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Omics of parasites

Guest Editors:
Anzhelika Butenko: Czech Academy of Sciences, University of Ostrava & University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
Vyacheslav Yurchenko: University of Ostrava, Czech Republic


BMC Genomics and BMC Genomic Data welcomed submissions to our Collection on "Omics of parasites". Parasites, ranging from bacteria to multicellular eukaryotes, exhibit sophisticated life cycles and develop complex interactions with their hosts. The development and application of high-throughput omics techniques enabling simultaneous analysis of virtually all genes, transcripts, and proteins has greatly facilitated research in parasite biology. At the dawn of the sequencing era, the sequencing of parasites’ genomes led to the identification of numerous novel virulence factors and potential drug targets. Nowadays, multi-omics approaches are becoming instrumental for pinpointing molecules and pathways involved in parasite development and its complex network of interactions with the host.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Anzhelika Butenko: Czech Academy of Sciences, University of Ostrava & University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Dr. Anzhelika Butenko is a research scientist in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Protists in the Institute of Parasitology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Her research interests are in the field of evolutionary biology of unicellular eukaryotes with the focus on the phylum Euglenozoa, which incorporates diverse free-living representatives and human pathogens of the genera Leishmania and Trypanosoma. Dr. Butenko has vast experience in bioinformatics and genome analysis.

Vyacheslav Yurchenko: University of Ostrava, Czech Republic

Dr. Yurchenko is a molecular parasitologist, with a strong focus on trypanosomatid research. His main scientific interests are molecular factors of Leishmania virulence, diversity, evolution, and omics of kinetoplastids, and RNA viruses of trypanosomatids. In addition, Dr. Yurchenko investigates host-parasite interactions on several levels (how do trypanosomatids affect their hosts, and how, in turn, they are affected by their bacterial and viral endobionts). He considers these topics to be of ultimate importance because they are shedding light on various aspects of trypanosomatid biology and may lead to development of the efficient treatments for the diseases these parasites cause.

About the collection

Parasites, ranging from bacteria to multicellular eukaryotes, exhibit sophisticated life cycles and develop complex interactions with their hosts. The development and application of high-throughput omics techniques enabling simultaneous analysis of virtually all genes, transcripts, and proteins has greatly facilitated research in parasite biology. At the dawn of the sequencing era, the sequencing of parasites’ genomes led to the identification of numerous novel virulence factors and potential drug targets. Nowadays, multi-omics approaches are becoming instrumental for pinpointing molecules and pathways involved in parasite development and its complex network of interactions with the host.

For this BMC Genomics and BMC Genomic Data Collection, we welcome submissions generating or analyzing omics data (including, but not limited to, genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data) or combining them to shed light on parasites’ biology and the molecular basis of host-parasite interactions. The scope of this Collection is wide and submissions on any kind of parasites are welcome. Research Articles will be considered by both journals and we would like to encourage the submissions of Data Notes to BMC Genomic Data.

Image credit: PRB ARTS / stock.adobe.com

  1. Trombiculid mites are globally distributed, highly diverse arachnids that largely lack molecular resources such as whole mitogenomes for the elucidation of taxonomic relationships. Trombiculid larvae (chiggers...

    Authors: Hadil A. Alkathiry, Samia Q. Alghamdi, Amit Sinha, Gabriele Margos, Alexandr A. Stekolnikov, Abdulaziz N. Alagaili, Alistair C. Darby, Benjamin L. Makepeace and Jing Jing Khoo
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:380
  2. Parasitic nematodes, significant pathogens for humans, animals, and plants, depend on diverse organ systems for intra-host survival. Understanding the cellular diversity and molecular variations underlying the...

    Authors: Rahul Tyagi, Bruce A Rosa, Amanda Swain, Maxim N Artyomov, Douglas P Jasmer and Makedonka Mitreva
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:341
  3. The Argentine stem weevil (ASW, Listronotus bonariensis) is a significant pasture pest in Aotearoa New Zealand, primarily controlled by the parasitoid biocontrol agent Microctonus hyperodae. Despite providing eff...

    Authors: Sarah N. Inwood, Thomas W. R. Harrop, Morgan W. Shields, Stephen L. Goldson and Peter K. Dearden
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:311
  4. Cyclospora cayetanensis is a protozoan parasite that causes intestinal illness in humans worldwide. Despite its global distribution, most genomic data for C. cayetanensis has been obtained from isolates collected...

    Authors: Monica Santin, Aleksey Molokin, Guadalupe E. Orozco-Mosqueda, Sonia Almeria and Jenny Maloney
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:246
  5. The genomic region that lies between the telomere and chromosome body, termed the subtelomere, is heterochromatic, repeat-rich, and frequently undergoes rearrangement. Within this region, large-scale structura...

    Authors: T Brann, A Beltramini, C Chaparro, M Berriman, SR Doyle and AV Protasio
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:217
  6. Control and elimination of schistosomiasis is an arduous task, with current strategies proving inadequate to break transmission. Exploration of genetic approaches to interrupt Schistosoma mansoni transmission, th...

    Authors: Tom Pennance, Javier Calvelo, Jacob A. Tennessen, Ryan Burd, Jared Cayton, Stephanie R. Bollmann, Michael S. Blouin, Johannie M. Spaan, Federico G. Hoffmann, George Ogara, Fredrick Rawago, Kennedy Andiego, Boaz Mulonga, Meredith Odhiambo, Eric S. Loker, Martina R. Laidemitt…
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:192
  7. Haemonchus contortus (H. contortus) is the most common parasitic nematode in ruminants and is prevalent worldwide. H. contortus resistance to albendazole (ABZ) hinders the efficacy of anthelmintic drugs, but litt...

