Hexosaminidase family annotation.

Phlebotomine sand flies are of global significance as important vectors of human disease, transmitting bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens, including the kinetoplastid parasites of the genus Leishmania, the causative agents of devastating diseases collectively termed leishmaniasis. More than 40 pathogenic Leishmania species are transmitted to humans by approximately 35 sand fly species in 98 countries with hundreds of millions of people at risk around the world. No approved efficacious vaccine exists for leishmaniasis and available therapeutic drugs are either toxic and/or expensive, or the parasites are becoming resistant to the more recently developed drugs. Therefore, sand fly and/or reservoir control are currently the most effective strategies to break transmission. To better understand the biology of sand flies, including the mechanisms involved in their vectorial capacity, insecticide resistance, and population structures we sequenced the genomes of two geographically widespread and important sand fly vector species: Phlebotomus papatasi, a vector of Leishmania parasites that cause cutaneous leishmaniasis, (distributed in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa) and Lutzomyia longipalpis, a vector of Leishmania parasites that cause visceral leishmaniasis (distributed across Central and South America). We categorized and curated genes involved in processes important to their roles as disease vectors, including chemosensation, blood feeding, circadian rhythm, immunity, and detoxification, as well as mobile genetic elements. We also defined gene orthology and observed micro-synteny among the genomes. Finally, we present the genetic diversity and population structure of these species in their respective geographical areas. These genomes will be a foundation on which to base future efforts to prevent vector-borne transmission of Leishmania parasites.白蛉（Phlebotomine sand flies）作为人类疾病的重要传播媒介，具有全球公共卫生重要性，可传播细菌、病毒及原生动物病原体，包括利什曼原虫属（Leishmania）的动质体寄生虫——这类引发毁灭性疾病的病原体统称为利什曼病（leishmaniasis）。目前全球98个国家的约35种白蛉物种，可将40余种致病性利什曼原虫传播给人类，全球受感染风险的人群多达数亿。当前尚无获批的高效利什曼病疫苗，现有治疗药物要么存在毒性、要么价格高昂，甚至寄生虫已对近年研发的药物产生耐药性。因此，当前针对白蛉及（或）其储存宿主的防控策略，仍是切断利什曼原虫传播链最有效的手段。为深入解析白蛉的生物学特性，包括其媒介传播能力、抗药性及种群结构的相关分子机制，我们对两种地理分布广泛且具有重要媒介作用的白蛉物种开展了基因组测序：其一为引发皮肤利什曼病（cutaneous leishmaniasis）的利什曼原虫传播媒介——巴氏白蛉（Phlebotomus papatasi），其分布范围涵盖欧洲、中东及北非；其二为引发内脏利什曼病（visceral leishmaniasis）的利什曼原虫传播媒介——长须罗蛉（Lutzomyia longipalpis），其分布遍及中美洲与南美洲。我们对与这类媒介昆虫病害传播功能密切相关的基因进行了分类与注释，涵盖化学感受、吸血行为、昼夜节律、免疫及解毒过程相关基因，以及可移动遗传元件（mobile genetic elements）。此外，我们还确定了这些基因组中的基因同源性（gene orthology），并观察到基因组内的微同线性（micro-synteny）现象。最后，我们分析了这两个物种在各自分布区域内的遗传多样性与种群结构。本研究获得的基因组数据，将为未来防控利什曼原虫虫媒传播的相关工作奠定重要基础。