Genomic data reveal a north-south split and introgression history of blood fluke populations across Africa
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Date
2025-04-13
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nature Research
Abstract
The human parasitic fluke, Schistosoma haematobium hybridizes with the
livestock parasite S. bovis in the laboratory, but the frequency of hybridization
in nature is unclear. Here, we analyze 34.6 million single nucleotide variants in
162 samples from 18 African countries, revealing a sharp genetic discontinuity
between northern and southern S. haematobium. We find no evidence for
recent hybridization. Instead the data reveal admixture events that occurred
257–879 generations ago in northern S. haematobium populations. Fifteen
introgressed S. bovis genes are approaching fixation in northern S. haemato bium with four genes potentially driving adaptation. Further, we identify 19
regions that are resistant to introgression; these are enriched on the sex
chromosomes. These results (i) suggest strong barriers to gene flow between
these species, (ii) indicate that hybridization may be less common than cur rently envisaged, but (iii) reveal profound genomic consequences of rare
interspecific hybridization between schistosomes of medical and veterinary
importance.
Description
Keywords
Genomic data, blood fluke, Africa
Citation
Genome, blood fluke, Africa