Project description:The cestodes Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis, as the pathogens of cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis respectively, can cause significant health problems to the host and considerable socio-economic losses as a consequence. Based on the genomic data regarding these two species available in public database recently, we carried out high-throughput mRNA and small RNA transcriptomic sequencing of them and generate enormous transcriptomic datasets. A total of 34,717,856 reads (79.79%) mapped to E. granulosus genome, and 38,882,179 reads (87.61%) mapped to E. multiloculari genome. A total of 24,550 (7,925 known and 16,625 novel transcripts) and 23,771 transcripts (8,432 known and 15,339 novel transcripts) were assembled for E. granulosus and E. multilocularis respectively, and the assembly yielded 11,330 genes (6,815 known and 4,515 novel genes) for E. granulosus and 10,101 genes (7,051 known and 3,050 novel genes) for E. multilocularis, compared with the reference genome data. Bioinformatic analysis identified 6,826 AS events from 3,774 E. granulosus genes (33.31%) and 6,644 AS events in 3,611 E. multilocularis genes (35.75%). A total of 76,674 distinct microRNAs of E. granulosus and 115,742 of E. multilocularis were also obtained from small RNA transcriptome sequencing reads. Of these, there were 20 microRNAs of E. granulosus and 22 microRNAs of E. multilocularis that belonged to 19 and 21 microRNA families common to other metazoan lineages separately. 76 and 90 novel microRNAs so far unique to E. granulosus and E. multilocularis were also identified respectively. This study represents an extensive mRNA and small RNA transcriptome dataset obtained from the deep sequencing of these two cestode species. The findings will facilitate a more fundamental understanding of cestode biology, evolution, the host-parasite interplay, and provide new insights into the pathophysiology of echinococcosis, contributing to the development of improved interventions for disease control.
Project description:The endoparasite Echinococcus multilocularis relies on immune evasion strategies to persist within its host. The laminated layer (LL) surrounding the parasite provides physical protection while modulating host immune responses. E. multilocularis’ immunomodulatory mechanisms are poorly understood and we explored the role of phytic acid, a known component of E. granulosus sensu lato. Here we show that phytic acid is also present in E. multilocularis and impairs macrophage inflammation. In vivo, inflammatory macrophages accumulate near the metacestode, yet do not express IL-6, indicating anti-inflammatory modulation. In vitro, phytic acid reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF by lowering intracellular calcium levels in macrophages. This calcium-chelating effect is mirrored by the anti-inflammatory properties of an E. multilocularis metacestode extract, revealing a protein-independent immune modulation strategy. These findings suggest that phytic acid plays a crucial role in E. multilocularis’ ability to suppress host immune responses and supports the parasite's long-term survival.