Coming out of the shell: building the molecular infrastructure for research on parasite-harbouring snails

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 7; no. 9; p. e2284
• Main Authors: Cantacessi, Cinzia, Prasopdee, Sattrachai, Sotillo, Javier, Mulvenna, Jason, Tesana, Smarn, Loukas, Alex
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.09.2013; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Animals; Bioinformatics; Developmental biology; Disease Vectors; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genomes; Genomics; Humans; Infections; Mollusks; Ontology; Parasitic Diseases - epidemiology; Parasitic Diseases - transmission; Physiological aspects; Proteins; Snails; Snails - parasitology; Technological change; Viewpoints; Thailand; Animals; Disease Vectors; Parasitic Diseases; Snails; Humans
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002284

  [...]despite the massive expansion in the demand for and access to low-cost, high-throughput sequencing, large-scale genomic analyses of snails are limited to the draft genome sequence of the pulmonate snail intermediate host of Schistosoma blood flukes (Biomphalaria glabrata Genome Initiative at http://biology.unm.edu/biomphalaria-genome/index.html). [...]there has been no genomic or transcriptomic information available for the prosobranch snail intermediate hosts of carcinogenic liver flukes, such as O. viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis. Besides yielding a general picture of the modified biology of trematode-infected snails, this data will set a basis for the identification of key genes, gene products, biological pathways, and/or bacterial and viral symbionts [cf. 9] involved in the cascade of molecular events leading to the development of the parasite through the stages of miracidium, sporocyst, redia, and cercaria.