Back to Search
Start Over
Patterns of relatedness and genetic diversity inferred from whole genome sequencing of archival blood fluke miracidia (Schistosoma japonicum)
- Source :
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 15, Iss 1, p e0009020 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Genomic approaches hold great promise for resolving unanswered questions about transmission patterns and responses to control efforts for schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases. However, the cost of generating genomic data and the challenges associated with obtaining sufficient DNA from individual schistosome larvae (miracidia) from mammalian hosts have limited the application of genomic data for studying schistosomes and other complex macroparasites. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing whole genome amplification and sequencing (WGS) to analyze individual archival miracidia. As an example, we sequenced whole genomes of 22 miracidia from 11 human hosts representing two villages in rural Sichuan, China, and used these data to evaluate patterns of relatedness and genetic diversity. We also down-sampled our dataset to test how lower coverage sequencing could increase the cost effectiveness of WGS while maintaining power to accurately infer relatedness. Collectively, our results illustrate that population-level WGS datasets are attainable for individual miracidia and represent a powerful tool for ultimately providing insight into overall genetic diversity, parasite relatedness, and transmission patterns for better design and evaluation of disease control efforts.<br />Author summary Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by helminths within the genus Schistosoma, which affects over 200 million people globally. Here, we demonstrate the ability to obtain whole genome sequences from single S. japonicum miracidia that have been archived for years, and the promise of how these data may be used to answer major questions to understand and eventually help control schistosomiasis. To demonstrate the approach, we generated a moderate-sized dataset of 22 individual S. japonicum genomes and use these data to infer fine-scale patterns of relatedness among parasites from human hosts from two villages in Sichuan, China. We highlight how this type of genomic information may be useful for understanding the genetic variation among individual parasites with high precision, which could ultimately provide high resolution for understanding transmission pathways and inform control efforts with larger sample sizes. We also show that it is possible to use less data per individual than we obtained here, and still maintain high levels of accuracy; this would enable greater sample sizes by lowering individual sample cost. Collectively our results demonstrate that sampling genomes of individual schistosome parasites is now feasible on a population-level scale, opening new avenues for studying relatedness, tracing parasite spread, and studying parasite biology.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Male
Cost effectiveness
RC955-962
Pathogenesis
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Genome
Schistosoma japonicum
0302 clinical medicine
Medical Conditions
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
Medicine and Health Sciences
Genome Sequencing
Whole Genome Amplification
Aged, 80 and over
Eukaryota
Genomics
Middle Aged
Infectious Diseases
Schistosomiasis japonica
Host-Pathogen Interactions
Schistosoma
Female
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Research Article
Adult
030231 tropical medicine
Computational biology
Biology
Research and Analysis Methods
DNA sequencing
03 medical and health sciences
Helminths
parasitic diseases
Genetics
Parasitic Diseases
Animals
Humans
Molecular Biology Techniques
Sequencing Techniques
Molecular Biology
Aged
Whole genome sequencing
Genetic diversity
Evolutionary Biology
Population Biology
Whole Genome Sequencing
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Organisms
Biology and Life Sciences
Computational Biology
Genetic Variation
Genome Analysis
Invertebrates
030104 developmental biology
Macroparasite
Zoology
Population Genetics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19352735 and 19352727
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....89c0d2bd7ca9a7750de52d1c71b2fd2b