Xiong Qing, Wan Angel Tsz-Yau, Liu Xiaoyu, Fung Cathy Sin-Hang, Xiao Xiaojun, Malainual Nat, Hou Jinpao, Wang Lingyi, Wang Mingqiang, Yang Kevin Yi, Cui Yubao, Leung Elaine Lai-Han, Nong Wenyan, Shin Soo-Kyung, Au Shannon Wing-Ngor, Jeong Kyoung Yong, Chew Fook-Tim, Hui Jerome Ho-Lam, Leung Ting-Fan, Tungtrongchitr Anchalee, Zhong Nanshan, Liu Zhigang, Tsui Stephen Kwok-Wing
School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Bioinformatics Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Mol Biol Evol. 2022 May 3;39(5). doi: 10.1093/molbev/msac097.
Highly diversified astigmatic mites comprise many medically important human household pests such as house dust mites causing ∼1-2% of all allergic diseases globally; however, their evolutionary origin and diverse lifestyles including reversible parasitism have not been illustrated at the genomic level, which hampers allergy prevention and our exploration of these household pests. Using six high-quality assembled and annotated genomes, this study not only refuted the monophyly of mites and ticks, but also thoroughly explored the divergence of Acariformes and the diversification of astigmatic mites. In monophyletic Acariformes, Prostigmata known as notorious plant pests first evolved, and then rapidly evolving Astigmata diverged from soil oribatid mites. Within astigmatic mites, a wide range of gene families rapidly expanded via tandem gene duplications, including ionotropic glutamate receptors, triacylglycerol lipases, serine proteases and UDP glucuronosyltransferases. Gene diversification after tandem duplications provides many genetic resources for adaptation to sensing environmental signals, digestion, and detoxification in rapidly changing household environments. Many gene decay events only occurred in the skin-burrowing parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Throughout the evolution of Acariformes, massive horizontal gene transfer events occurred in gene families such as UDP glucuronosyltransferases and several important fungal cell wall lytic enzymes, which enable detoxification and digestive functions and provide perfect drug targets for pest control. This comparative study sheds light on the divergent evolution and quick adaptation to human household environments of astigmatic mites and provides insights into the genetic adaptations and even control of human household pests.
高度多样化的疥螨包括许多对医学至关重要的人类家庭害虫，如屋尘螨，它在全球所有过敏性疾病中占比约1-2%；然而，它们的进化起源以及包括可逆寄生在内的多样生活方式在基因组层面尚未得到阐明，这阻碍了过敏预防以及我们对这些家庭害虫的探索。本研究利用六个高质量组装和注释的基因组，不仅驳斥了螨类和蜱类的单系性，还深入探究了真螨目的分化以及疥螨的多样化。在单系的真螨目中，以臭名昭著的植物害虫著称的前气门亚目首先进化，随后快速进化的粉螨亚目从土壤甲螨分化而来。在疥螨中，通过串联基因复制，众多基因家族迅速扩张，包括离子型谷氨酸受体、三酰甘油脂肪酶、丝氨酸蛋白酶和UDP葡糖醛酸基转移酶。串联复制后的基因多样化为适应在快速变化的家庭环境中感知环境信号、消化和解毒提供了许多遗传资源。许多基因衰退事件仅发生在掘皮寄生螨疥螨中。在整个真螨目的进化过程中，UDP葡糖醛酸基转移酶等基因家族以及几种重要的真菌细胞壁裂解酶发生了大量水平基因转移事件，这些事件实现了解毒和消化功能，并为害虫防治提供了理想的药物靶点。这项比较研究揭示了疥螨的趋异进化以及对人类家庭环境的快速适应，并为人类家庭害虫的遗传适应乃至控制提供了见解。
