title: Comparative genomic analysis of aspartic proteases in eight parasitic platyhelminths: insights into functions and evolution.
abstract: We performed genome-wide identifications and comparative genomic analyses of the predicted aspartic proteases (APs) from eight parasitic flatworms, focusing on their evolution, potentials as drug targets and expression patterns. The results revealed that: i) More members of family A01 were identified from the schistosomes than from the cestodes; some evidence implied gene loss events along the class Cestoda, which may be related to the different ways to ingest host nutrition; ii) members in family A22 were evolutionarily highly conserved among all the parasites; iii) one retroviral-like AP in family A28 shared a highly similar predicted 3D structure with the HIV protease, implying its potential to be inhibited by HIV inhibitor-like molecules; and iiii) retrotransposon-associated APs were extensively expanded among these parasites. These results implied that the evolutionary histories of some APs in these parasites might relate to adaptations to their parasitism and some APs might have potential serving as intervention targets.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China. Electronic address: wslvri@163.com.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China. Electronic address: xyzdf23@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China. Electronic address: luoxuenong@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Xuenong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: wangsen@big.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: husn@big.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Songnian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China. Electronic address: wslanzhou@126.com.
authors.forename: Xuepeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057055:Aspartic Acid Proteases / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010986:Platyhelminths / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D057055:Aspartic Acid Proteases; D016333:HIV Protease
keywords: Aspartic protease; Drug target; Gene expansion; Gene loss; Platyhelminth