The first genome assembly of the amphibian nematode parasite (Aplectana chamaeleonis)

Abstract

Cosmocercoid nematodes are common parasites of the digestive tract of amphibians. Genomic resources are important for understanding the evolution of a species and the molecular mechanisms of parasite adaptation. So far, no genome resource of Cosmocercoid has been reported. In 2020, a massive Cosmocercoid infection was found in the small intestine of a toad, causing severe intestinal blockage. We morphologically identified this parasite as A. chamaeleonis. Here, we report the first A. chamaeleonis genome with a genome size of 1.04 Gb. The repeat content of this A. chamaeleonis genome is 72.45 %, and the total length is 751 Mb. This resource is fundamental for understanding the evolution of Cosmocercoid and provides the molecular basis for Cosmocercoid infection and control.