Thomas Nutman and colleagues report the draft genome of the filarial pathogen Loa loa, the African eyeworm. They also report coverage of two other filarial pathogens, Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus. Unlike most filariae, L. loa lacks an obligate intracellular Wolbachia endosymbiont, and comparative genomic analyses suggest that the L. loa genome does not contain new metabolic synthesis or transport pathways compared to other filariae.
- Christopher A Desjardins
- Gustavo C Cerqueira
- Thomas B Nutman