Paper: The Fasciola hepatica genome

We report the sequencing of the draft genome for the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, which we find to be among the largest known pathogen genomes at 1.3 Gb. Substantial levels of polymorphism were found, highlighting the evolutionary potential for rapid adaptation to host availability changes or to drug or vaccine interventions. Large-scale gene transcriptional changes were found as the parasite migrated from the gut, across the peritoneum and through the liver to mature in the bile ducts. This analysis provides new insights into the evolution and adaptation of this important pathogen, which can be exploited for drug and vaccine development.

Read the full paper here:
http://www.genomebiology.com/2015/16/1/71