Tritrichomonas foetus strain:Belfast Genome sequencing. Tritrichomonas foetus strain:Belfast

Tritrichomonas foetus is an obligate unicellular parasite of the bovine urogenital system, which is responsible for bovine trichomoniasis, an endemic disease of causing reproductive failure in cattle and dairy hreds worldwide. A Tritrichomonas foetus genome sequence has been produced as part of a BBSRC-funded project to identify parasite-specific cell surface antigens that could be used in new diagnostic or therapeutic tools, including vaccines. This genome sequence combines long-read DNA sequence technology with transcriptomic sequencing under diverse conditions, producing the most complete sequence to date and the most exhaustive gene annotation. It is anticipated that the genome sequence will enable the discovery of novel parasite antigens, leading to new methods of preventing and resolving T. foetus infections and so, controlling bovine trichomoniasis in livestock systems. The sequence may also benefit our understanding of trichomonad biology through comparison with related pathogens, Trichomonas vaginalis in particular.