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<p>The genus <i>Angiostrongylus</i> includes parasitic nematodes infecting diverse mammalian hosts and characterized by complex life cycles involving gastropod intermediate hosts. Among them, <i>A. costaricensis, A. cantonensis,</i> and <i>A. vasorum</i> cause severe inflammatory diseases affecting mesenteric, cerebral, and cardiopulmonary systems. Notably, <i>A. costaricensis</i> is the etiological agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis, a condition lacking effective antiparasitic treatment. To better understand host specificity, pathogenicity, and identify potential therapeutic targets, we performed a comparative pan-genomic analysis integrating genomic and transcriptomic data from these three species. A total of 51,955 genes from four genomes were analyzed, with 89.4% assigned to 11,331 orthogroups and ~51.5% comprising the core genome shared across species. This conserved fraction likely reflects similarities in life cycle and pathogenic mechanisms, while accessory and species-specific genes suggest adaptive divergence. In <i>A. costaricensis</i>, 226 preliminary species-specific genes were identified, of which 179 were supported by transcriptomic data. However, most of these encode uncharacterized proteins, highlighting important annotation gaps. Functional and interactome analyses with species-specific genes identified candidate proteins related to enzymatic activity, cytoskeletal structure, and other domains. Drug–target analysis revealed 11 proteins with potential interactions with known compounds, including actin-related proteins predicted to interact with agents such as artenimol and copper. Additional targets included apoptotic protease-activating factor 1, receptor of activated protein C kinase 1, and an uncharacterized species-specific protein (ACOC_0000228101) with no orthologs in other <i>Angiostrongylus</i>. Despite limitations in available data and annotations, this study provides new insights into <i>Angiostrongylus</i> genomics and identifies candidate targets for drug development against abdominal angiostrongyliasis.</p>

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Pangenome Analysis of Angiostrongylus spp. of Veterinary and Clinical Importance and Exploratory Remarks on Potential New Drugs in Angiostrongylus costaricensis

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月13日

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  • José Arturo Molina-Mora,
  • Javier Mora,
  • Alicia Rojas

摘要

The genus Angiostrongylus includes parasitic nematodes infecting diverse mammalian hosts and characterized by complex life cycles involving gastropod intermediate hosts. Among them, A. costaricensis, A. cantonensis, and A. vasorum cause severe inflammatory diseases affecting mesenteric, cerebral, and cardiopulmonary systems. Notably, A. costaricensis is the etiological agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis, a condition lacking effective antiparasitic treatment. To better understand host specificity, pathogenicity, and identify potential therapeutic targets, we performed a comparative pan-genomic analysis integrating genomic and transcriptomic data from these three species. A total of 51,955 genes from four genomes were analyzed, with 89.4% assigned to 11,331 orthogroups and ~51.5% comprising the core genome shared across species. This conserved fraction likely reflects similarities in life cycle and pathogenic mechanisms, while accessory and species-specific genes suggest adaptive divergence. In A. costaricensis, 226 preliminary species-specific genes were identified, of which 179 were supported by transcriptomic data. However, most of these encode uncharacterized proteins, highlighting important annotation gaps. Functional and interactome analyses with species-specific genes identified candidate proteins related to enzymatic activity, cytoskeletal structure, and other domains. Drug–target analysis revealed 11 proteins with potential interactions with known compounds, including actin-related proteins predicted to interact with agents such as artenimol and copper. Additional targets included apoptotic protease-activating factor 1, receptor of activated protein C kinase 1, and an uncharacterized species-specific protein (ACOC_0000228101) with no orthologs in other Angiostrongylus. Despite limitations in available data and annotations, this study provides new insights into Angiostrongylus genomics and identifies candidate targets for drug development against abdominal angiostrongyliasis.