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Chumnandee C, Pha-obnga N, Werb O, Matuschewski K, Schaer J. Molecular characterization of Polychromophilus parasites of Scotophilus kuhlii bats in Thailand. Parasitology 2021; 148:495-499. [PMID: 33256862 PMCID: PMC7938340 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202000222x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Parasites of the haemosporidian genus Polychromophilus have exclusively been described in bats. These parasites belong to the diverse group of malaria parasites, and Polychromophilus presents the only haemosporidian taxon that infects mammalian hosts in tropical as well as in temperate climate zones. This study provides the first information of Polychromophilus parasites in the lesser Asiatic yellow bat (Scotophilus kuhlii) in Thailand, a common vespertilionid bat species distributed in South and Southeast Asia. The gametocyte blood stages of the parasites could not be assigned to a described morphospecies and molecular analysis revealed that these parasites might represent a distinct Polychromophilus species. In contrast to Plasmodium species, Polychromophilus parasites do not multiply in red blood cells and, thus, do not cause the clinical symptoms of malaria. Parasitological and molecular investigation of haemosporidian parasites of wildlife, such as the neglected genus Polychromophilus, will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chatree Chumnandee
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, Nakhon Phanom University, Nakhon Phanom48000, Thailand
| | - Nawarat Pha-obnga
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, Nakhon Phanom University, Nakhon Phanom48000, Thailand
| | - Oskar Werb
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115Berlin, Germany
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52
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McKee CD, Bai Y, Webb CT, Kosoy MY. Bats are key hosts in the radiation of mammal-associated Bartonella bacteria. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 89:104719. [PMID: 33444855 PMCID: PMC10915969 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Bats are notorious reservoirs of several zoonotic diseases and may be uniquely tolerant of infection among mammals. Broad sampling has revealed the importance of bats in the diversification and spread of viruses and eukaryotes to other animal hosts. Vector-borne bacteria of the genus Bartonella are prevalent and diverse in mammals globally and recent surveys have revealed numerous Bartonella lineages in bats. We assembled a sequence database of Bartonella strains, consisting of nine genetic loci from 209 previously characterized Bartonella lineages and 121 new cultured isolates from bats, and used these data to perform a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Bartonella genus. This analysis included estimation of divergence dates using a molecular clock and ancestral reconstruction of host associations and geography. We estimate that Bartonella began infecting mammals 62 million years ago near the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Additionally, the radiation of particular Bartonella clades correlate strongly to the timing of diversification and biogeography of mammalian hosts. Bats were inferred to be the ancestral hosts of all mammal-associated Bartonella and appear to be responsible for the early geographic expansion of the genus. We conclude that bats have had a deep influence on the evolutionary radiation of Bartonella bacteria and their spread to other mammalian orders. These results support a 'bat seeding' hypothesis that could explain similar evolutionary patterns in other mammalian parasite taxa. Application of such phylogenetic tools as we have used to other taxa may reveal the general importance of bats in the ancient diversification of mammalian parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton D McKee
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, 1021 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Ying Bai
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Colleen T Webb
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, 1021 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; Department of Biology, Colorado State University, 1878 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Michael Y Kosoy
- KB One Health, LLC, 3244 Reedgrass Court, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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53
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Rasoanoro M, Goodman SM, Randrianarivelojosia M, Rakotondratsimba M, Dellagi K, Tortosa P, Ramasindrazana B. Diversity, distribution, and drivers of Polychromophilus infection in Malagasy bats. Malar J 2021; 20:157. [PMID: 33743716 PMCID: PMC7980569 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03696-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous studies have been undertaken to advance knowledge of apicomplexan parasites infecting vertebrates, including humans. Of these parasites, the genus Plasmodium has been most extensively studied because of the socio-economic and public health impacts of malaria. In non-human vertebrates, studies on malaria or malaria-like parasite groups have been conducted but information is far from complete. In Madagascar, recent studies on bat blood parasites indicate that three chiropteran families (Miniopteridae, Rhinonycteridae, and Vespertilionidae) are infected by the genus Polychromophilus with pronounced host specificity: Miniopterus spp. (Miniopteridae) harbour Polychromophilus melanipherus and Myotis goudoti (Vespertilionidae) is infected by Polychromophilus murinus. However, most of the individuals analysed in previous studies were sampled on the western and central portions of the island. The aims of this study are (1) to add new information on bat blood parasites in eastern Madagascar, and (2) to highlight biotic and abiotic variables driving prevalence across the island. Methods Fieldworks were undertaken from 2014 to 2016 in four sites in the eastern portion of Madagascar to capture bats and collect biological samples. Morphological and molecular techniques were used to identify the presence of haemosporidian parasites. Further, a MaxEnt modelling was undertaken using data from Polychromophilus melanipherus to identify variables influencing the presence of this parasite Results In total, 222 individual bats belonging to 17 species and seven families were analysed. Polychromophilus infections were identified in two families: Miniopteridae and Vespertilionidae. Molecular data showed that Polychromophilus spp. parasitizing Malagasy bats form a monophyletic group composed of three distinct clades displaying marked host specificity. In addition to P. melanipherus and P. murinus, hosted by Miniopterus spp. and Myotis goudoti, respectively, a novel Polychromophilus lineage was identified from a single individual of Scotophilus robustus. Based on the present study and the literature, different biotic and abiotic factors are shown to influence Polychromophilus infection in bats, which are correlated based on MaxEnt modelling. Conclusions The present study improves current knowledge on Polychromophilus blood parasites infecting Malagasy bats and confirms the existence of a novel Polychromophilus lineage in Scotophilus bats. Additional studies are needed to obtain additional material of this novel lineage to resolve its taxonomic relationship with known members of the genus. Further, the transmission mode of Polychromophilus in bats as well as its potential effect on bat populations should be investigated to complement the results provided by MaxEnt modelling and eventually provide a comprehensive picture of the biology of host-parasite interactions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-021-03696-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercia Rasoanoro
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo 101, BP 1274, Ambatofotsikely, Madagascar.,Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 706, Antananarivo 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Steven M Goodman
- Association Vahatra, Antananarivo 101, BP 3972, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, 60605, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Milijaona Randrianarivelojosia
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo 101, BP 1274, Ambatofotsikely, Madagascar.,Faculté des Sciences, Université de Toliara, 601, Toliara, Madagascar
| | | | - Koussay Dellagi
- Institut Pasteur (International Division), 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Pablo Tortosa
- Université de La Réunion, UMR Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical (PIMIT), INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, 97490, Sainte-Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Beza Ramasindrazana
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo 101, BP 1274, Ambatofotsikely, Madagascar. .,Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 706, Antananarivo 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
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Fecchio A, Lima MR, Bell JA, Schunck F, Corrêa AH, Beco R, Jahn AE, Fontana CS, da Silva TW, Repenning M, Braga ÉM, Garcia JE, Lugarini C, Silva JCR, Andrade LHM, Dispoto JH, Dos Anjos CC, Weckstein JD, Kirchgatter K, Ellis VA, Ricklefs RE, De La Torre GM. Loss of forest cover and host functional diversity increases prevalence of avian malaria parasites in the Atlantic Forest. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:719-728. [PMID: 33722680 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Host phylogenetic relatedness and ecological similarity are thought to contribute to parasite community assembly and infection rates. However, recent landscape level anthropogenic changes may disrupt host-parasite systems by impacting functional and phylogenetic diversity of host communities. We examined whether changes in host functional and phylogenetic diversity, forest cover, and minimum temperature influence the prevalence, diversity, and distributions of avian haemosporidian parasites (genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) across 18 avian communities in the Atlantic Forest. To explore spatial patterns in avian haemosporidian prevalence and taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, we surveyed 2241 individuals belonging to 233 avian species across a deforestation gradient. Mean prevalence and parasite diversity varied considerably across avian communities and parasites responded differently to host attributes and anthropogenic changes. Avian malaria prevalence (termed herein as an infection caused by Plasmodium parasites) was higher in deforested sites, and both Plasmodium prevalence and taxonomic diversity were negatively related to host functional diversity. Increased diversity of avian hosts increased local taxonomic diversity of Plasmodium lineages but decreased phylogenetic diversity of this parasite genus. Temperature and host phylogenetic diversity did not influence prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites. Variation in the diversity of avian host traits that promote parasite encounter and vector exposure (host functional diversity) partially explained the variation in avian malaria prevalence and diversity. Recent anthropogenic landscape transformation (reduced proportion of native forest cover) had a major influence on avian malaria occurrence across the Atlantic Forest. This suggests that, for Plasmodium, host phylogenetic diversity was not a biotic filter to parasite transmission as prevalence was largely explained by host ecological attributes and recent anthropogenic factors. Our results demonstrate that, similar to human malaria and other vector-transmitted pathogens, prevalence of avian malaria parasites will likely increase with deforestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Fecchio
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT 78060900, Brazil.
