Onchocerca ochengi genomic assembly. Onchocerca ochengi

Onchocerca ochengi is a filarial nematode parasite of cattle, and is native to West Africa, including Cameroon, where the specimens used for this genome project were isolated. As well as being a significant disease of native (Bos indicus) cattle, O. ochengi is very closely related to the human-parasitic Onchocerca volvulus. O. volvulus causes river blindness and skin disease throughout West Africa, and is the subject of intense efforts by several international agencies and teams aiming at disease eradication. The relationship between O. ochengi and O. volvulus, and concern over the possibility of cattle acting as a zoonotic reservoir make understanding of the parasite of some importance. Additionally, the genetic closeness to O. volvulus and the tractability of the bovine host makes the O. ochengi-cattle model a useful one in vaccine and drug development work. The genome sequence of O. ochengi will assist in these efforts by offering a reference platform against which responses to drugs and the immune stystem can be measured, and a complete catalogue of the genes (and thus proteins) of the parasite. This catalogue can be screened and investigated using computer tools, enhancing the specificity of directed research, and ensuring that the whole of the parasites' capacities are considered. The sequence will also be used tio investigate the origins of the human-parasitic O. volvulus.

奥氏盘尾丝虫（Onchocerca ochengi）是一种寄生于牛的丝虫线虫，原生分布于西非地区，本次基因组项目所用的标本即分离自喀麦隆。该寄生虫不仅会对本土印度瘤牛（Bos indicus）造成严重病害，同时与寄生于人类的盘尾丝虫（Onchocerca volvulus）亲缘关系极近。盘尾丝虫可引发西非地区广泛流行的河盲症与皮肤病，目前已有多个国际机构及团队正全力推进该疾病的根除工作。奥氏盘尾丝虫与盘尾丝虫的亲缘关系，以及人们对牛可能充当人兽共患病宿主库的担忧，使得针对该寄生虫的研究具备了重要意义。此外，奥氏盘尾丝虫与盘尾丝虫的遗传同源性，以及牛宿主的可实验操控性，使得奥氏盘尾丝虫-牛模型成为疫苗与药物研发领域的实用研究模型。奥氏盘尾丝虫的基因组序列将为上述研发工作提供助力：一方面可作为参照平台，用于评估寄生虫对药物的响应及宿主的免疫反应；另一方面可提供该寄生虫完整的基因（及对应编码蛋白质）目录。借助计算机工具可对该基因目录进行筛选与研究，这能够提升定向研究的特异性，并确保全面考量该寄生虫的全部功能特性。该基因组序列还可用于探究人寄生性盘尾丝虫的起源。