The Genome and Transcriptome of the Zoonotic Hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum Reveal Infection-Specific Gene Families

Hookworms infect over 400 million people, stunting and impoverishing them. Sequencing
hookworm genomes, and finding which genes they express during infection, should help
devise new drugs or vaccines against hookworm. Unlike other hookworms, Ancylostoma
ceylanicum infects both humans and other mammals, providing a laboratory model for
hookworm disease. We determined an A. ceylanicum genome sequence of 313 Mb, with
transcriptomic data throughout infection showing expression of 30,738 genes. ~900 genes
were upregulated during early infection in vivo, including ASPRs, a cryptic subfamily of
Activation-associated Secreted Proteins (ASPs). Genes downregulated during early
infection included ion channels and G-protein coupled receptors; this downregulation was
observed in both parasitic and free-living nematodes. Later, at the onset of heavy bloodfeeding,
C-lectins were upregulated along with Secreted Clade V Proteins (SCVPs), a
previously undescribed protein family. These findings provide new drug and vaccine
targets, and should elucidate hookworm pathogenesis.