| | - Marcos R Lima
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, State University of Londrina, Londrina, PR 86051-970, Brazil
| | - Jeffrey A Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Fabio Schunck
- Brazilian Committee for Ornithological Records - CBRO, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Aline H Corrêa
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Renata Beco
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Alex E Jahn
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA
| | - Carla S Fontana
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Thaiane W da Silva
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Márcio Repenning
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 90619-900, Brazil; Laboratório de Aves Aquáticas e Tartarugas Marinhas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande. Campus Carreiros, Rio Grande, RS 96203-900, Brazil
| | - Érika M Braga
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - José E Garcia
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Vitoria de Santo Antao, PE 55608-680, Brazil
| | - Camile Lugarini
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Aves Silvestres, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Laboratório de Saúde Única, Epidemiologia e Geoprocessamento, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 52061-030, Brazil
| | - Jean C R Silva
- Laboratório de Saúde Única, Epidemiologia e Geoprocessamento, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 52061-030, Brazil
| | - Leontina H M Andrade
- Laboratório de Saúde Única, Epidemiologia e Geoprocessamento, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 52061-030, Brazil
| | - Janice H Dispoto
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
| | - Carolina C Dos Anjos
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Jason D Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA; Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05403-000, Brazil; Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo, SP 01027-000, Brazil
| | - Vincenzo A Ellis
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Robert E Ricklefs
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Gabriel M De La Torre
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR 80210-170, Brazil
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Barba-Montoya J, Tao Q, Kumar S. Using a GTR+Γ substitution model for dating sequence divergence when stationarity and time-reversibility assumptions are violated. Bioinformatics 2021; 36:i884-i894. [PMID: 33381826 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION As the number and diversity of species and genes grow in contemporary datasets, two common assumptions made in all molecular dating methods, namely the time-reversibility and stationarity of the substitution process, become untenable. No software tools for molecular dating allow researchers to relax these two assumptions in their data analyses. Frequently the same General Time Reversible (GTR) model across lineages along with a gamma (+Γ) distributed rates across sites is used in relaxed clock analyses, which assumes time-reversibility and stationarity of the substitution process. Many reports have quantified the impact of violations of these underlying assumptions on molecular phylogeny, but none have systematically analyzed their impact on divergence time estimates. RESULTS We quantified the bias on time estimates that resulted from using the GTR + Γ model for the analysis of computer-simulated nucleotide sequence alignments that were evolved with non-stationary (NS) and non-reversible (NR) substitution models. We tested Bayesian and RelTime approaches that do not require a molecular clock for estimating divergence times. Divergence times obtained using a GTR + Γ model differed only slightly (∼3% on average) from the expected times for NR datasets, but the difference was larger for NS datasets (∼10% on average). The use of only a few calibrations reduced these biases considerably (∼5%). Confidence and credibility intervals from GTR + Γ analysis usually contained correct times. Therefore, the bias introduced by the use of the GTR + Γ model to analyze datasets, in which the time-reversibility and stationarity assumptions are violated, is likely not large and can be reduced by applying multiple calibrations. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION All datasets are deposited in Figshare: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12594638.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Barba-Montoya
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine.,Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Qiqing Tao
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine.,Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine.,Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.,Center for Excellence in Genome Medicine and Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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56
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Koreny L, Zeeshan M, Barylyuk K, Tromer EC, van Hooff JJE, Brady D, Ke H, Chelaghma S, Ferguson DJP, Eme L, Tewari R, Waller RF. Molecular characterization of the conoid complex in Toxoplasma reveals its conservation in all apicomplexans, including Plasmodium species. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001081. [PMID: 33705380 PMCID: PMC7951837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The apical complex is the instrument of invasion used by apicomplexan parasites, and the conoid is a conspicuous feature of this apparatus found throughout this phylum. The conoid, however, is believed to be heavily reduced or missing from Plasmodium species and other members of the class Aconoidasida. Relatively few conoid proteins have previously been identified, making it difficult to address how conserved this feature is throughout the phylum, and whether it is genuinely missing from some major groups. Moreover, parasites such as Plasmodium species cycle through 3 invasive forms, and there is the possibility of differential presence of the conoid between these stages. We have applied spatial proteomics and high-resolution microscopy to develop a more complete molecular inventory and understanding of the organisation of conoid-associated proteins in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii. These data revealed molecular conservation of all conoid substructures throughout Apicomplexa, including Plasmodium, and even in allied Myzozoa such as Chromera and dinoflagellates. We reporter-tagged and observed the expression and location of several conoid complex proteins in the malaria model P. berghei and revealed equivalent structures in all of its zoite forms, as well as evidence of molecular differentiation between blood-stage merozoites and the ookinetes and sporozoites of the mosquito vector. Collectively, we show that the conoid is a conserved apicomplexan element at the heart of the invasion mechanisms of these highly successful and often devastating parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludek Koreny
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Konstantin Barylyuk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Eelco C. Tromer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jolien J. E. van Hooff
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Orsay, France
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Huiling Ke
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Chelaghma
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David J. P. Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Eme
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Orsay, France
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ross F. Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Prevalence and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in wild bird species of the order Columbiformes. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:1405-1420. [PMID: 33521839 PMCID: PMC7940316 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07053-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Diseases can play a role in species decline. Among them, haemosporidian parasites, vector-transmitted protozoan parasites, are known to constitute a risk for different avian species. However, the magnitude of haemosporidian infection in wild columbiform birds, including strongly decreasing European turtle doves, is largely unknown. We examined the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and subgenera Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus in six species of the order Columbiformes during breeding season and migration by applying nested PCR, one-step multiplex PCR assay and microscopy. We detected infections in 109 of the 259 screened individuals (42%), including 15 distinct haemosporidian mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages, representing five H. (Haemoproteus), two H. (Parahaemoproteus), five Leucocytozoon and three Plasmodium lineages. Five of these lineages have never been described before. We discriminated between single and mixed infections and determined host species-specific prevalence for each parasite genus. Observed differences among sampled host species are discussed with reference to behavioural characteristics, including nesting and migration strategy. Our results support previous suggestions that migratory birds have a higher prevalence and diversity of blood parasites than resident or short-distance migratory species. A phylogenetic reconstruction provided evidence for H. (Haemoproteus) as well as H. (Parahaemoproteus) infections in columbiform birds. Based on microscopic examination, we quantified parasitemia, indicating the probability of negative effects on the host. This study provides a large-scale baseline description of haemosporidian infections of wild birds belonging to the order Columbiformes sampled in the northern hemisphere. The results enable the monitoring of future changes in parasite transmission areas, distribution and diversity associated with global change, posing a potential risk for declining avian species as the European turtle dove.
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Barrow LN, Bauernfeind SM, Cruz PA, Williamson JL, Wiley DL, Ford JE, Baumann MJ, Brady SS, Chavez AN, Gadek CR, Galen SC, Johnson AB, Mapel XM, Marroquin-Flores RA, Martinez TE, McCullough JM, McLaughlin JE, Witt CC. Detecting turnover among complex communities using null models: a case study with sky-island haemosporidian parasites. Oecologia 2021; 195:435-451. [PMID: 33484348 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04854-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Turnover in species composition between sites, or beta diversity, is a critical component of species diversity that is typically influenced by geography, environment, and biotic interactions. Quantifying turnover is particularly challenging, however, in multi-host, multi-parasite assemblages where undersampling is unavoidable, resulting in inflated estimates of turnover and uncertainty about its spatial scale. We developed and implemented a framework using null models to test for community turnover in avian haemosporidian communities of three sky islands in the southwestern United States. We screened 776 birds for haemosporidian parasites from three genera (Parahaemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon) by amplifying and sequencing a mitochondrial DNA barcode. We detected infections in 280 birds (36.1%), sequenced 357 infections, and found a total of 99 parasite haplotypes. When compared to communities simulated from a regional pool, we observed more unique, single-mountain haplotypes and fewer haplotypes shared among three mountain ranges than expected, indicating that haemosporidian communities differ to some degree among adjacent mountain ranges. These results were robust even after pruning datasets to include only identical sets of host species, and they were consistent for two of the three haemosporidian genera. The two more distant mountain ranges were more similar to each other than the one located centrally, suggesting that the differences we detected were due to stochastic colonization-extirpation dynamics. These results demonstrate that avian haemosporidian communities of temperate-zone forests differ on relatively fine spatial scales between adjacent sky islands. Null models are essential tools for testing the spatial scale of turnover in complex, undersampled, and poorly known systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Barrow
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Selina M Bauernfeind
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Paxton A Cruz
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jessie L Williamson
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Daniele L Wiley
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - John E Ford
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Matthew J Baumann
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Serina S Brady
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Andrea N Chavez
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Bureau of Land Management, Rio Puerco District Office, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Chauncey R Gadek
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Spencer C Galen
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Biology Department, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, USA
| | - Andrew B Johnson
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Xena M Mapel
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Rosario A Marroquin-Flores
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Taylor E Martinez
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pharmacology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jenna M McCullough
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jade E McLaughlin
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Christopher C Witt
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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Sándor AD, Péter Á, Corduneanu A, Barti L, Csősz I, Kalmár Z, Hornok S, Kontschán J, Mihalca AD. Wide Distribution and Diversity of Malaria-Related Haemosporidian Parasites ( Polychromophilus spp.) in Bats and Their Ectoparasites in Eastern Europe. Microorganisms 2021; 9:230. [PMID: 33499324 PMCID: PMC7911978 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is responsible for major diseases of humans, while associated haemosporidians are important factors in regulating wildlife populations. Polychromophilus, a haemosporidian parasite of bats, is phylogenetically close to human-pathogenic Plasmodium species, and their study may provide further clues for understanding the evolutionary relationships between vertebrates and malarial parasites. Our aim was to investigate the distribution of Polychromophilus spp. in Eastern Europe and test the importance of host ecology and roost site on haemosporidian parasite infection of bats. We sampled bats and their ectoparasites at eight locations in Romania and Bulgaria. DNA was extracted from blood samples and ectoparasites and tested individually for the presence of DNA of Polychromophilus spp. using a nested PCR targeting a 705 bp fragment of cytB. Two species of Polychromophilus were identified: Po. melanipherus in Miniopterus schreibersii and associated ectoparasites and Po. murinus in rhinolophid and vespertilionid bats (6 species) and their ticks and nycteribiid flies. Only cave-dwelling bat species (and their ectoparasites) showed infections, and we found a strong correlation between infections with Polychromophilus parasites and Nycteribiidae prevalence. We report the high genetic diversity of Polychromophilus spp. in Eastern Europe, suggesting that the simultaneous presence of varied host and vector assemblages enhances bat haemosporidian parasite diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila D. Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, RO-400036 Cluj Napoca, Romania; (Á.P.); (A.C.); (L.B.); (Z.K.); (A.D.M.)
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, H-1078 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Áron Péter
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, RO-400036 Cluj Napoca, Romania; (Á.P.); (A.C.); (L.B.); (Z.K.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Alexandra Corduneanu
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, RO-400036 Cluj Napoca, Romania; (Á.P.); (A.C.); (L.B.); (Z.K.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Levente Barti
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, RO-400036 Cluj Napoca, Romania; (Á.P.); (A.C.); (L.B.); (Z.K.); (A.D.M.)
