Publikationsdatenbank

Genetic blueprint of the zoonotic pathogen Toxocara canis (2015)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Zhu, Xing-Quan

Korhonen, Pasi K

Cai, Huimin

Young, Neil D

Nejsum, Peter

von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg (WE 13)

Boag, Peter R

Tan, Patrick

Li, Qiye

Min, Jiumeng

Yang, Yulan

Wang, Xiuhua

Fang, Xiaodong

Hall, Ross S

Hofmann, Andreas

Sternberg, Paul W

Jex, Aaron R

Gasser, Robin B

Quelle

Nature Communications

Bandzählung: 6

Seiten: 6145

ISSN: 2041-1723

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7145

Pubmed: 25649139

Kontakt

Institut für Parasitologie und Tropenveterinärmedizin

Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62310
parasitologie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Toxocara canis is a zoonotic parasite of major socioeconomic importance worldwide. In humans, this nematode causes disease (toxocariasis) mainly in the under-privileged communities in developed and developing countries. Although relatively well studied from clinical and epidemiological perspectives, to date, there has been no global investigation of the molecular biology of this parasite. Here we use next-generation sequencing to produce a draft genome and transcriptome of T. canis to support future biological and biotechnological investigations. This genome is 317 Mb in size, has a repeat content of 13.5% and encodes at least 18,596 protein-coding genes. We study transcription in a larval, as well as adult female and male stages, characterize the parasite's gene-silencing machinery, explore molecules involved in development or host-parasite interactions and predict intervention targets. The draft genome of T. canis should provide a useful resource for future molecular studies of this and other, related parasites.