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Wangchuk P, Yeshi K, Loukas A. Metabolomics and lipidomics studies of parasitic helminths: molecular diversity and identification levels achieved by using different characterisation tools. Metabolomics 2023; 19:63. [PMID: 37356029 PMCID: PMC10290966 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-023-02019-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Helminths are parasitic worms that infect millions of people worldwide and secrete a variety of excretory-secretory products (ESPs), including proteins, peptides, and small molecules. Despite this, there is currently no comprehensive review article on cataloging small molecules from helminths, particularly focusing on the different classes of metabolites (polar and lipid molecules) identified from the ESP and somatic tissue extracts of helminths that were studied in isolation from their hosts. OBJECTIVE This review aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the metabolomics and lipidomics studies of parasitic helminths using all available analytical platforms. METHOD To achieve this objective, we conducted a meta-analysis of the identification and characterization tools, metabolomics approaches, metabolomics standard initiative (MSI) levels, software, and databases commonly applied in helminth metabolomics studies published until November 2021. RESULT This review analyzed 29 studies reporting the metabolomic assessment of ESPs and somatic tissue extracts of 17 helminth species grown under ex vivo/in vitro culture conditions. Of these 29 studies, 19 achieved the highest level of metabolite identification (MSI level-1), while the remaining studies reported MSI level-2 identification. Only 155 small molecule metabolites, including polar and lipids, were identified using MSI level-1 characterization protocols from various helminth species. Despite the significant advances made possible by the 'omics' technology, standardized software and helminth-specific metabolomics databases remain significant challenges in this field. Overall, this review highlights the potential for future studies to better understand the diverse range of small molecules that helminths produce and leverage their unique metabolomic features to develop novel treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phurpa Wangchuk
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878 Australia
| | - Karma Yeshi
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878 Australia
| | - Alex Loukas
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878 Australia
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Mohamed AR, Chan CX, Ragan MA, Zhang J, Cooke I, Ball EE, Miller DJ. Comparative transcriptomic analyses of Chromera and Symbiodiniaceae. Environ Microbiol Rep 2020; 12:435-443. [PMID: 32452166 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building corals live in a mutualistic relationship with photosynthetic algae (family Symbiodiniaceae) that usually provide most of the energy required by the coral host. This relationship is sensitive to temperature stress; as little as a 1°C increase often leads to the collapse of the association. This sensitivity has led to an interest in the potential of more stress-tolerant algae to supplement or substitute for the normal Symbiodiniaceae mutualists. In this respect, the apicomplexan-like microalga Chromera is of particular interest due to its greater temperature tolerance. We generated a de novo transcriptome for a Chromera strain isolated from a GBR coral ('GBR Chromera') and compared with those of the reference strain of Chromera ('Sydney Chromera'), and to those of Symbiodiniaceae (Fugacium kawagutii, Cladocopium goreaui and Breviolum minutum), as well as the apicomplexan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. In contrast to the high sequence divergence amongst representatives of different genera within the family Symbiodiniaceae, the two Chromera strains featured low sequence divergence at orthologous genes, implying that they are likely to be conspecifics. Although KEGG categories provide few criteria by which true coral mutualists might be identified, they do supply a molecular rationalization that explains the ecological dominance of Cladocopium spp. amongst Indo-Pacific reef corals. The presence of HSP20 genes may contribute to the high thermal tolerance of Chromera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin R Mohamed
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, St Lucia, Brisbane, Qld, 4067, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, 13518, Egypt
| | - Cheong Xin Chan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Mark A Ragan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Jia Zhang
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - Ira Cooke
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - Eldon E Ball
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - David J Miller
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
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