title: Exploring molecular variation in Schistosoma japonicum in China.
abstract: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 200 million people worldwide. The main disease-causing agents, Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium, are blood flukes that have complex life cycles involving a snail intermediate host. In Asia, S. japonicum causes hepatointestinal disease (schistosomiasis japonica) and is challenging to control due to a broad distribution of its snail hosts and range of animal reservoir hosts. In China, extensive efforts have been underway to control this parasite, but genetic variability in S. japonicum populations could represent an obstacle to eliminating schistosomiasis japonica. Although a draft genome sequence is available for S. japonicum, there has been no previous study of molecular variation in this parasite on a genome-wide scale. In this study, we conducted the first deep genomic exploration of seven S. japonicum populations from mainland China, constructed phylogenies using mitochondrial and nuclear genomic data sets, and established considerable variation between some of the populations in genes inferred to be linked to key cellular processes and/or pathogen-host interactions. Based on the findings from this study, we propose that verifying intraspecific conservation in vaccine or drug target candidates is an important first step toward developing effective vaccines and chemotherapies against schistosomiasis.
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Pathogen Genomics and Genetics Program, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Neil D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: ISB (Genetics and Molecular Biology), Faculty of Science, The University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kok-Gan
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Pathogen Genomics and Genetics Program, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Pasi K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.affiliation: ISB (Genetics and Molecular Biology), Faculty of Science, The University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Teik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Min Chong
authors.affiliation: ISB (Genetics and Molecular Biology), Faculty of Science, The University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Robson
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ee
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Pathogen Genomics and Genetics Program, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Namitha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mohandas
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Pathogen Genomics and Genetics Program, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Anson V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Koehler
authors.affiliation: ISB (Genetics and Molecular Biology), Faculty of Science, The University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Yan-Lue
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Pathogen Genomics and Genetics Program, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.|Structural Chemistry Program, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Pathogen Genomics and Genetics Program, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Aaron R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jex
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Pathogen Genomics and Genetics Program, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Baozhen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Canada.
authors.forename: Neil B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Chilton
authors.affiliation: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Gobert
authors.affiliation: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.affiliation: Genome Institute of Singapore, 60 Biopolis Street, Singapore 138672, Republic of Singapore.|Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore 138672, Republic of Singapore.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Bonnie L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.affiliation: The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rollinson
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Pathogen Genomics and Genetics Program, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Robin B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gasser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D049751:Genome, Helminth; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000235:genetics*; D012554:Schistosomiasis japonica / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics