Schistosome genome

This chapter is dedicated to all members of the Schistosome Genome Network, past and present, and to WHO-TDR, without whose combined vision and willingness to collaborate for the common good, we would not be where we are today, and to the funding agencies and sequencing centres for having the faith to turn that vision into reality. 

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Simpson, A.J.C. and Pena, S.D.J. (1991) Host-related DNA sequences in the schistosome genome Parasitology Today 7, 266. 

Tanaka, M., Tanaka, T., Inazawa, J., Nagafuchi, S., Mutsui, Y., Kaukas, A., Johnston, D.A. and Rollinson, D. (1997) Proceedings of the schistosome genome project. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 92, 829-834. 

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Verjovski-Almeida, S., Feite, F.C., Dias-Neto, E., Menck, C.F. and Wilson, R.A. (2004) Schistosome transcriptome insights and perspectives for functional genomics. Trends in Parasitology 20, 304-308. 

If this succeeds, schistosomes may be close to becoming a model for parasitic trema-todes. This would allow researchers to further develop and optimize techniques for the genetic modification of other parasitic flat-worms of medical or economic relevance. The combination of modern molecular approaches such as genomics, proteomics and transgenics, with classical disciplines such as systematics,... 

Schistosomes express at least two sub-types of CaJ3s (Kohn et ah, 2001 a, 2003b). This finding is also unique among the invertebrates to date, only a single CavP gene has been identified in the genomes of other invertebrate species. More remarkably, one of these schistosome 3 subunit subtypes exhibits entirely unique structural and functional properties. To date, there have been no representatives of this variant subtype identified in any vertebrate or invertebrate phyla other than the platy-helminths (see Fig. 14.4). 

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