title: Differences in genomic architecture between two distinct geographical strains of the blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum reveal potential phenotype basis.
abstract: The Chinese (SjC) and Philippine (SjP) strains of the blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum have been shown to present clearly different phenotypes in fecundity, pathology, drug sensitivity and immunology. We used microarray based comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) to investigate structural differences in the genomes of the two strains and identified seven distinct regions of the S. japonicum genome that present differential aCGH representing either deletion or duplication regions in SjP. Within these regions, genes predicted to be associated with the recognised phenotypic differences were identified and that may provide new insights into the biology and evolution of the two strains, with implications for the epidemiology and control of schistosomiasis japonica in China and the Philippines.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Institute of Medical Research-QIMR, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Qld 4006, Australia. Geoffrey.Gobert@qimr.edu.au
authors.forename: Geoffrey N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Gobert
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Malcolm K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: McManus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D055028:Comparative Genomic Hybridization; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D049751:Genome, Helminth; D005843:Geography; D058507:Host Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D010679:Philippines; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000469:parasitology