Genomic basis of schistosome resistance in a molluscan vector of human schistosomiasis

Si-Ming Zhang; Guiyun Yan; Abdelmalek Lekired; Daibin Zhong

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.111520

Genomic basis of schistosome resistance in a molluscan vector of human schistosomiasis

iScience. 2024 Dec 2;28(1):111520. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.111520. eCollection 2025 Jan 17.

Authors

Si-Ming Zhang¹, Guiyun Yan², Abdelmalek Lekired¹, Daibin Zhong²

Affiliations

¹ Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
² Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.

Abstract

Freshwater snails are obligate intermediate hosts for the transmission of schistosomiasis, one of the world's most devastating parasitic diseases. To decipher the mechanisms underlying snail resistance to schistosomes, recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were developed from two well-defined homozygous lines (iM line and iBS90) of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to scan the genomes of 46 individual RIL snails, representing 46 RILs, half of which were resistant or susceptible to Schistosoma mansoni. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) and bin marker-assisted quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis, aided by our chromosome-level assembled genome, were conducted. A small genomic region (∼3 Mb) on chromosome 5 was identified as being associated with schistosome resistance, designated the B. glabrata schistosome resistance region 1 (BgSRR1). This study, built on our recently developed genetic and genomic resources, provides valuable insights into anti-schistosome mechanisms and the future development of snail-targeted biocontrol programs for schistosomiasis.

Keywords: Disease; Molecular biology; Parasitology.