Identification of G protein-coupled receptors in Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni by comparative genomics

摘要

BackgroundSchistosomiasis is a parasitic disease affecting ~200 million people worldwide. Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni are two relatively closely related schistosomes (blood flukes), and the causative agents of urogenital and hepatointestinal schistosomiasis, respectively. The availability of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data sets for these two schistosomes now provides unprecedented opportunities to explore their biology, host interactions and schistosomiasis at the molecular level. A particularly important group of molecules involved in a range of biological and developmental processes in schistosomes and other parasites are the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Although GPCRs have been studied in schistosomes, there has been no detailed comparison of these receptors between closely related species. Here, using a genomic-bioinformatic approach, we identified and characterised key GPCRs in S. haematobium and S. mansoni (two closely related species of schistosome).