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Gérard C, De Tombeur Y, Dahirel M, Ansart A. Land snails can trap trematode cercariae in their shell: Encapsulation as a general response against parasites? Parasite 2023; 30:1. [PMID: 36656045 PMCID: PMC9879143 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2023001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial gastropods are hosts of a wide variety of metazoan parasites and can respond to parasite exposure in various ways. One of these defence mechanisms, the ability to trap parasites in the host shell, was previously thought to apply only against nematodes. During a field survey along an urbanisation gradient, we found that the shell of Cornu aspersum and Cepaea nemoralis can contain encapsulated trematode cercariae, with prevalences of 7% and 1%, respectively over the entire sample, and up to 47% at the local population level. To our knowledge, this is the first case study unambiguously showing that land snails can trap non-nematode parasites in their shell at non-negligible prevalences. Shell-encapsulation could be a more general defence mechanism than previously described, and more studies are needed to understand its importance and variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Gérard
- Université de Rennes, UR1, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, évolution), UMR 6553 35000 Rennes France,Corresponding author:
| | - Youna De Tombeur
- Université de Rennes, UR1, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, évolution), UMR 6553 35000 Rennes France
| | - Maxime Dahirel
- Department of Biology, Ghent University 9000 Ghent Belgium
| | - Armelle Ansart
- Université de Rennes, UR1, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, évolution), UMR 6553 35000 Rennes France
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2
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Okamura B, Gruhl A, De Baets K. Evolutionary transitions of parasites between freshwater and marine environments. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:345-356. [PMID: 35604852 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary transitions of organisms between environments have long fascinated biologists but attention has focused almost exclusively on free-living organisms and challenges to achieve such transitions. This bias requires addressing because parasites are a major component of biodiversity. We address this imbalance by focusing on transitions of parasitic animals between marine and freshwater environments. We highlight parasite traits and processes that may influence transition likelihood (e.g. transmission mode, life cycle, host use), and consider mechanisms and directions of transitions. Evidence for transitions in deep time and at present are described, and transitions in our changing world are considered. We propose that environmental transitions may be facilitated for endoparasites because hosts reduce exposure to physiologically challenging environments and argue that adoption of an endoparasitic lifestyle entails an equivalent transitioning process as organisms switch from living in one environment (e.g. freshwater, seawater, or air) to living symbiotically within hosts. Environmental transitions of parasites have repeatedly resulted in novel forms and diversification, contributing to the tree of life. Recognising the potential processes underlying present-day and future environmental transitions is crucial in view of our changing world and the current biodiversity crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Okamura
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kenneth De Baets
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, Warsaw 02-089, Poland
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3
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Naldoni J, Okamura B, Hartikainen H, Corrêa LL, Adriano EA. Broad but restricted detection of malacosporeans in a Neotropical cradle of diversification. Parasitology 2021; 148:511-518. [PMID: 33298205 PMCID: PMC10950377 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020002322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This study undertook the first investigation of malacosporean infections in Neotropical fish. We used polymerase chain reaction detection with a primer set generally targeting known malacosporeans to assay for infection in the kidney of 146 fish in 21 species belonging to 12 families collected from two areas in the Amazon Basin. Infections were found in 13 fish variously belonging to seven species in six families and included the first identification of a malacosporean infection in cartilaginous fish (a freshwater stingray). Based on ssrDNA, all infections represented a single Buddenbrockia species (Buddenbrockia sp. E) that demonstrates an exceptionally broad range of fish species infected, and countered our expectations of high Neotropical malacosporean diversity. Infections were characterized at varying and often high prevalences in fish species but sample sizes were small. Ascertaining whether highly divergent malacosporeans have not been detected by current primers, and more comprehensive sampling may reveal whether malacosporeans are truly as species poor in the Amazon Basin as present data suggest. Our results prompt speculations about evolutionary scenarios including introduction via marine incursions and patterns of host use over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Naldoni
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - Beth Okamura
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, LondonSW7 5BD, UK
| | - Hanna Hartikainen
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, NottinghamNG7 2RD, UK
| | - Lincoln L. Corrêa
- Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Santarém, PA, Brazil
| | - Edson A. Adriano
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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4
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Boeger WA, Kritsky DC, Patella L, Bueno‐Silva M. Phylogenetic status and historical origins of the oviparous and viviparous gyrodactylids (Monogenoidea, Gyrodactylidea). ZOOL SCR 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Walter A. Boeger
- Laboratory of Biological Interactions Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq Brasília Brazil
| | - Delane C. Kritsky
- Department of Community & Public Health College of Health Professions Idaho State University Pocatello ID USA
| | - Luciana Patella
- Laboratory of Biological Interactions Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq Brasília Brazil
| | - Marlus Bueno‐Silva
- Laboratory of Biological Interactions Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq Brasília Brazil
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5
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Gosens R, Hiemstra PS, Adcock IM, Bracke KR, Dickson RP, Hansbro PM, Krauss-Etschmann S, Smits HH, Stassen FRM, Bartel S. Host-microbe cross-talk in the lung microenvironment: implications for understanding and treating chronic lung disease. Eur Respir J 2020; 56:13993003.02320-2019. [PMID: 32430415 PMCID: PMC7439216 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02320-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Chronic respiratory diseases are highly prevalent worldwide and will continue to rise in the foreseeable future. Despite intensive efforts over recent decades, the development of novel and effective therapeutic approaches has been slow. However, there is new and increasing evidence that communities of micro-organisms in our body, the human microbiome, are crucially involved in the development and progression of chronic respiratory diseases. Understanding the detailed mechanisms underlying this cross-talk between host and microbiota is critical for development of microbiome- or host-targeted therapeutics and prevention strategies. Here we review and discuss the most recent knowledge on the continuous reciprocal interaction between the host and microbes in health and respiratory disease. Furthermore, we highlight promising developments in microbiome-based therapies and discuss the need to employ more holistic approaches of restoring both the pulmonary niche and the microbial community. The reciprocal interaction between microbes and host in the lung is increasingly recognised as an important determinant of health. The complexity of this cross-talk needs to be taken into account when studying diseases and developing future new therapies.https://bit.ly/2VKYUfT
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinoud Gosens
- University of Groningen, Dept of Molecular Pharmacology, GRIAC Research Institute, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter S Hiemstra
- Dept of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ian M Adcock
- Airways Disease, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ken R Bracke
- Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Robert P Dickson
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Philip M Hansbro
- Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute and the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.,Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, Sydney, Australia
| | - Susanne Krauss-Etschmann
- Early Life Origins of Chronic Lung Disease, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany.,Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hermelijn H Smits
- Dept of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Frank R M Stassen
- Dept of Medical Microbiology, NUTRIM - School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Sabine Bartel
- Early Life Origins of Chronic Lung Disease, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Airway Research Center North, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany .,University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Dept of Pathology and Medical Biology, GRIAC Research Institute, Groningen, The Netherlands
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6
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Maldonado LL, Arrabal JP, Rosenzvit MC, Oliveira GCD, Kamenetzky L. Revisiting the Phylogenetic History of Helminths Through Genomics, the Case of the New Echinococcus oligarthrus Genome. Front Genet 2019; 10:708. [PMID: 31440275 PMCID: PMC6692484 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The first parasitic helminth genome sequence was published in 2007; since then, only ∼200 genomes have become available, most of them being draft assemblies. Nevertheless, despite the medical and economical global impact of helminthic infections, parasite genomes in public databases are underrepresented. Recently, through an integrative approach involving morphological, genetic, and ecological aspects, we have demonstrated that the complete life cycle of Echinococcus oligarthrus (Cestoda: Taeniidae) is present in South America. The neotropical E. oligarthrus parasite is capable of developing in any felid species and producing human infections. Neotropical echinococcosis is poorly understood yet and requires a complex medical examination to provide the appropriate intervention. Only a few cases of echinococcosis have been unequivocally identified and reported as a consequence of E. oligarthrus infections. Regarding phylogenetics, the analyses of mitogenomes and nuclear datasets have resulted in discordant topologies, and there is no unequivocal taxonomic classification of Echinococcus species so far. In this work, we sequenced and assembled the genome of E. oligarthrus that was isolated from agoutis (Dasyprocta azarae) naturally infected and performed the first comparative genomic study of a neotropical Echinococcus species. The E. oligarthrus genome assembly consisted of 86.22 Mb which showed ∼90% identity and 76.3% coverage with Echinococcus multilocularis and contained the 85.0% of the total expected genes. Genetic variants analysis of whole genome revealed a higher rate of intraspecific genetic variability (23,301 SNPs; 0.22 SNPs/kb) rather than for the genomes of E. multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis G7 but lower with respect to Echinococcus granulosus G1. Comparative genomics against E. multilocularis, E. granulosus G1, and E. canadensis G7 revealed 38,762, 125,147, and 170,049 homozygous polymorphic sites, respectively, indicating a higher genetic distance between E. oligarthrus and E. granulosus sensu lato species. The SNP distribution in chromosomes revealed a higher SNP density in the longest chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis using whole-genome SNPs demonstrated that E. oligarthrus is one of the basal species of the genus Echinococcus and is phylogenetically closer to E. multilocularis. This work sheds light on the Echinococcus phylogeny and settles the basis to study sylvatic Echinococcus species and their developmental evolutionary features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas L Maldonado
