Genomic analyses reveal adaptive evolution of the fish ectoparasite, Gyrodactylus bullatarudis that is shaped by the combination of gene duplications, divergence and recombination. In a paper by Konczal et al. published in Molecular Ecology, we describe reference genome of /G. bullatarudis/ the authors compare it with other Platyhelminthes. Results suggest that duplications in several gene families, including G-proteins and serine proteases, are important in co-evolution between Gyrodactylus and their host, Trinidadian guppies. By comparing genomes from different populations the authors demonstrate a recent spread of the recombinant between two divergent genomes, showing that hybridization facilitates evolution of very successful parasites.
Konczal, M., Przesmycka, K. J., Mohammed, R. S., Phillips, K. P., Camara, F., Chmielewski, S., Hahn, C., Guigo, R., Cable, L., & Radwan, J. (2020). Molecular Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15