title: Molecular changes in Opisthorchis viverrini (Southeast Asian liver fluke) during the transition from the juvenile to the adult stage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Southeast Asian liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini) chronically infects and affects tens of millions of people in regions of Asia, leading to chronic illness and, importantly, inducing malignant cancer (= cholangiocarcinoma). In spite of this, little is known, at the molecular level, about the parasite itself, its interplay with its hosts or the mechanisms of disease and/or carcinogenesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we generated extensive RNA-Seq data (Illumina) representing adult and juvenile stages of O. viverrini, and combined these sequences with previously published transcriptomic data (454 technology) for this species, yielding a combined assembly of significantly increased quality and allowing quantitative assessment of transcription in the juvenile and adult stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This enhanced assembly reveals that, despite the substantial biological similarities between the human liver flukes, O. viverinni and Clonorchis sinensis, there are previously unrecognized differences in major aspects of their molecular biology. Most notable are differences among the C13 and cathepsin L-like cysteine peptidases, which play key roles in tissue migration, immune evasion and feeding, and, thus, represent potential drug and/or vaccine targets. Furthermore, these data indicate that major lineages of cysteine peptidases of socioeconomically important trematodes have evolved through a process of gene loss rather than independent radiation, contrasting previous proposals.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. ajex@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Aaron R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jex
authors.forename: Neil D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Jittiyawadee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sripa
authors.forename: Ross S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Scheerlinck
authors.forename: Thewarach
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laha
authors.forename: Banchob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sripa
authors.forename: Robin B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gasser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009891:Opisthorchis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases