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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #319313

Title: Trichinella spiralis: the evolution of adaptation and parasitism

Author
item Zarlenga, Dante
item WANG, ZHENGYUAN - Washington University School Of Medicine
item MITREVA, MAKEDONKA - Washington University School Of Medicine

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/27/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Parasitism among nematodes has occurred in multiple, independent events. Deciphering processes that drive species diversity and adaptation are keys to understanding parasitism and advancing control strategies. Studies have been put forth on morphological and physiological aspects of parasitism and adaptation in nematodes; however data is now coming available to investigate adaptation, host switching and parasitism at the genomic level. Herein we explore the association between changes in protein families and domains over the course of metazoan evolution and the relationship between these changes and the ability and/or result of nematodes adapting to their environments. Data are consistent with gene loss occurring in conjunction with nematode specialization resulting from worms acclimating to well-defined, environmental niches. Further, we observed evidence for independent, lateral gene transfer events involving conserved genes that may have played a role in the evolution of nematode parasitism. Of special interest is the existence of the protein, cyanase that appears to have bacterial or fungal origins in a select few parasitic nematodes, including those belonging to the clade I parasites, Trichinella and Trichuris. Cyanase was also found present in more disparate parasitic nematodes but not in the genome of another Dorylaimia, Romanomermis culicivorax. Acquisition of the gene from nematophagous fungi may provide evidence of independent acquisition in clade III nematodes rather than ancestral acquisition among the Nematoda followed by selective gene loss over evolutionary time.