Major SCP/TAPS protein expansion in Lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architecture
Abstract Background Larvae of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, parasitise sheep by feeding on skin excretions, dermal tissue and blood, causing severe damage known as flystrike or myiasis. Recent advances in -omic technologies and bioinformatic data analyses have led to a greater under...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2020-11-01
|
| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04476-6 |
| _version_ | 1819107541305524224 |
|---|---|
| author | Yair D. J. Prawer Andreas J. Stroehlein Neil D. Young Shilpa Kapoor Ross S. Hall Razi Ghazali Phillip Batterham Robin B. Gasser Trent Perry Clare A. Anstead |
| author_facet | Yair D. J. Prawer Andreas J. Stroehlein Neil D. Young Shilpa Kapoor Ross S. Hall Razi Ghazali Phillip Batterham Robin B. Gasser Trent Perry Clare A. Anstead |
| author_sort | Yair D. J. Prawer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Larvae of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, parasitise sheep by feeding on skin excretions, dermal tissue and blood, causing severe damage known as flystrike or myiasis. Recent advances in -omic technologies and bioinformatic data analyses have led to a greater understanding of blowfly biology and should allow the identification of protein families involved in host-parasite interactions and disease. Current literature suggests that proteins of the SCP (Sperm-Coating Protein)/TAPS (Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7) (SCP/TAPS) superfamily play key roles in immune modulation, cross-talk between parasite and host as well as developmental and reproductive processes in parasites. Methods Here, we employed a bioinformatics workflow to curate the SCP/TAPS protein gene family in L. cuprina. Protein sequence, the presence and number of conserved CAP-domains and phylogeny were used to group identified SCP/TAPS proteins; these were compared to those found in Drosophila melanogaster to make functional predictions. In addition, transcription levels of SCP/TAPS protein-encoding genes were explored in different developmental stages. Results A total of 27 genes were identified as belonging to the SCP/TAPS gene family: encoding 26 single-domain proteins each with a single CAP domain and a solitary double-domain protein containing two conserved cysteine-rich secretory protein/antigen 5/pathogenesis related-1 (CAP) domains. Surprisingly, 16 SCP/TAPS predicted proteins formed an extended tandem array spanning a 53 kb region of one genomic region, which was confirmed by MinION long-read sequencing. RNA-seq data indicated that these 16 genes are highly transcribed in all developmental stages (excluding the embryo). Conclusions Future work should assess the potential of selected SCP/TAPS proteins as novel targets for the control of L. cuprina and related parasitic flies of major socioeconomic importance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T02:55:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b4f6a64322ad4b51bce7fdb9678877f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T02:55:40Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-b4f6a64322ad4b51bce7fdb9678877f62022-12-21T18:41:17ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052020-11-0113111110.1186/s13071-020-04476-6Major SCP/TAPS protein expansion in Lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architectureYair D. J. Prawer0Andreas J. Stroehlein1Neil D. Young2Shilpa Kapoor3Ross S. Hall4Razi Ghazali5Phillip Batterham6Robin B. Gasser7Trent Perry8Clare A. Anstead9Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of MelbourneDepartment of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of MelbourneDepartment of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of MelbourneBio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of MelbourneDepartment of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of MelbourneBio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of MelbourneBio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of MelbourneDepartment of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of MelbourneBio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of MelbourneDepartment of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of MelbourneAbstract Background Larvae of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, parasitise sheep by feeding on skin excretions, dermal tissue and blood, causing severe damage known as flystrike or myiasis. Recent advances in -omic technologies and bioinformatic data analyses have led to a greater understanding of blowfly biology and should allow the identification of protein families involved in host-parasite interactions and disease. Current literature suggests that proteins of the SCP (Sperm-Coating Protein)/TAPS (Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7) (SCP/TAPS) superfamily play key roles in immune modulation, cross-talk between parasite and host as well as developmental and reproductive processes in parasites. Methods Here, we employed a bioinformatics workflow to curate the SCP/TAPS protein gene family in L. cuprina. Protein sequence, the presence and number of conserved CAP-domains and phylogeny were used to group identified SCP/TAPS proteins; these were compared to those found in Drosophila melanogaster to make functional predictions. In addition, transcription levels of SCP/TAPS protein-encoding genes were explored in different developmental stages. Results A total of 27 genes were identified as belonging to the SCP/TAPS gene family: encoding 26 single-domain proteins each with a single CAP domain and a solitary double-domain protein containing two conserved cysteine-rich secretory protein/antigen 5/pathogenesis related-1 (CAP) domains. Surprisingly, 16 SCP/TAPS predicted proteins formed an extended tandem array spanning a 53 kb region of one genomic region, which was confirmed by MinION long-read sequencing. RNA-seq data indicated that these 16 genes are highly transcribed in all developmental stages (excluding the embryo). Conclusions Future work should assess the potential of selected SCP/TAPS proteins as novel targets for the control of L. cuprina and related parasitic flies of major socioeconomic importance.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04476-6Lucilia cuprinaSCP/TAPS proteinCAP superfamilyHost-parasite interactionsFly biology |
| spellingShingle | Yair D. J. Prawer Andreas J. Stroehlein Neil D. Young Shilpa Kapoor Ross S. Hall Razi Ghazali Phillip Batterham Robin B. Gasser Trent Perry Clare A. Anstead Major SCP/TAPS protein expansion in Lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architecture Parasites & Vectors Lucilia cuprina SCP/TAPS protein CAP superfamily Host-parasite interactions Fly biology |
| title | Major SCP/TAPS protein expansion in Lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architecture |
| title_full | Major SCP/TAPS protein expansion in Lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architecture |
| title_fullStr | Major SCP/TAPS protein expansion in Lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architecture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Major SCP/TAPS protein expansion in Lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architecture |
| title_short | Major SCP/TAPS protein expansion in Lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architecture |
| title_sort | major scp taps protein expansion in lucilia cuprina is associated with novel tandem array organisation and domain architecture |
| topic | Lucilia cuprina SCP/TAPS protein CAP superfamily Host-parasite interactions Fly biology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04476-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yairdjprawer majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT andreasjstroehlein majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT neildyoung majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT shilpakapoor majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT rossshall majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT razighazali majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT phillipbatterham majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT robinbgasser majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT trentperry majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture AT clareaanstead majorscptapsproteinexpansioninluciliacuprinaisassociatedwithnoveltandemarrayorganisationanddomainarchitecture |