Genome-wide analysis of Anisakis simplex sensu lato: the role of carbohydrate metabolism genes in the parasite’s development

Abstract

Anisakis simplex sensu lato is a parasitic nematode which can cause gastric symptoms and/or allergic reactions in humans who consume raw and undercooked fish. Anisakiasis poses a growing health problem around the globe because it causes non-specific symptoms and is difficult to diagnose. This genome-wide study was undertaken to expand our knowledge of A. simplex s.l. at the molecular level and provide novel data for biological and biotechnological research into the analyzed species and related nematodes. A draft genome assembly of the L3 stage of A. simplex s.l. was analyzed in detail, and changes in the expression of carbohydrate metabolism genes during the parasite's life cycle were determined. To our knowledge, this is the first genome to be described for a parasitic nematode of the family Anisakidae to date. We identified genes involved in parasite-specific pathways, including carbohydrates metabolism, apoptosis and chemo signaling. A total of 7607 coding genes were predicted. The genome of A. simplex s.l. is highly similar to genomes of other parasitic nematodes. In particular, we described a valuable repository of genes encoding proteins of trehalose and glycogen metabolism, and we developed the most comprehensive data set relating to the conversion of both saccharides which play important roles during the parasite's life cycle in a host environment. We also confirmed that trehalose is synthesized at the expense of glycogen. Trehalose anabolism and glycogen catabolism were the predominant processes in stages L4 and L5, which could confirm our and other authors’ previous reports that trehalose is synthesized at the expense of glycogen. The A. simplex s.l. genome provides essential data for post-genomic research into the biology of gastrointestinal and allergic anisakiasis in humans and the biology of other important parasitic helminths.