Culture-free genome-wide locus sequence typing (GLST) provides new perspectives on Trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity.

Analysis of genetic polymorphism is a powerful tool for epidemiological surveillance and research. Powerful inference from pathogen genetic variation, however, is often restrained by limited access to representative target DNA, especially in the study of obligate parasitic species for which ex vivo...

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Main Authors: Philipp Schwabl, Jalil Maiguashca Sánchez, Jaime A Costales, Sofía Ocaña-Mayorga, Maikell Segovia, Hernán J Carrasco, Carolina Hernández, Juan David Ramírez, Michael D Lewis, Mario J Grijalva, Martin S Llewellyn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2020-12-01
Series:PLoS Genetics
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1009170&type=printable
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author Philipp Schwabl
Jalil Maiguashca Sánchez
Jaime A Costales
Sofía Ocaña-Mayorga
Maikell Segovia
Hernán J Carrasco
Carolina Hernández
Juan David Ramírez
Michael D Lewis
Mario J Grijalva
Martin S Llewellyn
author_facet Philipp Schwabl
Jalil Maiguashca Sánchez
Jaime A Costales
Sofía Ocaña-Mayorga
Maikell Segovia
Hernán J Carrasco
Carolina Hernández
Juan David Ramírez
Michael D Lewis
Mario J Grijalva
Martin S Llewellyn
author_sort Philipp Schwabl
collection DOAJ
description Analysis of genetic polymorphism is a powerful tool for epidemiological surveillance and research. Powerful inference from pathogen genetic variation, however, is often restrained by limited access to representative target DNA, especially in the study of obligate parasitic species for which ex vivo culture is resource-intensive or bias-prone. Modern sequence capture methods enable pathogen genetic variation to be analyzed directly from host/vector material but are often too complex and expensive for resource-poor settings where infectious diseases prevail. This study proposes a simple, cost-effective 'genome-wide locus sequence typing' (GLST) tool based on massive parallel amplification of information hotspots throughout the target pathogen genome. The multiplexed polymerase chain reaction amplifies hundreds of different, user-defined genetic targets in a single reaction tube, and subsequent agarose gel-based clean-up and barcoding completes library preparation at under 4 USD per sample. Our study generates a flexible GLST primer panel design workflow for Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasitic agent of Chagas disease. We successfully apply our 203-target GLST panel to direct, culture-free metagenomic extracts from triatomine vectors containing a minimum of 3.69 pg/μl T. cruzi DNA and further elaborate on method performance by sequencing GLST libraries from T. cruzi reference clones representing discrete typing units (DTUs) TcI, TcIII, TcIV, TcV and TcVI. The 780 SNP sites we identify in the sample set repeatably distinguish parasites infecting sympatric vectors and detect correlations between genetic and geographic distances at regional (< 150 km) as well as continental scales. The markers also clearly separate TcI, TcIII, TcIV and TcV + TcVI and appear to distinguish multiclonal infections within TcI. We discuss the advantages, limitations and prospects of our method across a spectrum of epidemiological research.
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spelling doaj-art-8c626f90dac74c6c836e77ad28ead76e2025-08-20T03:44:46ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042020-12-011612e100917010.1371/journal.pgen.1009170Culture-free genome-wide locus sequence typing (GLST) provides new perspectives on Trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity.Philipp SchwablJalil Maiguashca SánchezJaime A CostalesSofía Ocaña-MayorgaMaikell SegoviaHernán J CarrascoCarolina HernándezJuan David RamírezMichael D LewisMario J GrijalvaMartin S LlewellynAnalysis of genetic polymorphism is a powerful tool for epidemiological surveillance and research. Powerful inference from pathogen genetic variation, however, is often restrained by limited access to representative target DNA, especially in the study of obligate parasitic species for which ex vivo culture is resource-intensive or bias-prone. Modern sequence capture methods enable pathogen genetic variation to be analyzed directly from host/vector material but are often too complex and expensive for resource-poor settings where infectious diseases prevail. This study proposes a simple, cost-effective 'genome-wide locus sequence typing' (GLST) tool based on massive parallel amplification of information hotspots throughout the target pathogen genome. The multiplexed polymerase chain reaction amplifies hundreds of different, user-defined genetic targets in a single reaction tube, and subsequent agarose gel-based clean-up and barcoding completes library preparation at under 4 USD per sample. Our study generates a flexible GLST primer panel design workflow for Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasitic agent of Chagas disease. We successfully apply our 203-target GLST panel to direct, culture-free metagenomic extracts from triatomine vectors containing a minimum of 3.69 pg/μl T. cruzi DNA and further elaborate on method performance by sequencing GLST libraries from T. cruzi reference clones representing discrete typing units (DTUs) TcI, TcIII, TcIV, TcV and TcVI. The 780 SNP sites we identify in the sample set repeatably distinguish parasites infecting sympatric vectors and detect correlations between genetic and geographic distances at regional (< 150 km) as well as continental scales. The markers also clearly separate TcI, TcIII, TcIV and TcV + TcVI and appear to distinguish multiclonal infections within TcI. We discuss the advantages, limitations and prospects of our method across a spectrum of epidemiological research.https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1009170&type=printable
spellingShingle Philipp Schwabl
Jalil Maiguashca Sánchez
Jaime A Costales
Sofía Ocaña-Mayorga
Maikell Segovia
Hernán J Carrasco
Carolina Hernández
Juan David Ramírez
Michael D Lewis
Mario J Grijalva
Martin S Llewellyn
Culture-free genome-wide locus sequence typing (GLST) provides new perspectives on Trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity.
PLoS Genetics
title Culture-free genome-wide locus sequence typing (GLST) provides new perspectives on Trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity.
title_full Culture-free genome-wide locus sequence typing (GLST) provides new perspectives on Trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity.
title_fullStr Culture-free genome-wide locus sequence typing (GLST) provides new perspectives on Trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity.
title_full_unstemmed Culture-free genome-wide locus sequence typing (GLST) provides new perspectives on Trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity.
title_short Culture-free genome-wide locus sequence typing (GLST) provides new perspectives on Trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity.
title_sort culture free genome wide locus sequence typing glst provides new perspectives on trypanosoma cruzi dispersal and infection complexity
url https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1009170&type=printable
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