Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Transient Transduction of the Strobilated Forms of Echinococcus granulosus
Published on: September 16, 2022
Comparative genomics reveals adaptive evolution of Asian tapeworm in switching to a new intermediate host
Shuai Wang1, Sen Wang2,3, Yingfeng Luo2
1State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730046, China.
Abstract:
Taenia saginata, Taenia solium and Taenia asiatica (beef, pork and Asian tapeworms, respectively) are parasitic flatworms of major public health and food safety importance. Among them, T. asiatica is a newly recognized species that split from T. saginata via an intermediate host switch ∼1.14 Myr ago. Here we report the 169- and 168-Mb draft genomes of T. saginata and T. asiatica. Comparative analysis reveals that high rates of gene duplications and functional diversifications might have partially driven the divergence between T. asiatica and T. saginata. We observe accelerated evolutionary rates, adaptive evolutions in homeostasis regulation, tegument maintenance and lipid uptakes, and differential/specialized gene family expansions in T. asiatica that may favour its hepatotropism in the new intermediate host. We also identify potential targets for developing diagnostic or intervention tools against human tapeworms. These data provide new insights into the evolution of Taenia parasites, particularly the recent speciation of T. asiatica.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Transduction
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Convergent Evolution
Diversity of Protists I

