A gene expression atlas of adult Schistosoma mansoni and their gonads

RNA-Seq has proven excellence in providing information about the regulation and transcript levels of genes. We used this method for profiling genes in the flatworm Schistosoma mansoni. This parasite causes schistosomiasis, an infectious disease of global importance for human and animals. The pathology of schistosomiasis is associated with the eggs, which are synthesized as a final consequence of male and female adults pairing. The male induces processes in the female that lead to the full development of its gonads as a prerequisite for egg production. Unpaired females remain sexually immature. Based on an organ-isolation method we obtained gonad tissue for RNA extraction from paired and unpaired schistosomes, with whole adults included as controls. From a total of 23 samples, we used high-throughput cDNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) on the Illumina platform to profile gene expression between genders and tissues, with and without pairing influence. The data obtained provide a wealth of information on the reproduction biology of schistosomes and a rich resource for exploitation through basic and applied research activities.