Distribution analysis of the transposable element SM1-alpha in the genome of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni

• Grant number: 19/16992-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2019
• End date: September 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo de Marco
• Grantee: João Paulo Cassucci dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this project is to analyze the distribution of the transposable element Sm1-alpha and evaluate its impact in the evolution of the Schistosoma mansoni genome.Transposable elements (transposons) have the capacity to replicate in their hosts genome and it has been demonstrated that they exert considerable influence in the evolution of genes and genomes. . The Sm1-alpha elements are very numerous in S. mansonis genome, and must have contributed considerably to the genome structure of the parasite. Preliminary results show us that the transposable elements tend to be found in larger quantities at the extremities of their chromosomes. Moreover, analysis of the distances between neighboring elements suggests a multimeric configuration of some of these transposons. We intend to evaluate if transcription levels of gene influence the targeting of these elements, since regions with high expression tend to display open chromatin, which could favor insertion of those elements. We will also evaluate the number of copies of these elements in other species from the Schistosoma genera to evaluate if the high copy number observed in S. mansoni is due to a recent expansion.