Abstract
Mesenteric infection by the parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma bovis is a common veterinary problem in Africa and the Middle East and occasionally in the Mediterranean Region. The species also has the ability to form interspecific hybrids with the human parasite S. haematobium with natural hybridisation observed in West Africa, presenting possible zoonotic transmission. Additionally, this exchange of alleles between species may dramatically influence disease dynamics and parasite evolution. We have generated a 374 Mb assembly of the S. bovis genome using Illumina and PacBio-based technologies. Despite infecting different hosts and organs, the genome sequences of S. bovis and S. haematobium appeared strikingly similar with 97% sequence identity. The two species share 98% of protein-coding genes, with an average sequence identity of 97.3% at the amino acid level. Genome comparison identified large continuous parts of the genome (up to several 100 kb) showing almost 100% sequence identity between S. bovis and S. haematobium. It is unlikely that this is a result of genome conservation and provides further evidence of natural interspecific hybridization between S. bovis and S. haematobium. Our results suggest that foreign DNA obtained by interspecific hybridization was maintained in the population through multiple meiosis cycles and that hybrids were sexually reproductive, producing viable offspring. The S. bovis genome assembly forms a highly valuable resource for studying schistosome evolution and exploring genetic regions that are associated with species-specific phenotypic traits.
Highlights
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma, infecting both humans and animals as definitive hosts [1]
We identified a large number of repetitive regions, accounting for 35.8% of the S. bovis genome
In accordance with other Schistosoma species [13,14,15,16], retrotransposons of the long interspersed nuclear element (LINE) subtype were the major class of repetitive elements comprising 17% of the genome
Summary
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma, infecting both humans and animals as definitive hosts [1]. Schistosoma bovis causes intestinal schistosomiasis in cattle, sheep and goats and is one of the most significant veterinary problems in African countries [2]. In Sub-Saharan Africa high prevalence rates of chronic schistosome infections in some endemic areas cause significant losses attributable to reduced growth and productivity, increased susceptibility to other infectious agents, and death [3]. Larvae undergo a complex development into dioecious adult egg-laying worm pairs. Adult flukes are found in the portal, mesenteric, and intestinal submucosal and subserosal veins from within which the females release eggs that become embedded in the intestinal wall and other tissues, or are excreted in stool, contributing to disease transmission
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