What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to characterize the full-length transcriptome of Eucoleus annulatus and to analyze gene expression differences across its body sections.

April 8, 2026Open Access

Characterization of the full-length transcriptome of female Eucoleus annulatus and comparative transcriptomic analysis of its head, middle, and tail body sections

Puntos clave

This study aims to characterize the full-length transcriptome of Eucoleus annulatus and to analyze gene expression differences across its body sections.
Generated a full-length transcriptome using PacBio Iso-Seq.
Analyzed body section-specific gene expression using Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq).
Identified differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) in the head, middle, and tail sections.
Performed functional annotation through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses.
Generated 21,951 full-length transcript isoforms; 6,921 were annotated.
Detected 1,570, 1,533, and 1,600 DETs enriched in head, middle, and tail sections, respectively.
Head section DETs were enriched in amino acid metabolism and RNA processing; middle section DETs in glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation; tail section in protein degradation and stress adaptation.

Resumen

Abstract Background Eucoleus annulatus is a parasitic nematode that inhabits the upper digestive tract of avian hosts, posing significant threats to avian health and poultry production. However, the gene information and gene expression characteristics underlying its physiological specialization and parasitic adaptation remain poorly understood. Methods In this study, we applied an integrated transcriptomic approach to generate a high-quality full-length transcriptome of E. annulatus using PacBio Iso-Seq and to characterize body section-specific gene expression patterns using Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) among its head, middle, and tail sections were identified, and their functional annotations were assessed through Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Results PacBio Iso-Seq generated 21,951 high-confidence, non-redundant full-length transcript isoforms, among which 6921 were annotated in the Nr, Pfam, COG, KEGG, and GO databases. Comparative RNA-Seq analysis revealed pronounced section-specific transcriptional divergence, with 1570, 1533, and 1600 DETs enriched in the head, middle, and tail sections, respectively. DETs in the head were significantly enriched in pathways related to amino acid metabolism, RNA processing, and ion transport, while the DETs in the middle body section were primarily associated with glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and transcriptional regulation, indicating elevated metabolic and transcriptional activity. DETs in the tail were significantly enriched in processes related to protein degradation, structural maintenance, and stress adaptation, suggesting roles in environmental response and physiological resilience. Conclusions This study, for the first time, reports the first full-length transcriptome of E. annulatus and reveals distinct gene expression profiles across different body sections. These findings provide valuable molecular insights into the spatial organization of gene expression in E. annulatus and establish a foundation for studying its biology and host–parasite interactions in the future. Graphical Abstract

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