(Below N is a link to NCBI taxonomic web page and E link to ESTHER at designed phylum.) > cellular organisms: NE > Eukaryota: NE > Opisthokonta: NE > Metazoa: NE > Eumetazoa: NE > Bilateria: NE > Platyhelminthes: NE > Trematoda: NE > Digenea: NE > Strigeidida: NE > Schistosomatoidea: NE > Schistosomatidae: NE > Schistosoma: NE > Schistosoma mansoni: NE
LegendThis sequence has been compared to family alignement (MSA) red => minority aminoacid blue => majority aminoacid color intensity => conservation rate title => sequence position(MSA position)aminoacid rate Catalytic site Catalytic site in the MSA MIIPRKWSTNYRAVCIHFSGTGDQNYYRRRVFLASSLIKDGIASIILMHP FYSKRKPDEQQGSGLNSVSDLFIMGGALIMECSALLKWCEHNGYGPFALH GISMGGYMSALCATVWPKPISLIPCLSWTSASCVFLEGILSNTVNWSVLT KQYYSDSAYSDVIRPQIQPAVPEFCKVTDETSNDTLGDYLQNSPRTPVSI NSLHSKYSDPVNVASLAAFSKQSDSRLHPIKRHSLKSSHSNFQVRDILSQ FINMSNSASQLSSSHSNTHKFTVAEKFLPSIMYTGFPNFLSSFNFNKVFR FQSNSSRWHKQIPSFPRVSSPSVSFLRTNLSPDPEVRQFLRDLLDYFTHL GNFSPVIDSRLVLSVAAEYDAYVPRGSVCSLKIVYPNGEIRFLPQSGHVG AYVKNSIWTNDFRKAISDCLNQQVQLYHHEPGPFGRINTTRKNVQLIKH
Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases, affecting millions of people in developing countries. Amongst the human-infective species, Schistosoma mansoni is also the most commonly used in the laboratory and here we present the systematic improvement of its draft genome. We used Sanger capillary and deep-coverage Illumina sequencing from clonal worms to upgrade the highly fragmented draft 380 Mb genome to one with only 885 scaffolds and more than 81% of the bases organised into chromosomes. We have also used transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) from four time points in the parasite's life cycle to refine gene predictions and profile their expression. More than 45% of predicted genes have been extensively modified and the total number has been reduced from 11,807 to 10,852. Using the new version of the genome, we identified trans-splicing events occurring in at least 11% of genes and identified clear cases where it is used to resolve polycistronic transcripts. We have produced a high-resolution map of temporal changes in expression for 9,535 genes, covering an unprecedented dynamic range for this organism. All of these data have been consolidated into a searchable format within the GeneDB (www.genedb.org) and SchistoDB (www.schistodb.net) databases. With further transcriptional profiling and genome sequencing increasingly accessible, the upgraded genome will form a fundamental dataset to underpin further advances in schistosome research.
Schistosoma mansoni is responsible for the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis that affects 210 million people in 76 countries. Here we present analysis of the 363 megabase nuclear genome of the blood fluke. It encodes at least 11,809 genes, with an unusual intron size distribution, and new families of micro-exon genes that undergo frequent alternative splicing. As the first sequenced flatworm, and a representative of the Lophotrochozoa, it offers insights into early events in the evolution of the animals, including the development of a body pattern with bilateral symmetry, and the development of tissues into organs. Our analysis has been informed by the need to find new drug targets. The deficits in lipid metabolism that make schistosomes dependent on the host are revealed, and the identification of membrane receptors, ion channels and more than 300 proteases provide new insights into the biology of the life cycle and new targets. Bioinformatics approaches have identified metabolic chokepoints, and a chemogenomic screen has pinpointed schistosome proteins for which existing drugs may be active. The information generated provides an invaluable resource for the research community to develop much needed new control tools for the treatment and eradication of this important and neglected disease.