    Authors: Xindi Chen, Tengyu Wang, Wenrui Guo, Xu Yan, Huilin Kou, Yu Yu, Chunxia Liu, Wa Gao, Wenlong Wang and Rui Wang
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:188
  8. Almost all extant organisms use the same, so-called canonical, genetic code with departures from it being very rare. Even more exceptional are the instances when a eukaryote with non-canonical code can be easi...

    Authors: Fred R. Opperdoes, Kristína Záhonová, Ingrid Škodová-Sveráková, Barbora Bučková, Ľubomíra Chmelová, Julius Lukeš and Vyacheslav Yurchenko
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:184
  9. Wohlfahrtia magnifica is an obligatory parasite that causes myiasis in several warm-blooded vertebrates. Adult females deposit the first-stage larvae directly onto wounds or natural body orifices (e.g., genitalia...

    Authors: Zhipeng Jia, Surong Hasi, Deng Zhan, Claus Vogl and Pamela A. Burger
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2024 25:111
  10. Root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola has emerged as a major threat in rice agroecosystems owing to climate change-induced changes in cultivation practices. Synthetic nematicides are continually being withdr...

    Authors: Tushar K. Dutta, Voodikala S. Akhil, Manoranjan Dash, Artha Kundu, Victor Phani and Anil Sirohi
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2023 24:745
  11. Xanthomonas translucens pv. graminis (Xtg) is a major bacterial pathogen of economically important forage grasses, causing severe yield losses. So far, genomic resources for this pathovar consisted mostly of draf...

    Authors: Florian Goettelmann, Ralf Koebnik, Veronica Roman-Reyna, Bruno Studer and Roland Kölliker
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2023 24:741
  12. Corynebacterium diphtheriae complex was formed by the species C. diphtheriae, Corynebacterium ulcerans and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in the recent past. In addition to C. diphtheriae, C. ulcerans and C. ...

    Authors: Juliana Nunes Ramos, Max Roberto Batista Araújo, Paulo Victor Pereira Baio, Lincoln Oliveira Sant’Anna, João Flávio Carneiro Veras, Érica Miranda Damásio Vieira, Mireille Ângela Bernardes Sousa, Carlos Henrique Camargo, Cláudio Tavares Sacchi, Karoline Rodrigues Campos, Marlon Benedito Nascimento Santos, Sérgio Bokermann, Luige Biciati Alvim, Louisy Sanches dos Santos, Ana Luiza de Mattos-Guaraldi and Verônica Viana Vieira
    Citation: BMC Genomic Data 2023 24:65
  13. Wolbachia is a genus of maternally inherited endosymbionts that can affect reproduction of their hosts and influence metabolic processes. The pollinator, Valisia javana, is common in the male syconium of the dioe...

    Authors: Wanzhen Liu, Xue Xia, Ary A. Hoffmann, Yamei Ding, Ji-Chao Fang and Hui Yu
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2023 24:657
  14. Anaerobic parasitic ciliates are a specialized group of ciliates that are adapted to anoxic and oxygen-depleted habitats. Among them, Balantidium polyvacuolum, which inhabits the hindgut of Xenocyprinae fishes, h...

    Authors: Xia-lian Bu, Wei-shan Zhao, Zhong-yang Li, Hong-wei Ma, Yu-shun Chen, Wen-xiang Li, Hong Zou, Ming Li and Gui-tang Wang
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2023 24:624
  15. Plasmodium vivax is the second most important cause of human malaria worldwide, and accounts for the majority of malaria cases in South America. A high-quality reference genome exists for Papua Indonesia (PvP01) ...

    Authors: Katlijn De Meulenaere, Bart Cuypers, Dionicia Gamboa, Kris Laukens and Anna Rosanas-Urgell
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2023 24:606
  16. Protists of the family Trypanosomatidae (phylum Euglenozoa) have gained notoriety as parasites affecting humans, domestic animals, and agricultural plants. However, the true extent of the group's diversity spr...

    Authors: Amanda T. S. Albanaz, Mark Carrington, Alexander O. Frolov, Anna I. Ganyukova, Evgeny S. Gerasimov, Alexei Y. Kostygov, Julius Lukeš, Marina N. Malysheva, Jan Votýpka, Alexandra Zakharova, Kristína Záhonová, Sara L. Zimmer, Vyacheslav Yurchenko and Anzhelika Butenko
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2023 24:471
  17. Biocontrol is a key technology for the control of pest species. Microctonus parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) have been released in Aotearoa New Zealand as biocontrol agents, targeting three different pe...

    Authors: Sarah N. Inwood, John Skelly, Joseph G. Guhlin, Thomas W.R. Harrop, Stephen L. Goldson and Peter K. Dearden
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2023 24:440
  18. Monogenea (Platyhelminthes, Neodermata) are the most species-rich class within the Neodermata superclass of primarily fish parasites. Despite their economic and ecological importance, monogenean research tends...

    Authors: Jiří Vorel, Nikol Kmentová, Christoph Hahn, Petr Bureš and Martin Kašný
    Citation: BMC Genomics 2023 24:363

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of Research Articles, Data Notes, Database Articles and Software Articles. Before submitting your manuscript, please ensure you have read the submission guidelines of the journal you are submitting to (BMC Genomics and BMC Genomic Data). Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp (BMC Genomics and BMC Genomic Data). During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Omics of Parasites" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the standard peer-review process of the journal they are considered in (BMC Genomics and BMC Genomic Data) and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.