- Myotis Bat Conservation Group, RO-530171 Miercurea Ciuc, Romania;
| | - István Csősz
- Myotis Bat Conservation Group, RO-530171 Miercurea Ciuc, Romania;
| | - Zsuzsa Kalmár
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, RO-400036 Cluj Napoca, Romania; (Á.P.); (A.C.); (L.B.); (Z.K.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, H-1078 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Jenő Kontschán
- Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, ELKH, H-1022 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Andrei D. Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, RO-400036 Cluj Napoca, Romania; (Á.P.); (A.C.); (L.B.); (Z.K.); (A.D.M.)
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60
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Fecchio A, de Faria IP, Bell JA, Nunes R, Weckstein JD, Lima MR. Mining increases the prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites in Northeast Amazonia. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:605-613. [PMID: 33415388 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06986-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Studies contrasting parasite prevalence and host-parasite community structure between pristine and disturbed environments will improve our understanding of how deforestation affects disease transmission and parasite extinction. To determine how infection rates of a common and diverse group of avian blood parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) respond to changes in avian host composition after mining, we surveyed 25 bird communities from pristine forests (two forest types: plateau and hillside) and reforested sites in Northeast Amazonia. Infection rates and both parasite and avian host community structure exhibited considerable variation across the deforestation gradient. In opposition to the emerging pattern of lower avian haemosporidian prevalence in disturbed tropical forests in Africa, we show that secondary forests had higher haemosporidian prevalence in one of the largest mining areas of Amazonia. The dissimilarity displayed by bird communities may explain, in part, the higher prevalence of Haemoproteus in reforested areas owing to the tolerance of some bird species to open-canopy forest habitat. On the other hand, deforestation may cause local extinction of Plasmodium parasites due to the loss of their avian hosts that depend on closed-canopy primary forest habitats. Our results demonstrate that forest loss induced by anthropogenic changes can affect a host-parasite system and disturb both parasite transmission and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Fecchio
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Avenida Fernando Corrêa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá, MT, 78060-900, Brazil.
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA.
| | - Iubatã P de Faria
- Grupo de Pesquisa sobre Populações de Aves Frugívoras, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, Três Lagoas, Brazil
| | - Jeffrey A Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 58202, USA
| | - Renata Nunes
- Veredas Instituto Ambiental e Consultoria, Núcleo Bandeirante, DF, Brazil
| | - Jason D Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA
| | - Marcos R Lima
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, State University of Londrina, CP 10.011, Londrina, PR, 86051-970, Brazil
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61
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Sato S. Plasmodium-a brief introduction to the parasites causing human malaria and their basic biology. J Physiol Anthropol 2021; 40:1. [PMID: 33413683 PMCID: PMC7792015 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-020-00251-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most devastating infectious diseases of humans. It is problematic clinically and economically as it prevails in poorer countries and regions, strongly hindering socioeconomic development. The causative agents of malaria are unicellular protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Plasmodium. These parasites infect not only humans but also other vertebrates, from reptiles and birds to mammals. To date, over 200 species of Plasmodium have been formally described, and each species infects a certain range of hosts. Plasmodium species that naturally infect humans and cause malaria in large areas of the world are limited to five-P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi. The first four are specific for humans, while P. knowlesi is naturally maintained in macaque monkeys and causes zoonotic malaria widely in South East Asia. Transmission of Plasmodium species between vertebrate hosts depends on an insect vector, which is usually the mosquito. The vector is not just a carrier but the definitive host, where sexual reproduction of Plasmodium species occurs, and the parasite's development in the insect is essential for transmission to the next vertebrate host. The range of insect species that can support the critical development of Plasmodium depends on the individual parasite species, but all five Plasmodium species causing malaria in humans are transmitted exclusively by anopheline mosquitoes. Plasmodium species have remarkable genetic flexibility which lets them adapt to alterations in the environment, giving them the potential to quickly develop resistance to therapeutics such as antimalarials and to change host specificity. In this article, selected topics involving the Plasmodium species that cause malaria in humans are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeharu Sato
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
- Department of Pathobiology and Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
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62
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Schureck MA, Darling JE, Merk A, Shao J, Daggupati G, Srinivasan P, Olinares PDB, Rout MP, Chait BT, Wollenberg K, Subramaniam S, Desai SA. Malaria parasites use a soluble RhopH complex for erythrocyte invasion and an integral form for nutrient uptake. eLife 2021; 10:e65282. [PMID: 33393463 PMCID: PMC7840181 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites use the RhopH complex for erythrocyte invasion and channel-mediated nutrient uptake. As the member proteins are unique to Plasmodium spp., how they interact and traffic through subcellular sites to serve these essential functions is unknown. We show that RhopH is synthesized as a soluble complex of CLAG3, RhopH2, and RhopH3 with 1:1:1 stoichiometry. After transfer to a new host cell, the complex crosses a vacuolar membrane surrounding the intracellular parasite and becomes integral to the erythrocyte membrane through a PTEX translocon-dependent process. We present a 2.9 Å single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of the trafficking complex, revealing that CLAG3 interacts with the other subunits over large surface areas. This soluble complex is tightly assembled with extensive disulfide bonding and predicted transmembrane helices shielded. We propose a large protein complex stabilized for trafficking but poised for host membrane insertion through large-scale rearrangements, paralleling smaller two-state pore-forming proteins in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Schureck
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of HealthRockvilleUnited States
| | - Joseph E Darling
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Alan Merk
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jinfeng Shao
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of HealthRockvilleUnited States
| | - Geervani Daggupati
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Prakash Srinivasan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Paul Dominic B Olinares
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Michael P Rout
- Laboratory of Cellular and Structural Biology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Brian T Chait
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Kurt Wollenberg
- Office of Cyber Infrastructure & Computational Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Sriram Subramaniam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Sanjay A Desai
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of HealthRockvilleUnited States
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63
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Arias-Agudelo LM, Garcia-Montoya G, Cabarcas F, Galvan-Diaz AL, Alzate JF. Comparative genomic analysis of the principal Cryptosporidium species that infect humans. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10478. [PMID: 33344091 PMCID: PMC7718795 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parasites are ubiquitous and can infect a broad range of vertebrates and are considered the most frequent protozoa associated with waterborne parasitic outbreaks. The intestine is the target of three of the species most frequently found in humans: C. hominis, C. parvum, and. C. meleagridis. Despite the recent advance in genome sequencing projects for this apicomplexan, a broad genomic comparison including the three species most prevalent in humans have not been published so far. In this work, we downloaded raw NGS data, assembled it under normalized conditions, and compared 23 publicly available genomes of C. hominis, C. parvum, and C. meleagridis. Although few genomes showed highly fragmented assemblies, most of them had less than 500 scaffolds and mean coverage that ranged between 35X and 511X. Synonymous single nucleotide variants were the most common in C. hominis and C. meleagridis, while in C. parvum, they accounted for around 50% of the SNV observed. Furthermore, deleterious nucleotide substitutions common to all three species were more common in genes associated with DNA repair, recombination, and chromosome-associated proteins. Indel events were observed in the 23 studied isolates that spanned up to 500 bases. The highest number of deletions was observed in C. meleagridis, followed by C. hominis, with more than 60 species-specific deletions found in some isolates of these two species. Although several genes with indel events have been partially annotated, most of them remain to encode uncharacterized proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Arias-Agudelo
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica - CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria - SIU, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Gisela Garcia-Montoya
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica - CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria - SIU, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Felipe Cabarcas
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica - CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria - SIU, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.,Grupo SISTEMIC, Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Ana L Galvan-Diaz
- Grupo de Microbiología ambiental. Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Juan F Alzate
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica - CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria - SIU, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
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64
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Derilus D, Rahman MZ, Serrano AE, Massey SE. Proteome size reduction in Apicomplexans is linked with loss of DNA repair and host redundant pathways. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 87:104642. [PMID: 33296723 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexans are alveolate parasites which include Plasmodium falciparum, the main cause of malaria, one of the world's biggest killers from infectious disease. Apicomplexans are characterized by a reduction in proteome size, which appears to result from metabolic and functional simplification, commensurate with their parasitic lifestyle. However, other factors may also help to explain gene loss such as population bottlenecks experienced during transmission, and the effect of reducing the overall genomic information content. The latter constitutes an 'informational constraint', which is proposed to exert a selective pressure to evolve and maintain genes involved in informational fidelity and error correction, proportional to the quantity of information in the genome (which approximates to proteome size). The dynamics of gene loss was examined in 41 Apicomplexan genomes using orthogroup analysis. We show that loss of genes involved in amino acid metabolism and steroid biosynthesis can be explained by metabolic redundancy with the host. We also show that there is a marked tendency to lose DNA repair genes as proteome size is reduced. This may be explained by a reduction in size of the informational constraint and can help to explain elevated mutation rates in pathogens with reduced genome size. Multiple Sequentially Markovian Coalescent (MSMC) analysis indicates a recent bottleneck, consistent with predictions generated using allele-based population genetics approaches, implying that relaxed selection pressure due to reduced population size might have contributed to gene loss. However, the non-randomness of pathways that are lost challenges this scenario. Lastly, we identify unique orthogroups in malaria-causing Plasmodium species that infect humans, with a high proportion of membrane associated proteins. Thus, orthogroup analysis appears useful for identifying novel candidate pathogenic factors in parasites, when there is a wide sample of genomes available.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Derilus
- Environmental Sciences Department, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, United States of America
| | - M Z Rahman
- Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, United States of America
| | - A E Serrano
- Department of Microbiology, University of Puerto Rico-School of Medicine, Medical Sciences, United States of America
| | - S E Massey
- Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, United States of America.
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65
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Su XZ, Zhang C, Joy DA. Host-Malaria Parasite Interactions and Impacts on Mutual Evolution. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:587933. [PMID: 33194831 PMCID: PMC7652737 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.587933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is the most deadly parasitic disease, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Malaria parasites have been associated with their hosts for millions of years. During the long history of host-parasite co-evolution, both parasites and hosts have applied pressure on each other through complex host-parasite molecular interactions. Whereas the hosts activate various immune mechanisms to remove parasites during an infection, the parasites attempt to evade host immunity by diversifying their genome and switching expression of targets of the host immune system. Human intervention to control the disease such as antimalarial drugs and vaccination can greatly alter parasite population dynamics and evolution, particularly the massive applications of antimalarial drugs in recent human history. Vaccination is likely the best method to prevent the disease; however, a partially protective vaccine may have unwanted consequences that require further investigation. Studies of host-parasite interactions and co-evolution will provide important information for designing safe and effective vaccines and for preventing drug resistance. In this essay, we will discuss some interesting molecules involved in host-parasite interactions, including important parasite antigens. We also discuss subjects relevant to drug and vaccine development and some approaches for studying host-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Zhuan Su
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Cui Zhang
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Deirdre A Joy
- Parasitology and International Programs Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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66
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Galen SC, Borner J, Perkins SL, Weckstein JD. Phylogenomics from transcriptomic "bycatch" clarify the origins and diversity of avian trypanosomes in North America. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240062. [PMID: 33031471 PMCID: PMC7544035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic blood parasite genus Trypanosoma includes several important pathogens of humans and livestock, but has been understudied in wildlife broadly. The trypanosomes that infect birds are in particular need of increased attention, as these parasites are abundant and globally distributed, yet few studies have addressed their evolutionary origins and diversity using modern molecular and analytical approaches. Of specific interest are the deep evolutionary relationships of the avian trypanosomes relative to the trypanosome species that are pathogenic in humans, as well as their species level diversity in regions where they have been understudied such as North America. Here, we address these unresolved areas of study using phylogenomic data for two species of avian trypanosomes that were isolated as “bycatch” from host transcriptome assemblies, as well as a large 18S DNA barcode sequence dataset that includes 143 novel avian Trypanosoma 18S sequences from North America. Using a phylogenomic approach, we find that the avian trypanosomes are nested within a clade of primarily mammalian trypanosomes that includes the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi, and are paraphyletic with respect to the ruminant trypanosome Trypanosoma theileri. DNA barcode sequences showed that T. avium and an unidentified small, non-striated trypanosome that was morphologically similar to T. everetti are each represented by highly abundant and divergent 18S haplotypes in North America. Community-level sampling revealed that additional species-level Trypanosoma lineages exist in this region. We compared the newly sequenced DNA barcodes from North America to a global database, and found that avian Trypanosoma 18S haplotypes generally exhibited a marked lack of host specificity with at least one T. avium haplotype having an intercontinental distribution. This highly abundant T. avium haplotype appears to have a remarkably high dispersal ability and cosmopolitan capacity to evade avian host immune defenses, which warrant further study.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Bayes Theorem
- Biological Evolution
- Birds/genetics
- Birds/parasitology
- Contig Mapping
- DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
- DNA, Protozoan/chemistry
- DNA, Protozoan/metabolism
- Databases, Factual
- Haplotypes
- Humans
- North America
- Phylogeny
- RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/chemistry
- RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/classification
- RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/metabolism
- Transcriptome
- Trypanosoma/classification
- Trypanosoma/genetics
- Trypanosoma/pathogenicity
- Trypanosoma cruzi/classification
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C. Galen
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States of America
- Biology Department, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Janus Borner
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States of America
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Susan L. Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States of America
- Division of Science, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jason D. Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
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67
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Pacheco MA, Ceríaco LMP, Matta NE, Vargas-Ramírez M, Bauer AM, Escalante AA. A phylogenetic study of Haemocystidium parasites and other Haemosporida using complete mitochondrial genome sequences. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 85:104576. [PMID: 33002605 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporida are diverse vector-borne parasites associated with terrestrial vertebrates. Driven by the interest in species causing malaria (genus Plasmodium), the diversity of avian and mammalian haemosporidian species has been extensively studied, relying mostly on mitochondrial genes, particularly cytochrome b. However, parasites from reptiles have been neglected in biodiversity surveys. Reptilian haemosporidian parasites include Haemocystidium, a genus that shares morphological features with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Here, the first complete Haemocystidium mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes are studied. In particular, three mtDNA genomes from Haemocystidium spp. sampled in Africa, Oceania, and South America, are described. The Haemocystidium mtDNA genomes showed a high A + T content and a gene organization, including an extreme fragmentation of the rRNAs, found in other Haemosporida. These Haemocystidium mtDNA genomes were incorporated in phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses together with a representative sample of haemosporidian parasites from birds, mammals, and reptiles. The recovered phylogeny supported Haemocystidium as a monophyletic group apart from Plasmodium and other Haemosporida. Both the phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses yielded results consistent with a scenario in which haemosporidian parasites radiated with modern birds. Haemocystidium, like mammalian parasite clades, seems to originate from host switches by avian Haemosporida that allowed for the colonization of new vertebrate hosts. This hypothesis can be tested by investigating additional parasite species from all vertebrate hosts, particularly from reptiles. The mtDNA genomes reported here provide baseline data that can be used to scale up studies in haemosporidian parasites of reptiles using barcode approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA
| | - Luis M P Ceríaco
- Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Praça de Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Zoologia e Antropología (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nubia E Matta
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mario Vargas-Ramírez
- Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085-1699, USA
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA.
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68
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Ciloglu A, Ellis VA, Duc M, Downing PA, Inci A, Bensch S. Evolution of vector transmitted parasites by host switching revealed through sequencing of Haemoproteus parasite mitochondrial genomes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 153:106947. [PMID: 32866615 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Parasite species evolve by switching to new hosts, cospeciating with their current hosts, or speciating on their current hosts. Vector transmitted parasites are expected to speciate by host switching, but confirming this hypothesis has proved challenging. Parasite DNA can be difficult to sequence, thus well resolved parasite phylogenies that are needed to distinguish modes of parasite speciation are often lacking. Here, we studied speciation in vector transmitted avian haemosporidian parasites in the genus Haemoproteus and their warbler hosts (family Acrocephalidae). We overcome the difficulty of generating parasite genetic data by combining nested long-range PCR with next generation sequencing to sequence whole mitochondrial genomes from 19 parasite haplotypes confined to Acrocephalidae warblers, resulting in a well-supported parasite phylogeny. We also generated a well-supported host phylogeny using five genes from published sources. Our phylogenetic analyses confirm that these parasites have speciated by host switching. We also found that closely related host species shared parasites which themselves were not closely related. Sharing of parasites by closely related host species is not due to host geographic range overlap, but may be the result of phylogenetically conserved host immune systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arif Ciloglu
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey; Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lund University, S-22362 Lund, Sweden; Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases Implementation and Research Center, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey.
| | - Vincenzo A Ellis
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lund University, S-22362 Lund, Sweden; Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Mélanie Duc
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lund University, S-22362 Lund, Sweden; Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania
| | - Philip A Downing
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lund University, S-22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Abdullah Inci
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey; Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases Implementation and Research Center, Erciyes University, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lund University, S-22362 Lund, Sweden
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69
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Ebert D, Fields PD. Host-parasite co-evolution and its genomic signature. Nat Rev Genet 2020; 21:754-768. [PMID: 32860017 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-0269-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Studies in diverse biological systems have indicated that host-parasite co-evolution is responsible for the extraordinary genetic diversity seen in some genomic regions, such as major histocompatibility (MHC) genes in jawed vertebrates and resistance genes in plants. This diversity is believed to evolve under balancing selection on hosts by parasites. However, the mechanisms that link the genomic signatures in these regions to the underlying co-evolutionary process are only slowly emerging. We still lack a clear picture of the co-evolutionary concepts and of the genetic basis of the co-evolving phenotypic traits in the interacting antagonists. Emerging genomic tools that provide new options for identifying underlying genes will contribute to a fuller understanding of the co-evolutionary process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Ebert
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. .,Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Peter D Fields
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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70
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Ejotre I, Reeder DM, Matuschewski K, Schaer J. Hepatocystis. Trends Parasitol 2020; 37:456-457. [PMID: 32839102 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Imran Ejotre
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Muni University, Arua, Uganda
| | - DeeAnn M Reeder
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
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71
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Aunin E, Böhme U, Sanderson T, Simons ND, Goldberg TL, Ting N, Chapman CA, Newbold CI, Berriman M, Reid AJ. Genomic and transcriptomic evidence for descent from Plasmodium and loss of blood schizogony in Hepatocystis parasites from naturally infected red colobus monkeys. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008717. [PMID: 32745123 PMCID: PMC7425995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocystis is a genus of single-celled parasites infecting, amongst other hosts, monkeys, bats and squirrels. Although thought to have descended from malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.), Hepatocystis spp. are thought not to undergo replication in the blood-the part of the Plasmodium life cycle which causes the symptoms of malaria. Furthermore, Hepatocystis is transmitted by biting midges, not mosquitoes. Comparative genomics of Hepatocystis and Plasmodium species therefore presents an opportunity to better understand some of the most important aspects of malaria parasite biology. We were able to generate a draft genome for Hepatocystis sp. using DNA sequencing reads from the blood of a naturally infected red colobus monkey. We provide robust phylogenetic support for Hepatocystis sp. as a sister group to Plasmodium parasites infecting rodents. We show transcriptomic support for a lack of replication in the blood and genomic support for a complete loss of a family of genes involved in red blood cell invasion. Our analyses highlight the rapid evolution of genes involved in parasite vector stages, revealing genes that may be critical for interactions between malaria parasites and mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eerik Aunin
- Parasite Genomics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrike Böhme
- Parasite Genomics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Theo Sanderson
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Noah D. Simons
- Department of Anthropology and Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Tony L. Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nelson Ting
- Department of Anthropology and Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of America
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Chris I. Newbold
- Parasite Genomics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Berriman
- Parasite Genomics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Adam J. Reid
- Parasite Genomics, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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72
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Bell JA, González-Acuña D, Tkach VV. Haemosporidian Parasites of Chilean Ducks: The Importance of Biogeography and Nonpasserine Hosts. J Parasitol 2020; 106:211-220. [PMID: 32164026 DOI: 10.1645/19-130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biogeography is known to have shaped the diversity and evolutionary history of avian haemosporidian parasites across the Neotropics. However, a paucity of information exists for the temperate Neotropics and especially from nonpasserine hosts. To understand the effect of biogeography in the temperate Neotropics on haemosporidians of nonpasserine hosts we screened ducks (Anseriformes) from central Chile for the presence of these parasites. Forty-two individuals of 4 duck species (Anas flavirostris, Anas georgica, Mareca sibilatrix, Spatula cyanoptera cyanoptera) were collected and assessed for haemosporidian parasite infections by real-time polymerase chain reaction screening and subsequent sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Haemoproteus (subgenus Haemoproteus) and Plasmodium were detected in 2 host species, A. georgica and S. c. cyanoptera, with no Leucocytozoon found. Overall haemosporidian prevalence was low (14.2%), with the prevalence of Plasmodium (11.9%) being substantially greater than that of Haemoproteus (4.8%). Six haemosporidian cytochrome b lineages were recovered, 2 Haemoproteus and 4 Plasmodium, with all 6 lineages identified for the first time. In phylogenetic reconstruction, the Chilean Plasmodium lineages were more closely related to South American lineages from passerine birds than to known lineages from anseriforms. The subgenus Haemoproteus known from nonpasseriformes has never been identified from any anseriform host; however, we recovered 2 lineages from this subgenus, one from each A. georgica and S. c. cyanoptera. Further work is needed to determine if this presents true parasitism in ducks or only a spillover infection. The results of phylogenetic reconstruction demonstrate a unique evolutionary history of these Chilean parasites, differing from what is known for this host group. The unique geography of Chile, with a large part of the country being relatively isolated by the Atacama Desert in the north and the Andes in the east and south, would present opportunities for parasite diversification. Further work is needed to investigate how strongly the biogeographical isolation has shaped the haemosporidian parasites of this area. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that nonpasserine hosts support unique lineages of haemosporidian parasites, while also demonstrating the role of biogeography in haemosporidian parasite diversity in the temperate Neotropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street STOP 9019, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202
| | - Daniel González-Acuña
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Box 10 537, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - Vasyl V Tkach
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street STOP 9019, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202
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73
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Ellis VA, Huang X, Westerdahl H, Jönsson J, Hasselquist D, Neto JM, Nilsson J, Nilsson J, Hegemann A, Hellgren O, Bensch S. Explaining prevalence, diversity and host specificity in a community of avian haemosporidian parasites. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo A. Ellis
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
- Dept of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, Univ. of Delaware Newark DE 19716 USA
| | - Xi Huang
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal Univ. Beijing PR China
| | | | - Jane Jönsson
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
| | | | - Júlio M. Neto
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Jan‐Åke Nilsson
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Johan Nilsson
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Arne Hegemann
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Olof Hellgren
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Dept of Biology, Lund Univ., Ecology Building SE‐223 62 Lund Sweden
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74
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Haemosporidian parasites of resident and wintering migratory birds in The Bahamas. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:1563-1572. [PMID: 32246260 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06646-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In temperate regions, some avian haemosporidian parasites have evolved seasonal transmission strategies, with chronic infections relapsing during spring and transmission peaking during the hosts' breeding season. Because lineages with seasonal transmission strategies are unlikely to produce gametocytes in winter, we predicted that (1) resident birds living within wintering areas of Neotropical migrants would unlikely be infected with North American parasite lineages; and (2) if infected, wintering migratory birds would be more likely to harbor Plasmodium spp. rather than Parahaemoproteus spp. or Haemoproteus spp. parasites in their bloodstreams, as only Plasmodium produces life stages, other than gametocytes, that infect red blood cells. To test these predictions, we used molecular detection and microscopy to compare the diversity and prevalence of haemosporidian parasites among year-round residents and wintering migratory birds during February 2016, on three islands of The Bahamas archipelago, i.e., Andros, Grand Bahama, and Great Abaco. Infection prevalence was low and comparable between migratory (15/111) and resident (15/129) individuals, and it did not differ significantly among islands. Out of the 12 lineages detected infecting migratory birds, five were transmitted in North America; four lineages could have been transmitted during breeding, wintering, or migration; and three lineages were likely transmitted in The Bahamas. Resident birds mostly carried lineages endemic to the Caribbean region. All North American-transmitted parasite lineages detected among migratory birds were Plasmodium spp. Our findings suggest that haemosporidian parasites of migrants shift resource allocation seasonally, minimizing the production of gametocytes during winter, with low risk of infection spillover to resident birds.
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75
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Evolutionary ecology, taxonomy, and systematics of avian malaria and related parasites. Acta Trop 2020; 204:105364. [PMID: 32007445 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Haemoproteus are one of the most prevalent and widely studied groups of parasites infecting birds. Plasmodium is the most well-known haemosporidian as the avian parasite Plasmodium relictum was the original transmission model for human malaria and was also responsible for catastrophic effects on native avifauna when introduced to Hawaii. The past two decades have seen a dramatic increase in research on avian haemosporidian parasites as a model system to understand evolutionary and ecological parasite-host relationships. Despite haemosporidians being one the best studied groups of avian parasites their specialization among avian hosts and variation in prevalence amongst regions and host taxa are not fully understood. In this review we focus on describing the current phylogenetic and morphological diversity of haemosporidian parasites, their specificity among avian and vector hosts, and identifying the determinants of haemosporidian prevalence among avian species. We also discuss how these parasites might spread across regions due to global climate change and the importance of avian migratory behavior in parasite dispersion and subsequent diversification.
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76
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Evolution of Host Specificity by Malaria Parasites through Altered Mechanisms Controlling Genome Maintenance. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.03272-19. [PMID: 32184256 PMCID: PMC7078485 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03272-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains one of the most prevalent and deadly infectious diseases of the developing world, causing approximately 228 million clinical cases and nearly half a million deaths annually. The disease is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium, and of the five species capable of infecting humans, infections with P. falciparum are the most severe. In addition to the parasites that infect people, there are hundreds of additional species that infect birds, reptiles, and other mammals, each exquisitely evolved to meet the specific challenges inherent to survival within their respective hosts. By comparing the unique strategies that each species has evolved, key insights into host-parasite interactions can be gained, including discoveries regarding the pathogenesis of human disease. Here, we describe the surprising observation that closely related parasites with different hosts have evolved remarkably different methods for repairing their genomes. This observation has important implications for the ability of parasites to maintain chronic infections and for the development of host immunity. The protozoan parasites that cause malaria infect a wide variety of vertebrate hosts, including birds, reptiles, and mammals, and the evolutionary pressures inherent to the host-parasite relationship have profoundly shaped the genomes of both host and parasite. Here, we report that these selective pressures have resulted in unexpected alterations to one of the most basic aspects of eukaryotic biology, the maintenance of genome integrity through DNA repair. Malaria parasites that infect humans continuously generate genetic diversity within their antigen-encoding gene families through frequent ectopic recombination between gene family members, a process that is a crucial feature of the persistence of malaria globally. The continuous generation of antigen diversity ensures that different parasite isolates are antigenically distinct, thus preventing extensive cross-reactive immunity and enabling parasites to maintain stable transmission within human populations. However, the molecular basis of the recombination between gene family members is not well understood. Through computational analyses of the antigen-encoding, multicopy gene families of different Plasmodium species, we report the unexpected observation that malaria parasites that infect rodents do not display the same degree of antigen diversity as observed in Plasmodium falciparum and appear to undergo significantly less ectopic recombination. Using comparative genomics, we also identify key molecular components of the diversification process, thus shedding new light on how malaria parasites balance the maintenance of genome integrity with the requirement for continuous genetic diversification.
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77
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Venugopal K, Hentzschel F, Valkiūnas G, Marti M. Plasmodium asexual growth and sexual development in the haematopoietic niche of the host. Nat Rev Microbiol 2020; 18:177-189. [PMID: 31919479 PMCID: PMC7223625 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0306-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium spp. parasites are the causative agents of malaria in humans and animals, and they are exceptionally diverse in their morphology and life cycles. They grow and develop in a wide range of host environments, both within blood-feeding mosquitoes, their definitive hosts, and in vertebrates, which are intermediate hosts. This diversity is testament to their exceptional adaptability and poses a major challenge for developing effective strategies to reduce the disease burden and transmission. Following one asexual amplification cycle in the liver, parasites reach high burdens by rounds of asexual replication within red blood cells. A few of these blood-stage parasites make a developmental switch into the sexual stage (or gametocyte), which is essential for transmission. The bone marrow, in particular the haematopoietic niche (in rodents, also the spleen), is a major site of parasite growth and sexual development. This Review focuses on our current understanding of blood-stage parasite development and vascular and tissue sequestration, which is responsible for disease symptoms and complications, and when involving the bone marrow, provides a niche for asexual replication and gametocyte development. Understanding these processes provides an opportunity for novel therapies and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kannan Venugopal
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Franziska Hentzschel
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Matthias Marti
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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78
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Nebel C, Harl J, Pajot A, Weissenböck H, Amar A, Sumasgutner P. High prevalence and genetic diversity of Haemoproteus columbae (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) in feral pigeons Columba livia in Cape Town, South Africa. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:447-463. [PMID: 31883048 PMCID: PMC6985069 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06558-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we explore blood parasite prevalence, infection intensity, and co-infection levels in an urban population of feral pigeons Columba livia in Cape Town. We analyze the effect of blood parasites on host body condition and the association between melanin expression in the host's plumage and parasite infection intensity and co-infection levels. Relating to the haemosporidian parasite itself, we study their genetic diversity by means of DNA barcoding (cytochrome b) and show the geographic and host distribution of related parasite lineages in pigeons worldwide. Blood from 195 C. livia individuals was collected from April to June 2018. Morphometric measurements and plumage melanism were recorded from every captured bird. Haemosporidian prevalence and infection intensity were determined by screening blood smears and parasite lineages by DNA sequencing. Prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. was high at 96.9%. The body condition of the hosts was negatively associated with infection intensity. However, infection intensity was unrelated to plumage melanism. The cytochrome b sequences revealed the presence of four Haemoproteus lineages in our population of pigeons, which show high levels of co-occurrence within individual birds. Three lineages (HAECOL1, COLIV03, COQUI05) belong to Haemoproteus columbae and differ only by 0.1% to 0.8% in the cytochrome b gene. Another lineage (COLIV06) differs by 8.3% from the latter ones and is not linked to a morphospecies, yet. No parasites of the genera Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium were detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Nebel
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Josef Harl
- Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adrien Pajot
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Bordeaux Sciences Agro, 1 Cours du Général de Gaulle, Gradignan, France
| | | | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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79
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Galen SC, Borner J, Williamson JL, Witt CC, Perkins SL. Metatranscriptomics yields new genomic resources and sensitive detection of infections for diverse blood parasites. Mol Ecol Resour 2019; 20:14-28. [PMID: 31507097 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Metatranscriptomics is a powerful method for studying the composition and function of complex microbial communities. The application of metatranscriptomics to multispecies parasite infections is of particular interest, as research on parasite evolution and diversification has been hampered by technical challenges to genome-scale DNA sequencing. In particular, blood parasites of vertebrates are abundant and diverse although they often occur at low infection intensities and exist as multispecies infections, rendering the isolation of genomic sequence data challenging. Here, we use birds and their diverse haemosporidian parasites to illustrate the potential for metatranscriptome sequencing to generate large quantities of genome-wide sequence data from multiple blood parasite species simultaneously. We used RNA-sequencing of 24 blood samples from songbirds in North America to show that metatranscriptomes can yield large proportions of haemosporidian protein-coding gene repertoires even when infections are of low intensity (<0.1% red blood cells infected) and consist of multiple parasite taxa. By bioinformatically separating host and parasite transcripts and assigning them to the haemosporidian genus of origin, we found that transcriptomes detected ~23% more total parasite infections across all samples than were identified using microscopy and DNA barcoding. For single-species infections, we obtained data for >1,300 loci from samples with as low as 0.03% parasitaemia, with the number of loci increasing with infection intensity. In total, we provide data for 1,502 single-copy orthologous loci from a phylogenetically diverse set of 33 haemosporidian mitochondrial lineages. The metatranscriptomic approach described here has the potential to accelerate ecological and evolutionary research on haemosporidians and other diverse parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C Galen
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA.,Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Janus Borner
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA.,Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jessie L Williamson
- Department of Biology, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Christopher C Witt
- Department of Biology, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Susan L Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
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80
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Harris DJ, Santos JL, Borges-Nojosa DM, de Castro DP. Molecular Screening of Plasmodium (Haemosporidia: Plasmodiidae) Parasites from Reptiles in Brazil. J Parasitol 2019. [DOI: 10.1645/18-149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- D. James Harris
- CIBIO/InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Joana L. Santos
- CIBIO/InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Diva Maria Borges-Nojosa
- CIBIO/InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Déborah Praciano de Castro
- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de Biologia, Núcleo Regional de Ofiologia da Ufc (Nurof-Ufc), Campus do Pici, Bloco 905, Cep 60.440-554, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
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81
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Galen SC, Speer KA, Perkins SL. Evolutionary lability of host associations promotes phylogenetic overdispersion of co‐infecting blood parasites. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1936-1949. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C. Galen
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
- Richard Gilder Graduate School American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Kelly A. Speer
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
- Richard Gilder Graduate School American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Susan L. Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
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Chagas CRF, Bukauskaitė D, Ilgūnas M, Bernotienė R, Iezhova T, Valkiūnas G. Sporogony of four Haemoproteus species (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae), with report of in vitro ookinetes of Haemoproteus hirundinis: phylogenetic inference indicates patterns of haemosporidian parasite ookinete development. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:422. [PMID: 31462309 PMCID: PMC6714444 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3679-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) species (Haemoproteidae) are widespread blood parasites that can cause disease in birds, but information about their vector species, sporogonic development and transmission remain fragmentary. This study aimed to investigate the complete sporogonic development of four Haemoproteus species in Culicoides nubeculosus and to test if phylogenies based on the cytochrome b gene (cytb) reflect patterns of ookinete development in haemosporidian parasites. Additionally, one cytb lineage of Haemoproteus was identified to the species level and the in vitro gametogenesis and ookinete development of Haemoproteus hirundinis was characterised. METHODS Laboratory-reared C. nubeculosus were exposed by allowing them to take blood meals on naturally infected birds harbouring single infections of Haemoproteus belopolskyi (cytb lineage hHIICT1), Haemoproteus hirundinis (hDELURB2), Haemoproteus nucleocondensus (hGRW01) and Haemoproteus lanii (hRB1). Infected insects were dissected at intervals in order to detect sporogonic stages. In vitro exflagellation, gametogenesis and ookinete development of H. hirundinis were also investigated. Microscopic examination and PCR-based methods were used to confirm species identity. Bayesian phylogenetic inference was applied to study the relationships among Haemoproteus lineages. RESULTS All studied parasites completed sporogony in C. nubeculosus. Ookinetes and sporozoites were found and described. Development of H. hirundinis ookinetes was similar both in vivo and in vitro. Developing ookinetes of this parasite possess long outgrowths, which extend longitudinally and produce the apical end of the ookinetes. A large group of closely related Haemoproteus species with a similar mode of ookinete development was determined. Bayesian analysis indicates that this character has phylogenetic value. The species identity of cytb lineage hDELURB2 was determined: it belongs to H. hirundinis. CONCLUSIONS Culicoides nubeculosus is susceptible to and is a likely natural vector of numerous species of Haemoproteus parasites, thus worth attention in haemoproteosis epidemiology research. Data about in vitro development of haemoproteids provide valuable information about the rate of ookinete maturation and are recommended to use as helpful step during vector studies of haemosporidian parasites, particularly because they guide proper dissection interval of infected insects for ookinete detection during in vivo experiments. Additionally, in vitro studies readily identified patterns of morphological ookinete transformations, the characters of which are of phylogenetic value in haemosporidian parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dovilė Bukauskaitė
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Mikas Ilgūnas
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rasa Bernotienė
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Tatjana Iezhova
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Gediminas Valkiūnas
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
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83
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Wilcox JS, Kerschner A, Hollocher H. Indel-informed Bayesian analysis suggests cryptic population structure between Plasmodium knowlesi of humans and long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Malaysian Borneo. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2019; 75:103994. [PMID: 31421245 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.103994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium knowlesi is an important causative agent of malaria in humans of Southeast Asia. Macaques are natural hosts for this parasite, but little is conclusively known about its patterns of transmission within and between these hosts. Here, we apply a comprehensive phylogenetic approach to test for patterns of cryptic population genetic structure between P. knowlesi isolated from humans and long-tailed macaques from the state of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. Our approach differs from previous investigations through our exhaustive use of archival 18S Small Subunit rRNA (18S) gene sequences from Plasmodium and Hepatocystis species, our inclusion of insertion and deletion information during phylogenetic inference, and our application of Bayesian phylogenetic inference to this problem. We report distinct clades of P. knowlesi that predominantly contained sequences from either human or macaque hosts for paralogous A-type and S-type 18S gene loci. We report significant partitioning of sequence distances between host species across both types of loci, and confirmed that sequences of the same locus type showed significantly biased assortment into different clades depending on their host species. Our results support the zoonotic potential of Plasmodium knowlesi, but also suggest that humans may be preferentially infected with certain strains of this parasite. Broadly, such patterns could arise through preferential zoonotic transmission of some parasite lineages or a disposition of parasites to transmit within, rather than between, human and macaque hosts. Available data are insufficient to address these hypotheses. Our results suggest that the epidemiology of P. knowlesi may be more complicated than previously assumed, and highlight the need for renewed and more vigorous explorations of transmission patterns in the fifth human malarial parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- JustinJ S Wilcox
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5688, USA.
| | - Abigail Kerschner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5688, USA
| | - Hope Hollocher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5688, USA
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84
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Survey of Hepatocystis parasites of fruit bats in the Amurum forest reserve, Nigeria, identifies first host record for Rousettus aegyptiacus. Parasitology 2019; 146:1550-1554. [PMID: 31298168 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019000817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Hepatocystis are close relatives of Plasmodium that frequently infect epauletted fruit bats across West and East Africa. Our understanding of susceptible hosts and prevalence of infection of Hepatocystis remains fragmented. Non-invasive sampling of bat assemblages in representative habitats critically contribute to haemosporidian parasite distribution maps. Here, we report on a survey of Hepatocystis parasite infections in bats undertaken over two consecutive years in a protected area in Nigeria, where prevalence and diversity of bat-infecting haemosporidian parasites have not been studied. Microscopic examination of blood films in combination with PCR detection and sequencing revealed Hepatocystis infections with prevalences of 25% and 42% in the closely related epauletted fruit bats Epomophorus sp. and Micropteropus pusillus. For the first time, mature Hepatocystis gametocytes were identified in one Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). This novel host record was confirmed by parasite and host genotyping and suggests that Hepatocystis parasites have a broader host distribution in African fruit bats than currently known.
