Genetic differentiation of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni in hilly regions of China: Using the complete mitochondrial genome

Jing Song; Hongqiong Wang; Shizhu Li; Peijun Qian; Wenya Wang; Meifen Shen; Zongya Zhang; Jihua Zhou; Chunying Li; Zaogai Yang; Yuwan Hao; Chunhong Du; Yi Dong

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0012094

Genetic differentiation of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni in hilly regions of China: Using the complete mitochondrial genome

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Nov 26;18(11):e0012094. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012094. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jing Song^{1

2

3}, Hongqiong Wang^{1

2}, Shizhu Li⁴, Peijun Qian⁴, Wenya Wang⁴, Meifen Shen^{1

2}, Zongya Zhang^{1

2}, Jihua Zhou^{1

2}, Chunying Li⁵, Zaogai Yang⁵, Yuwan Hao⁵, Chunhong Du^{1

2}, Yi Dong^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Schistosomiasis Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, People's Republic of China.
² Yunnan Key Laboratory of Natural Focus Disease Control Technology, Dali, People's Republic of China.
³ Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Public Health and Biosafety, Kunming, People's Republic of China.
⁴ National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Parasitic Diseases at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
⁵ School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.

PMID: 39591469
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012094

Abstract

Objective: Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni is the only intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in hilly regions of south-west China, which plays a key role during the transmission of Schistosomiasis. This study aimed to sequence the complete mitochondrial genome of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni and analyze genetic differentiation of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni.

Methods: Samples were from 13 villages in Yunnan Province of China, with 30 Oncomelania hupensis snails per village, and the complete mitochondrial genome was sequenced. A comprehensive analysis of the genetic differentiation of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni was conducted by constructing phylogenetic trees, calculating genetic distances, and analyzing identity.

Results: A total of 26 complete mitochondrial sequences were determined. The length of genome ranged from 15,181 to 15,187 bp, and the base composition of the genome was A+T (67.5%) and G+C content (32.5%). This genome encoded 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes. The phylogenetic trees and identity analysis confirmed that Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni was subdivided into Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni Yunnan strain and Sichuan strain, with a genetic distance of 0.0834. Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni Yunnan strain was further subdivided into two sub-branches, corresponding to "Yunnan North" and "Yunnan South", with a genetic distance of 0.0216, and the samples exhibited over 97% identity.

Conclusion: Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni is subdivided into Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni Yunnan strain and Sichuan strain. Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni Yunnan strain exhibits a higher level of genetic identity and clear north-south differentiation. This work reported the first mitochondrial genome of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni Yunnan strain, which could be used as an important reference genome for Oncomelania hupensis, and also provide the important information for explaining the distribution pattern of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni and control of Schistosoma japonicum.

Copyright: © 2024 Song et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.