Project description:Genotyping studies suggest that there is genetic variability among P. gingivalis strains, however the extent of variability remains unclear, and the regions of variability have only partially been identified. We previously used heteroduplex analysis of the ribosomal operon intergenic spacer region (ISR) to type P. gingivalis strains in several diverse populations, identifying 6 predominant heteroduplex types and many minor ones. In addition we used ISR sequence analysis to determine the relatedness of P. gingivalis strains to one another, and demonstrated a link between ISR sequence phylogeny and the disease-associated phenotype of P. gingivalis strains. The availability of whole genome microarrays based on the genomic sequence of strain W83 has allowed a more comprehensive analysis of P. gingivalis strain variability, using the entire genome. The objectives of this study were to define the phylogeny of P. gingivalis strains using the entire genome, to compare the phylogeny based on genome content to the phylogeny based on a single locus (ISR), and to identify genes that are associated with the strongly disease-associated strain W83 that could be important for virulence. Keywords: Comparative genomic hybridization
Project description:Genome-wide SNP genotyping array can genotyped SNP highthroughly. It can be used in many aspects, such as phylogeny relationships, genome-wide association studies, copy number identification.
Project description:Over 250 million people suffer from schistosomiasis, a tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms known as schistosomes. To unravel the transcriptional signatures for the larval stage of this parasite, we perform single-cell RNA sequencing on two-day old schistosomula. We described 15 populations and spatially validated our results using FISH.
Project description:The roles of extracellular vesicles in animal models of regeneration are poorly characterized. The goal of this study was to identify differentially expressed transcripts in planarian flatworms after injection of buffer only or extracellular vesicles compared to uninjected animals.
Project description:Genome-wide SNP genotyping array can genotyped SNP highthroughly. It can be used in many aspects, such as phylogeny relationships, genome-wide association studies, copy number identification. 9 Chinese indigenous pig, 4 commercial pigs and 1 wild pig were genotyped by PorcineSNP60 array (Illumina) for exploring the phylogeny relationships among them.
Project description:Many anthelmintics target the neuromuscular system, in particular by interfering with signalling mediated by classical neurotransmitters. Although peptidergic signalling has been proposed as a target of novel anthelmintics, current knowledge of the neuropeptide complement of many helminths is still limited, especially for parasitic flatworms (cestodes, trematodes and monogeneans). In this work, we have characterised the neuropeptide complement of the model cestode Hymenolepis microstoma. Peptidomic characterization of adults of H. microstoma validated many of the neuropeptide precursor (npp) genes previously predicted in silico, and identified novel neuropeptides that are conserved in parasitic flatworms. Most neuropeptides from parasitic flatworms lack significant similarity to those from other animals, confirming the uniqueness of their peptidergic signalling. Analysis of gene expression of ten npp genes by in situ hybridization confirmed that all of them are expressed in the nervous system and identified cryptic features, including the first evidence of dorsoventral asymmetry, as well as a new population of peripheral neurosecretory cells that appears to be conserved in the trematode Schistosoma mansoni. Finally, we characterised in greater detail Attachin, an experimentally validated SIFamide homolog. Although its expression is largely restricted to the longitudinal nerve cords and cerebral commissure in H. microstoma, it shows widespread expression in the larval nervous system of Echinococcus multilocularis and Mesocestoides corti. Exogenous addition of a peptide corresponding to the highly conserved C-terminus of Attachin stimulated motility and attachment of M. corti larvae. Altogether, this work provides a robust experimental foothold for the characterization of peptidergic signalling in parasitic flatworms.
Project description:Schistosomes are parasitic flatworms that cause one of the most prevalent infectious diseases from which millions of people are currently suffering. Here, we construct a cell type atlas of juvenile schistosomes to capture germline stem cells (GSCs) in the course of de novo gonadal development.