- IMPaM, CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan Pablo Arrabal
- INMet, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
| | - Mara Cecilia Rosenzvit
- IMPaM, CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Laura Kamenetzky
- IMPaM, CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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7
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Oey H, Zakrzewski M, Gravermann K, Young ND, Korhonen PK, Gobert GN, Nawaratna S, Hasan S, Martínez DM, You H, Lavin M, Jones MK, Ragan MA, Stoye J, Oleaga A, Emery AM, Webster BL, Rollinson D, Gasser RB, McManus DP, Krause L. Whole-genome sequence of the bovine blood fluke Schistosoma bovis supports interspecific hybridization with S. haematobium. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007513. [PMID: 30673782 PMCID: PMC6361461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesenteric infection by the parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma bovis is a common veterinary problem in Africa and the Middle East and occasionally in the Mediterranean Region. The species also has the ability to form interspecific hybrids with the human parasite S. haematobium with natural hybridisation observed in West Africa, presenting possible zoonotic transmission. Additionally, this exchange of alleles between species may dramatically influence disease dynamics and parasite evolution. We have generated a 374 Mb assembly of the S. bovis genome using Illumina and PacBio-based technologies. Despite infecting different hosts and organs, the genome sequences of S. bovis and S. haematobium appeared strikingly similar with 97% sequence identity. The two species share 98% of protein-coding genes, with an average sequence identity of 97.3% at the amino acid level. Genome comparison identified large continuous parts of the genome (up to several 100 kb) showing almost 100% sequence identity between S. bovis and S. haematobium. It is unlikely that this is a result of genome conservation and provides further evidence of natural interspecific hybridization between S. bovis and S. haematobium. Our results suggest that foreign DNA obtained by interspecific hybridization was maintained in the population through multiple meiosis cycles and that hybrids were sexually reproductive, producing viable offspring. The S. bovis genome assembly forms a highly valuable resource for studying schistosome evolution and exploring genetic regions that are associated with species-specific phenotypic traits. In this article we detail the assembly and functional annotation of the Schistosoma bovis genome. S. bovis is a parasitic flatworm that primarily infects bovines, with important economic consequences in affected countries. However, it is also a close relative of the human carcinogenic parasite Schistosoma haematobium which is a serious health issue in many endemic countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The close relationship and overlapping geographical distribution of S. bovis and S. haematobium allows these to hybridise in the wild increasing their genetic diversity and presenting the risk of zoonotic transmission, i.e. the transmission from animals to humans. The hybridization between human and ruminant schistosomes is of particular interest as interspecific hybridization may have dramatic impacts on transmission rates, disease dynamics, control interventions and parasite evolution. By whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics we present evidence that fertile hybrids are indeed present in the wild, presenting the potential risk of transmission from animal reservoirs to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Oey
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Martha Zakrzewski
- Genetics & Computational Biology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kerstin Gravermann
- Faculty of Technology and Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Neil D. Young
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Pasi K. Korhonen
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Geoffrey N. Gobert
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Sujeevi Nawaratna
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Shihab Hasan
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Genetics & Computational Biology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David M. Martínez
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Hong You
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Martin Lavin
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Malcolm K. Jones
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark A. Ragan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jens Stoye
- Faculty of Technology and Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Ana Oleaga
- Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Aidan M. Emery
- Natural History Museum, Life Sciences Department, Parasites and Vectors Division, Cromwell Road, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bonnie L. Webster
- Natural History Museum, Life Sciences Department, Parasites and Vectors Division, Cromwell Road, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Rollinson
- Natural History Museum, Life Sciences Department, Parasites and Vectors Division, Cromwell Road, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Donald P. McManus
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lutz Krause
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Genetics & Computational Biology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- * E-mail:
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8
