Draft genome of Brugia pahangi: high similarity between B. pahangi and B. malayi.
BACKGROUND
Efforts to completely eradicate lymphatic filariasis from human population may be challenged by the emergence of Brugia pahangi as another zoonotic lymphatic filarial nematode. In this report, a genomic study was conducted to understand this species at molecular level.


METHODS
After blood meal on a B. pahangi-harbouring cat, the Aedes togoi mosquitoes were maintained to harvest infective third stage larvae, which were then injected into male Mongolian gerbils. Subsequently, adult B. pahangi were obtained from the infected gerbil for genomic DNA extraction. Sequencing and subsequently, construction of genomic libraries were performed. This was followed by genomic analyses and gene annotation analysis. By using archived protein sequences of B. malayi and a few other nematodes, clustering of gene orthologs and phylogenetics were conducted.


RESULTS
A total of 9687 coding genes were predicted. The genome of B. pahangi shared high similarity to that B. malayi genome, particularly genes annotated to fundamental processes. Nevertheless, 166 genes were considered to be unique to B. pahangi, which may be responsible for the distinct properties of B. pahangi as compared to other filarial nematodes. In addition, 803 genes were deduced to be derived from Wolbachia, an endosymbiont bacterium, with 44 of these genes intercalate into the nematode genome.


CONCLUSIONS
The reporting of B. pahangi draft genome contributes to genomic archive. Albeit with high similarity to B. malayi genome, the B. pahangi-unique genes found in this study may serve as new focus to study differences in virulence, vector selection and host adaptability among different Brugia spp.
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. lauyeeling@um.edu.my.
Yee-Ling
YL
Lau
Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore.
Wenn-Chyau
WC
Lee
BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
Jinquan
J
Xia
BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
GuiPing
G
Zhang
Sengenics HIR, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Rozaimi
R
Razali
Sengenics HIR, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Arif
A
Anwar
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mun-Yik
MY
Fong
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000330:Aedes / Q000469:parasitology; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017179:Brugia pahangi / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D049751:Genome, Helminth / Q000235:genetics*; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases