Lessons on Parasitism from the Curious Dicyemida
Research in Genome Biology and Evolution has looked to the “decidedly curious” Dicyemida in attempt to answer an important question: how has parasitism evolved?
Found in the renal sacs of both squid and octopus, this microscopic organism derives nutrients from the host’s urine and has been categorised within the group Spiralia, along with flatworms and molluscs.
Using sequencing technologies to analyse the genome of Dicyemida, researchers sought to provide further insight into this “odd organism” and revealed that, like other parasites, it has a reduced genome, with only ~5,000 genes.
Find out more about the strange Dicyemida and what effect this loss of genetic material has on its fundamental functions.