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Updated: May 2, 2026

Characterization of a Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain Derived from Oreochromis spp. Farms Using Whole-Genome Sequencing
Published on: December 23, 2022
The genome sequence of the gastric gland parasite, Cryptosporidium proliferans
Monika M Wiśniewska1,2, Lenka Tůmová1,3, Jeffrey D Silberman1
1Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
Cryptosporidium spp. infect humans and many other animals, with a clade of species that targets intestinal enterocytes and a clade that colonizes the gastric gland. Unlike intestinal species, gastric species are understudied and genomic sequences are currently available from C. muris and C. andersoni. These species cause mild, self-limiting infections, unlike C. proliferans, which induces severe and sometimes fatal disease. To investigate genomic differences underlying this pathology, we sequenced the C. proliferans genome using short- and long-read technology, producing the most complete gastric Cryptosporidium assembly. The genome is intron rich and encodes host invasion genes (e.g., thioredoxin, insulinase/M16-peptidase) near telomeric or subtelomeric regions, which are enriched with G-quadruplex motifs that likely drive protein diversification. Comparative analyses revealed strong synteny among gastric species but only partial synteny with intestinal species. Selective pressure analyses (dN/d S) showed marked differences between C. muris and C. proliferans, potentially explaining their contrasting disease outcomes.
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