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Abstract:
UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGT), catalysing conjugation of UDP-activated sugar donors to small lipophilic chemicals, are widespread in living organisms from bacteria to fungi, plant, or animals. The progress of genome
sequencing has enabled an assessment of the UGT multigene family in Haemonchus contortus (family
Trichostrongylidae, Nematoda), a hematophagous gastrointestinal parasite of small ruminants. Here we report 32
putative UGT genes divided into 15 UGT families. Phylogenetic analysis in comparison with UGTs from
Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living model nematode, revealed several single member homologues, a lack of the
dramatic gene expansion seen in C. elegans, but also several families (UGT365, UGT366, UGT368) expanded in
H. contortus only. The assessment of constitutive UGT mRNA expression in H. contortus adults identified significant
differences between females and males. In addition, we compared the expression of selected UGTs in the drugsensitive
ISE strain to two benzimidazole-resistant strains, IRE and WR, with different genetic backgrounds.
Constitutive expression of UGT368B2 was significantly higher in both resistant strains than in the sensitive strain.
As resistant strains were able to deactivate benzimidazole anthelmintics via glycosylation more effectively then the
sensitive strain, UGT368B2 enhanced constitutive expression might contribute to drug resistance in H. contortus.
