Analysis of the transcriptome of adult Dictyocaulus filaria and comparison with Dictyocaulus viviparus, with a focus on molecules involved in host-parasite interactions.
Parasitic nematodes cause diseases of major economic importance in animals. Key representatives are species of Dictyocaulus (=lungworms), which cause bronchitis (=dictyocaulosis, commonly known as "husk") and have a major adverse impact on the health of livestock. In spite of their economic importance, very little is known about the immunomolecular biology of these parasites. Here, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of the adult transcriptome of Dictyocaulus filaria of small ruminants and compared it with that of Dictyocaulus viviparus of bovids. We then identified a subset of highly transcribed molecules inferred to be linked to host-parasite interactions, including cathepsin B peptidases, fatty-acid and/or retinol-binding proteins, β-galactoside-binding galectins, secreted protein 6 precursors, macrophage migration inhibitory factors, glutathione peroxidases, a transthyretin-like protein and a type 2-like cystatin. We then studied homologues of D. filaria type 2-like cystatin encoded in D. viviparus and 24 other nematodes representing seven distinct taxonomic orders, with a particular focus on their proposed role in immunomodulation and/or metabolism. Taken together, the present study provides new insights into nematode-host interactions. The findings lay the foundation for future experimental studies and could have implications for designing new interventions against lungworms and other parasitic nematodes. The future characterisation of the genomes of Dictyocaulus spp. should underpin these endeavours.
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Stefano
S
Mangiola
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: nyoung@unimelb.edu.au.
Neil D
ND
Young
HHMI, Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Paul W
PW
Sternberg
Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Christina
C
Strube
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Pasi K
PK
Korhonen
The Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Makedonka
M
Mitreva
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jean-Pierre
JP
Scheerlinck
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Eskitis Institute for Cell & Molecular Therapies, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Andreas
A
Hofmann
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Aaron R
AR
Jex
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: robinbg@unimelb.edu.au.
Robin B
RB
Gasser
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015891:Cystatins / Q000235:genetics; D004021:Dictyocaulus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004022:Dictyocaulus Infections / Q000469:parasitology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D049751:Genome, Helminth; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009348:Nematoda / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D010802:Phylogeny; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D012418:Ruminants / Q000469:parasitology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D015891:Cystatins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D018510:RNA, Helminth
Dictyocaulus spp.; Host–parasite interactions; Lungworms; Transcriptome