Pentastomes, or tongue worms, are parasitic crustaceans that primarily infect the respiratory tracts of their hosts. These parasites commonly infect vertebrates, including reptiles, mammals, and amphibians, with snakes most often serving as their definitive hosts. The introduction of the non-native pentastome Raillietiella orientalis to South Florida has led to its rapid geographical expansion and invasion of naïve host species, causing population declines, increased morbidity, and disease in snake species. In contrast, native pentastomes in the southeastern United States, Porocephalus crotali and Kiricephalus coarctatus, typically cause milder infections compared to R. orientalis. Pentastomes, as a clade, remain enigmatic, with limited genomic resources available to support research. This study aims to sequence and annotate the nuclear genomes of three pentastome species—two native and one non-native. It is hypothesized that naïve hosts lack the immune response needed to combat R. orientalis infections. The resulting genomic resources will facilitate comparative genomic analyses between native and non-native parasites, particularly focusing on parasite surface-level antigens and host lung surfactants. Additionally, prior studies support that pentastomes are closely related to parasitic fish lice (Argulus americanus), which can be treated by therapeutics targeting the nervous system or chitin synthesis of the parasite. Comparing these same biological pathways in pentastomes could offer insights into developing treatments for affected wild snake populations.
Stephanie Villella
Advisor: Dr. Robert Fitak
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