Finding parasite resistance genes in snails

Finding parasite resistance genes in snails
Jacob Tennessen
jacob.tennessen@gmail.com
Twitter: @JacobPhD
schistosome life cycle
Tennessen et al. (2015)
PLoS Genetics 11:e1005067
Step 1. Find a marker
•selection for resistance in lab
•same RAD marker among
>6000 responds repeatedly
•tied to resistance
Step 2. Find the genes
homozygous genotypes
RNA-Seq
Jellyfish and HOLDRS find differential 31-mers
assemble with ABYSS
27 transcripts, 15 coding genes, 3 scaffolds
https://github.com/jacobtennessen/HOLDRS
Step 3. Characterize the genes
7 encode transmembrane proteins
high nonsynonymous divergence
balancing selection
Co-authors:
André Théron
Melanie Marine
Jan-Ying Yeh
Anne Rognon
Mike Blouin
Thanks to:
Future insights:
host-parasite co-evolution
vector-based disease control
Chris Bayne
Laura McMahon
Joel Johnstun
Kaitlin Bonner
Haley Hutcheson
Stephanie Bollmann
Guillaume Mitta
Benjamin Gourbal
Brian Lazzaro
Coen Adema
Pat Minx
OSU CGRB
Funding: NIH