co-occurrence of genetically non-identical worms in quantitatively identified transmission ranges highlights the necessity for genomic tools to link cases. The improved discrimination between pairs of worms from variants identified across the complete mitochondrial genome suggests that expanding the number of genomic markers could link cases at a finer scale. These results suggest that scaling up genomic surveillance for Guinea worm may provide additional value for programmatic decision-making critical for monitoring cases and intervention efficacy to achieve elimination.


Assuntos
Dracunculíase/epidemiologia , Dracunculus/genética , Vigilância da População/métodos , Animais , Chade/epidemiologia , DNA de Helmintos/genética , Marcadores Genéticos , Genoma Helmíntico , Genoma Mitocondrial , Humanos
20.
Pathogens ; 10(6)2021 Jun 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34200026

RESUMO

Trypanosomatids of the subfamily Strigomonadinae bear permanent intracellular bacterial symbionts acquired by the common ancestor of these flagellates. However, the cospeciation pattern inherent to such relationships was revealed to be broken upon the description of Angomonas ambiguus, which is sister to A. desouzai, but bears an endosymbiont genetically close to that of A. deanei. Based on phylogenetic inferences, it was proposed that the bacterium from A. deanei had been horizontally transferred to A. ambiguus. Here, we sequenced the bacterial genomes from two A. ambiguus isolates, including a new one from Papua New Guinea, and compared them with the published genome of the A. deanei endosymbiont, revealing differences below the interspecific level. Our phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the endosymbionts of A. ambiguus were obtained from A. deanei and, in addition, demonstrated that this occurred more than once. We propose that coinfection of the same blowfly host and the phylogenetic relatedness of the trypanosomatids facilitate such transitions, whereas the drastic difference in the occurrence of the two trypanosomatid species determines the observed direction of this process. This phenomenon is analogous to organelle (mitochondrion/plastid) capture described in multicellular organisms and, thereafter, we name it endosymbiont capture.

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