Horizontal gene transfer provides insights into the deep evolutionary history and biology of Trichinella

Evolution involves temporal changes in the characteristics of a species that are subsequently propagated or rejected through natural selection. In the case of parasites, host switching also plays a prominent role in the evolutionary process. These changes are rooted in genetic variation and gene flow where genes may be deleted, mutated (sequence), duplicated, rearranged and/or translocated and then transmitted through vertical gene transfer. However, the introduction of new genes is not driven only by Mendelian inheritance and mutation but also by the introduction of DNA from outside a lineage in the form of horizontal gene transfer between donor and recipient organisms. Once introduced and integrated into the biology of the recipient, vertical inheritance then perpetuates the newly acquired genetic factor, where further functionality may involve co-option of what has become a pre-existing physiological capacity. Upon sequencing the Trichinella spiralis (Clade I) genome, a cyanate hydratase (cyanase) gene was identified that is common among bacteria, fungi, and plants, but rarely observed among other eukaryotes. The sequence of the Trichinella cyanase gene clusters with those derived from the Kingdom Plantae in contrast to the genes found in some Clade III and IV nematodes that cluster with cyanases of bacterial origin. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the Trichinella cyanase was acquired during the Devonian period and independently from those of other nematodes. These data may help inform us of the deep evolutionary history and ecological connectivity of early ancestors within the lineage of contemporary Trichinella. Further, in many extant organisms, cyanate detoxification has been largely superseded by energy requirements for metabolism. Thus, deciphering the function of Trichinella cyanase may provide new avenues for treatment and control.