ICOB: Molecular and morphological characterization of polar capsules in the parasitic Myxozoa

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Myxozoans are a highly diverse yet understudied group of parasites. They are microscopic animals that consist of just a few cells yet have a complex life cycle that typically alternates between infecting an annelid and a fish. Myxozoans are known to cause damage to fish aquaculture, which can have severe economical consequences, yet little is known about the mechanisms underlying their ability to infect their hosts. Recent studies using DNA sequence data have provided evidence that myxozoans are related to cnidarians (jellyfish, corals and sea anemones). Although superficially, these microscopic parasites do not bear any resemblance to cnidarians, they have a similar complex intracellular structure. In myxozoans this structure is called a polar capsule and is used to attach to its host for infection. The polar capsule bears a striking resemblance to the cnidarian stinging structure called a nematocyst. This project will generate whole genome and transcriptome data from several myxozoan species using next generation sequencing technologies. This data will be deposited into the NCBI sequence read archive http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra. The research will integrate newly generated genomic and ultrastructural data from myxozoan polar capsules with existing data on cnidarian nematocysts, in order to shed light on long standing questions regarding the origin and function of myxozoan polar capsules. This will be accomplished by providing a comparative framework with which to study polar capsules in the context of what is known of nematocyst structure and function. This project's collaboration combines expertise in myxozoan biology, cnidarian systematics, development, and genomics. It marks the beginning of a productive and long-term international collaboration in myxozoan research between the Israeli and US research teams. This project will train two students and a postdoctoral researcher in myxozoan biology. The US trainees will spend time with the Israeli lab and the Israeli student will train in the US lab.