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85
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Ngotho P, Soares AB, Hentzschel F, Achcar F, Bertuccini L, Marti M. Revisiting gametocyte biology in malaria parasites. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2019; 43:401-414. [PMID: 31220244 PMCID: PMC6606849 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gametocytes are the only form of the malaria parasite that is transmissible to the mosquito vector. They are present at low levels in blood circulation and significant knowledge gaps exist in their biology. Recent reductions in the global malaria burden have brought the possibility of elimination and eradication, with renewed focus on malaria transmission biology as a basis for interventions. This review discusses recent insights into gametocyte biology in the major human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum and related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Ngotho
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, 120 University Road, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Alexandra Blancke Soares
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, 120 University Road, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Franziska Hentzschel
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, 120 University Road, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Fiona Achcar
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, 120 University Road, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Lucia Bertuccini
- Core Facilities, Microscopy Area, Instituto Superiore di Sanita, Via Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Matthias Marti
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, 120 University Road, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK.,Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, MA, USA
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86
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Sharma R, Gupta RS. Novel Molecular Synapomorphies Demarcate Different Main Groups/Subgroups of Plasmodium and Piroplasmida Species Clarifying Their Evolutionary Relationships. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10070490. [PMID: 31261747 PMCID: PMC6678196 DOI: 10.3390/genes10070490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The class Hematozoa encompasses several clinically important genera, including Plasmodium, whose members cause the major life-threating disease malaria. Hence, a good understanding of the interrelationships of organisms from this class and reliable means for distinguishing them are of much importance. This study reports comprehensive phylogenetic and comparative analyses on protein sequences on the genomes of 28 hematozoa species to understand their interrelationships. In addition to phylogenetic trees based on two large datasets of protein sequences, detailed comparative analyses were carried out on the genomes of hematozoa species to identify novel molecular synapomorphies consisting of conserved signature indels (CSIs) in protein sequences. These studies have identified 79 CSIs that are exclusively present in specific groups of Hematozoa/Plasmodium species, also supported by phylogenetic analysis, providing reliable means for the identification of these species groups and understanding their interrelationships. Of these CSIs, six CSIs are specifically shared by all hematozoa species, two CSIs serve to distinguish members of the order Piroplasmida, five CSIs are uniquely found in all Piroplasmida species except B. microti and two CSIs are specific for the genus Theileria. Additionally, we also describe 23 CSIs that are exclusively present in all genome-sequenced Plasmodium species and two, nine, ten and eight CSIs which are specific for members of the Plasmodium subgenera Haemamoeba, Laverania, Vinckeia and Plasmodium (excluding P. ovale and P. malariae), respectively. Additionally, our work has identified several CSIs that support species relationships which are not evident from phylogenetic analysis. Of these CSIs, one CSI supports the ancestral nature of the avian-Plasmodium species in comparison to the mammalian-infecting groups of Plasmodium species, four CSIs strongly support a specific relationship of species between the subgenera Plasmodium and Vinckeia and three CSIs each that reliably group P. malariae with members of the subgenus Plasmodium and P. ovale within the subgenus Vinckeia, respectively. These results provide a reliable framework for understanding the evolutionary relationships among the Plasmodium/Piroplasmida species. Further, in view of the exclusivity of the described molecular markers for the indicated groups of hematozoa species, particularly large numbers of unique characteristics that are specific for all Plasmodium species, they provide important molecular tools for biochemical/genetic studies and for developing novel diagnostics and therapeutics for these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada.
| | - Radhey S Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada.
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87
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Fecchio A, Collins MD, Bell JA, García-Trejo EA, Sánchez-González LA, Dispoto JH, Rice NH, Weckstein JD. Bird Tissues from Museum Collections are Reliable for Assessing Avian Haemosporidian Diversity. J Parasitol 2019. [DOI: 10.1645/18-130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alan Fecchio
- Laboratório de Evolução e Biogeografia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA 40170115, Brazil
| | | | - Jeffrey A. Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201
| | - Erick A. García-Trejo
- Unidad de Informática para la Biodiversidad, UniCiencias. Departamento Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Luis A. Sánchez-González
- Museo de Zoología “Alfonso L. Herrera”, Depto. de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Apdo. Postal 70-399, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Janice H. Dispoto
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
| | - Nathan H. Rice
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
| | - Jason D. Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
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88
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Fecchio A, Bell JA, Pinheiro RB, Cueto VR, Gorosito CA, Lutz HL, Gaiotti MG, Paiva LV, França LF, Toledo‐Lima G, Tolentino M, Pinho JB, Tkach VV, Fontana CS, Grande JM, Santillán MA, Caparroz R, Roos AL, Bessa R, Nogueira W, Moura T, Nolasco EC, Comiche KJ, Kirchgatter K, Guimarães LO, Dispoto JH, Marini MÂ, Weckstein JD, Batalha‐Filho H, Collins MD. Avian host composition, local speciation and dispersal drive the regional assembly of avian malaria parasites in South American birds. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:2681-2693. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alan Fecchio
- Laboratório de Evolução e Biogeografia Universidade Federal da Bahia Salvador Brazil
| | - Jeffrey A. Bell
- Department of Biology University of North Dakota Grand Forks North Dakota
| | - Rafael B.P. Pinheiro
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte Brazil
| | - Victor R. Cueto
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP) CONICET – Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco Esquel, Chubut Argentina
| | - Cristian A. Gorosito
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP) CONICET – Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco Esquel, Chubut Argentina
| | - Holly L. Lutz
- Department of Surgery University of Chicago Chicago Illinios
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History Chicago Illinios
| | - Milene G. Gaiotti
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade de Brasília Brasília Brazil
| | - Luciana V. Paiva
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Populações Animais, Departamento de Biociências Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido Mossoró Brazil
| | - Leonardo F. França
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Populações Animais, Departamento de Biociências Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido Mossoró Brazil
| | - Guilherme Toledo‐Lima
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Centro de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Natal Brazil
| | - Mariana Tolentino
- Laboratório de Evolução e Comportamento Animal, Coordenação de Biodiversidade Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Manaus Brazil
| | - João B. Pinho
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Aves Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Cuiabá Brazil
| | - Vasyl V. Tkach
- Department of Biology University of North Dakota Grand Forks North Dakota
| | - Carla S. Fontana
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia e Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade PUCRS Porto Alegre Brazil
| | - Juan Manuel Grande
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de La Pampa Santa Rosa Argentina
| | - Miguel A. Santillán
- División Zoología Museo de Historia Natural de la Provincia de La Pampa Santa Rosa Argentina
| | - Renato Caparroz
- Laboratório de Genética e Biodiversidade, Departamento de Genética e Morfologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasilia Brasília Brazil
| | - Andrei L. Roos
- Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade Florianópolis Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Florianópolis Brazil
| | | | - Wagner Nogueira
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Manejo e Conservação de Ecossistemas Naturais e Agrários, Universidade Federal de Viçosa Florestal Brazil
| | - Thiago Moura
- Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana Feira de Santana Brazil
| | - Erica C. Nolasco
- Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana Feira de Santana Brazil
| | - Kiba J.M. Comiche
- Núcleo de Estudos em Malária Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo Brazil
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Núcleo de Estudos em Malária Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo Brazil
| | - Lilian O. Guimarães
- Núcleo de Estudos em Malária Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo Brazil
| | - Janice H. Dispoto
- Department of Ornithology Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Philadelphia Pennsylvania
| | - Miguel Â. Marini
- Departamento de Zoologia Universidade de Brasília Brasília Brazil
| | - Jason D. Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Philadelphia Pennsylvania
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science Drexel University Philadelphia Pennsylvania
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89
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Ecology, not distance, explains community composition in parasites of sky-island Audubon’s Warblers. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:437-448. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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90
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Barrow LN, Allen JM, Huang X, Bensch S, Witt CC. Genomic sequence capture of haemosporidian parasites: Methods and prospects for enhanced study of host-parasite evolution. Mol Ecol Resour 2019; 19:400-410. [PMID: 30554480 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Avian malaria and related haemosporidians (Plasmodium, [Para]Haemoproteus and Leucocytoozoon) represent an exciting multihost, multiparasite system in ecology and evolution. Global research in this field accelerated after the publication in 2000 of PCR protocols to sequence a haemosporidian mitochondrial (mtDNA) barcode and the development in 2009 of an open-access database to document the geographic and host ranges of parasite mtDNA haplotypes. Isolating haemosporidian nuclear DNA from bird hosts, however, has been technically challenging, slowing the transition to genomic-scale sequencing techniques. We extend a recently developed sequence capture method to obtain hundreds of haemosporidian nuclear loci from wild bird samples, which typically have low levels of infection, or parasitemia. We tested 51 infected birds from Peru and New Mexico and evaluated locus recovery in light of variation in parasitemia, divergence from reference sequences and pooling strategies. Our method was successful for samples with parasitemia as low as ~0.02% (2 of 10,000 blood cells infected) and mtDNA divergence as high as 15.9% (one Leucocytozoonsample), and using the most cost-effective pooling strategy tested. Phylogenetic relationships estimated with >300 nuclear loci were well resolved, providing substantial improvement over the mtDNA barcode. We provide protocols for sample preparation and sequence capture including custom probe sequences and describe our bioinformatics pipeline using atram 2.0, phyluce and custom Perl/Python scripts. This approach can be applied to thousands of avian samples that have already been found to have haemosporidian infections of at least moderate intensity, greatly improving our understanding of parasite speciation, biogeography and evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Barrow
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Julie M Allen
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
| | - Xi Huang
- Department of Biology, Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christopher C Witt
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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91
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Barrow LN, McNew SM, Mitchell N, Galen SC, Lutz HL, Skeen H, Valqui T, Weckstein JD, Witt CC. Deeply conserved susceptibility in a multi-host, multi-parasite system. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:987-998. [PMID: 30912262 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Variation in susceptibility is ubiquitous in multi-host, multi-parasite assemblages, and can have profound implications for ecology and evolution in these systems. The extent to which susceptibility to parasites is phylogenetically conserved among hosts can be revealed by analysing diverse regional communities. We screened for haemosporidian parasites in 3983 birds representing 40 families and 523 species, spanning ~ 4500 m elevation in the tropical Andes. To quantify the influence of host phylogeny on infection status, we applied Bayesian phylogenetic multilevel models that included a suite of environmental, spatial, temporal, life history and ecological predictors. We found evidence of deeply conserved susceptibility across the avian tree; host phylogeny explained substantial variation in infection status, and results were robust to phylogenetic uncertainty. Our study suggests that susceptibility is governed, in part, by conserved, latent aspects of anti-parasite defence. This demonstrates the importance of deep phylogeny for understanding present-day ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Barrow
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.,Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Sabrina M McNew
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.,Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Nora Mitchell
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Spencer C Galen
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.,Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics & Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA.,Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA.,Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA
| | - Holly L Lutz
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Heather Skeen
- Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA.,Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Thomas Valqui
- Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI), Lima, Perú
