Ostertagia ostertagi Genome Sequencing

The Genome Institute and collaborators are sequencing the bovine stomach worm, Ostertagia ostertagi. This is the most economically important parasite of cattle throughout temperate regions of the world. Globally, these small reddish brown worms are the major cause of parasitic gastritis (Ostertagiosis) of ruminants. The worms embed themselves in the lining of the cow's fourth stomach causing decreased acid production, loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss and even death. O.ostertagi infections can prompt protective immunity to ostertagiosis, making the species a good candidate for vaccine development. Having a whole genome sequence for the species could also help with the development of novel methods to control these parasites in livestock, including defining the mechanisms underlying drug susceptibility and resistance with the possibility of extending the useful life of existing drugs and improving diagnostics in this area, as well as providing the means to study the host-parasite interaction in whole animals.

基因组研究所及其合作团队正在对牛胃线虫——奥斯特他线虫（Ostertagia ostertagi）开展全基因组测序工作。该线虫是全球温带地区对牛经济危害最为严重的寄生虫。在全球范围内，这种小型红棕色线虫是反刍动物寄生性胃炎（奥斯特他病，Ostertagiosis）的主要致病原。该线虫会寄生于牛的第四皱胃黏膜层，引发胃酸分泌减少、食欲减退、腹泻、体重下降甚至死亡。奥斯特他线虫感染可诱导宿主产生针对奥斯特他病的保护性免疫，因此该物种是疫苗研发的理想候选对象。获取该物种的全基因组序列，还有助于开发新型家畜寄生虫防控手段：包括阐明药物敏感性与耐药性的潜在机制，从而有望延长现有驱虫药物的使用寿命、优化该领域的诊断技术，同时也为在完整活体动物中研究宿主-寄生虫互作（host-parasite interaction）关系提供了研究方法。