| | - Jason D Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA.,Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA.,Integrative Research Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Christopher C Witt
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.,Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
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92
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Davidson G, Chua TH, Cook A, Speldewinde P, Weinstein P. Defining the ecological and evolutionary drivers of Plasmodium knowlesi transmission within a multi-scale framework. Malar J 2019; 18:66. [PMID: 30849978 PMCID: PMC6408765 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2693-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium knowlesi is a zoonotic malaria parasite normally residing in long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis and Macaca nemestrina, respectively) found throughout Southeast Asia. Recently, knowlesi malaria has become the predominant malaria affecting humans in Malaysian Borneo, being responsible for approximately 70% of reported cases. Largely as a result of anthropogenic land use changes in Borneo, vectors which transmit the parasite, along with macaque hosts, are both now frequently found in disturbed forest habitats, or at the forest fringes, thus having more frequent contact with humans. Having access to human hosts provides the parasite with the opportunity to further its adaption to the human immune system. The ecological drivers of the transmission and spread of P. knowlesi are operating over many different spatial (and, therefore, temporal) scales, from the molecular to the continental. Strategies to prevent and manage zoonoses, such as P. knowlesi malaria require interdisciplinary research exploring the impact of land use change and biodiversity loss on the evolving relationship between parasite, reservoir hosts, vectors, and humans over multiple spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gael Davidson
- School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Stirling Terrace, Albany, WA, 6330, Australia. .,School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
| | - Tock H Chua
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Angus Cook
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Peter Speldewinde
- School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Stirling Terrace, Albany, WA, 6330, Australia
| | - Philip Weinstein
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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Videvall E. Genomic Advances in Avian Malaria Research. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:254-266. [PMID: 30642725 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporidian parasites causing malaria-like diseases in birds are globally distributed and have been associated with reduced host fitness and mortality in susceptible bird species. This group of parasites has not only enabled a greater understanding of host specificity, virulence, and parasite dispersal, but has also been crucial in restructuring the evolutionary history of apicomplexans. Despite their importance, genomic resources of avian haemosporidians have proved difficult to obtain, and they have, as a result, been lagging behind the congeneric Plasmodium species infecting mammals. In this review, I discuss recent genomic advances in the field of avian malaria research, and outline outstanding questions that will become possible to investigate with the continued successful efforts to generate avian haemosporidian genomic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Videvall
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
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94
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Rosskopf SP, Held J, Gmeiner M, Mordmüller B, Matsiégui PB, Eckerle I, Weber N, Matuschewski K, Schaer J. Nycteria and Polychromophilus parasite infections of bats in Central Gabon. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2018; 68:30-34. [PMID: 30508688 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporida are arthropod-borne blood parasites that infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including numerous species of bats. Here, we present data of haemosporidian infections in different bat species that were surveyed in Ngounié province, Gabon. We detected Nycteria parasites in Rhinolophus bats and Polychromophilus in Miniopterus minor, a rare and poorly known bat species. Strikingly, no Hepatocystis parasites, which are abundant in epauletted fruit bats elsewhere in Africa, were detected. Our findings suggest that Hepatocystis infections in bats display diverse regional patterns of distribution and transmission dynamics, that cannot be predicted from host abundance. Nycteria parasites are widely distributed in several African rhinolophid species and Polychromophilus parasites of diverse Miniopterus species worldwide belong to the same parasite species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha P Rosskopf
- Dept. of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jana Held
- Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus Gmeiner
- Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany; Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Gabon
| | - Benjamin Mordmüller
- Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany; Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Gabon
| | | | | | | | - Kai Matuschewski
- Dept. of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Parasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Dept. of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution, Berlin, Germany; Parasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany; Dept. of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
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95
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Combining morphological and molecular data to reconstruct the phylogeny of avian Haemosporida. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:1137-1148. [PMID: 30367869 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The traditional classification of avian Haemosporida is based mainly on morphology and life history traits. Recently, molecular hypotheses have challenged the traditional classification, leading to contradictory opinions on whether morphology is phylogenetically informative. However, the morphology has never been used to reconstruct the relationships within the group. We inferred the phylogeny of avian Haemosporida from 133 morphological characters present in blood stages. We included all species with at least one mitochondrial gene characterized (n = 93). The morphological hypothesis was compared with the one retrieved from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) nucleotide sequences and a hypothesis that used a combination of morphological and molecular data (i.e., total evidence). In order to recover the evolutionary history and identify phylogenetically and taxonomically informative characters, they were mapped on the total evidence phylogeny. The morphological hypothesis presented more polytomies than the other two, especially within Haemoproteus. In the molecular hypothesis, the two Haemoproteus subgenera are paraphyletic, and some relationships within Parahaemoproteus were resolved. By combining the morphological and molecular data, we were able to resolve the majority of polytomies and posterior probabilities increased. We identified a unique combination of morphological traits, clearly differentiating avian Haemosporida genera, sub-genera of Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus, and some Plasmodium sub-genera. Plasmodium had the highest number of synapomorphies. Furthermore, 86% of the species presented a unique combination of taxonomically informative characters. A limiting factor was the mismatch of traits characterized in species descriptions, leading to a morphological matrix with a considerable amount of missing data, particularly for the stages of early young and young gametocytes (67% of all missing data). Characters lacking information for the majority of species included the colour of pigment granules, the cytoplasm appearance, and the presence and dimensions of vacuoles. According to our results, the combination of morphology and mtDNA proved to be a robust alternative to reconstruct the relationships among avian Haemosporida, obtaining a resolution and support similar to that obtained using full mitochondrial genome sequences for over 100 lineages.
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96
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The drivers and consequences of unstable Plasmodium dynamics: a long-term study of three malaria parasite species infecting a tropical lizard. Parasitology 2018; 146:453-461. [PMID: 30319084 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182018001750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the consequences of environmental fluctuations for parasite dynamics requires a long-term view stretching over many transmission cycles. Here we studied the dynamics of three malaria parasites (Plasmodium azurophilum, P. leucocytica and P. floridense) infecting the lizard Anolis gundlachi, in the rainforest of Puerto Rico. In this malaria-anole system we evaluated temporal fluctuations in individual probability of infection, the environmental drivers of observed variation and consequences for host body condition and Plasmodium parasites assemblage. We conducted a total of 15 surveys including 10 from 1990 to 2002 and five from 2015 to 2017. During the early years, a lizard's probability of infection by all Plasmodium species appeared stable despite disturbances ranging from two hurricanes to short droughts. Over a longer timescale, probability of infection and overall prevalence varied significantly, following non-linear relationships with temperature and rainfall such that highest prevalence is expected at intermediate climate measures. A perplexing result was that host body condition was maximized at intermediate levels of rainfall and/or temperature (when risk of infection was highest), yet we found no significant decreases in body condition due to infection. Plasmodium parasite species composition varied through time with a reduction and near local extinction of P. floridense. Our results emphasize the need for long-term studies to reveal host-parasite dynamics, their drivers and consequences.
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97
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Galen SC, Nunes R, Sweet PR, Perkins SL. Integrating coalescent species delimitation with analysis of host specificity reveals extensive cryptic diversity despite minimal mitochondrial divergence in the malaria parasite genus Leucocytozoon. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:128. [PMID: 30165810 PMCID: PMC6117968 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1242-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coalescent methods that use multi-locus sequence data are powerful tools for identifying putatively reproductively isolated lineages, though this approach has rarely been used for the study of microbial groups that are likely to harbor many unrecognized species. Among microbial symbionts, integrating genetic species delimitation methods with trait data that could indicate reproductive isolation, such as host specificity data, has rarely been used despite its potential to inform species limits. Here we test the ability of an integrative approach combining genetic and host specificity data to delimit species within the avian malaria parasite genus Leucocytozoon in central Alaska. RESULTS We sequenced seven nuclear loci for 69 Leucocytozoon samples and used multiple species delimitation methods (GMYC and BPP models), tested for differences in host infection patterns among putative species based on 406 individual infections, and characterized parasite morphology. We found that cryptic morphology has masked a highly diverse Leucocytozoon assemblage, with most species delimitation methods recovering support for at least 21 separate species that occur sympatrically and have divergent host infection patterns. Reproductive isolation among putative species appears to have evolved despite low mtDNA divergence, and in one instance two Leucocytozoon cytb haplotypes that differed by a single base pair (~ 0.2% divergence) were supported as separate species. However, there was no consistent association between mtDNA divergence and species limits. Among cytb haplotypes that differed by one to three base pairs we observed idiosyncratic patterns of nuclear and ecological divergence, with cytb haplotype pairs found to be either conspecific, reproductively isolated with no divergence in host specificity, or reproductively isolated with divergent patterns of host specialization. CONCLUSION Integrating multi-locus genetic species delimitation methods and non-traditional ecological data types such as host specificity provide a novel view of the diversity of avian malaria parasites that has been missed previously using morphology and mtDNA barcodes. Species delimitation methods show that Leucocytozoon is highly species-rich in Alaska, and the genus is likely to harbor extraordinary species-level diversity worldwide. Integrating genetic and ecological data will be an important approach for understanding the diversity and evolutionary history of microbial symbionts moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C. Galen
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 USA
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Renato Nunes
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Paul R. Sweet
- Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 USA
| | - Susan L. Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024 USA
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98
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Schaer J, McMichael L, Gordon AN, Russell D, Matuschewski K, Perkins SL, Field H, Power M. Phylogeny of Hepatocystis parasites of Australian flying foxes reveals distinct parasite clade. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2018; 7:207-212. [PMID: 29988481 PMCID: PMC6024243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocystis parasites are close relatives of mammalian Plasmodium species and infect a range of primates and bats. Here, we present the phylogenetic relationships of Hepatocystis parasites of three Australian flying fox species. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis revealed that Hepatocystis parasites of Pteropus species from Australia and Asia form a distinct clade that is sister to all other Hepatocystis parasites of primates and bats from Africa and Asia. No patterns of host specificity were recovered within the Pteropus-specific parasite clade and the Hepatocystis sequences from all three Australian host species sampled fell into two divergent clades. First molecular phylogeny of Hepatocystis parasites in Australian flying foxes. Hepatocystis parasites of Pteropus form a distinct clade. Lack of host species specificity as distinct hallmark of Hepatocystis parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Schaer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, 2109, Australia.,Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lee McMichael
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Gatton, QLD, 4343, Australia
| | - Anita N Gordon
- Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory, Health and Food Science Precinct, 39 Kessels Rd, Coopers Plains, Queensland, 4108, Australia
| | - Daniel Russell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, 2109, Australia
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susan L Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Hume Field
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, NY, 10001, USA
| | - Michelle Power
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, 2109, Australia
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