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Oey H, Zakrzewski M, Narain K, Devi KR, Agatsuma T, Nawaratna S, Gobert GN, Jones MK, Ragan MA, McManus DP, Krause L. Whole-genome sequence of the oriental lung fluke Paragonimus westermani. Gigascience 2019; 8:5232231. [PMID: 30520948 PMCID: PMC6329441 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giy146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Foodborne infections caused by lung flukes of the genus Paragonimus are a significant and widespread public health problem in tropical areas. Approximately 50 Paragonimus species have been reported to infect animals and humans, but Paragonimus westermani is responsible for the bulk of human disease. Despite their medical and economic importance, no genome sequence for any Paragonimus species is available. Results We sequenced and assembled the genome of P. westermani, which is among the largest of the known pathogen genomes with an estimated size of 1.1 Gb. A 922.8 Mb genome assembly was generated from Illumina and Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) sequence data, covering 84% of the estimated genome size. The genome has a high proportion (45%) of repeat-derived DNA, particularly of the long interspersed element and long terminal repeat subtypes, and the expansion of these elements may explain some of the large size. We predicted 12,852 protein coding genes, showing a high level of conservation with related trematode species. The majority of proteins (80%) had homologs in the human liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini, with an average sequence identity of 64.1%. Assembly of the P. westermani mitochondrial genome from long PacBio reads resulted in a single high-quality circularized 20.6 kb contig. The contig harbored a 6.9 kb region of non-coding repetitive DNA comprised of three distinct repeat units. Our results suggest that the region is highly polymorphic in P. westermani, possibly even within single worm isolates. Conclusions The generated assembly represents the first Paragonimus genome sequence and will facilitate future molecular studies of this important, but neglected, parasite group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Oey
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent St, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Wooloongabba, QLD 4102
- Correspondence address. Harald Oey, Address: The university of Queensland Diamantina Institute, 37 Kent St, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Wooloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia. E-mail:
| | - Martha Zakrzewski
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Kanwar Narain
- ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh - 786010, Assam, India
| | - K Rekha Devi
- ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Dibrugarh - 786010, Assam, India
| | - Takeshi Agatsuma
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi University, Kohasu, Oko, Nankoku City 783–8505, Japan
| | - Sujeevi Nawaratna
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, QLD 4006, Australia
- School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Geoffrey N Gobert
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, QLD 4006, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm K Jones
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - Mark A Ragan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Donald P McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Lutz Krause
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent St, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Wooloongabba, QLD 4102
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, QLD 4006, Australia
- Correspondence address. Lutz Krause, Address: The university of Queensland Diamantina Institute, 37 Kent St, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Wooloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia. E-mail:
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Abstract
Planarians are on the rise as a model system for regeneration and stem cell dynamics. Almost in parallel the interest in planarian field biology has declined. Besides representing an independent research discipline in its own right, understanding of the natural habitat is also directly relevant to optimizing culture conditions in the laboratory. Moreover, the current laboratory models are but few of hundreds of planarian species worldwide. Their adaptation to a wide range of ecological niches has resulted in a fascinating diversity of regenerative abilities, body size, reproduction strategies, and life expectancy, to name just a few. With the currently ongoing establishment of large planarian species collections, such phenotypic diversity becomes accessible to comparative mechanistic analysis in the laboratory. Overall, we hope that this chapter inspires an integral view of the planarian model system that not only includes the molecular and cellular processes under investigation but also the evolutionary forces that shaped them in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Vila-Farré
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jochen C Rink
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
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10
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Cribb TH, Chick RC, O'Connor W, O'Connor S, Johnson D, Sewell KB, Cutmore SC. Evidence that blood flukes (Trematoda: Aporocotylidae) of chondrichthyans infect bivalves as intermediate hosts: indications of an ancient diversification of the Schistosomatoidea. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:885-891. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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11
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Surges in trematode prevalence linked to centennial-scale flooding events in the Adriatic. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5732. [PMID: 28720866 PMCID: PMC5516012 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05979-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The forecasts of increasing global temperature and sea level rise have led to concern about the response of parasites to anthropogenic climate change. Whereas ecological studies of parasite response to environmental shifts are necessarily limited to short time scales, the fossil record can potentially provide a quantitative archive of long-term ecological responses to past climate transitions. Here, we document multi-centennial scale changes in prevalence of trematodes infesting the bivalve host Abra segmentum through multiple sea-level fluctuations preserved in brackish Holocene deposits of the Po Plain, Italy. Prevalence values were significantly elevated (p < 0.01) in samples associated with flooding surfaces, yet the temporal trends of parasite prevalence and host shell length, cannot be explained by Waltherian facies change, host availability, salinity, diversity, turnover, or community structure. The observed surges in parasite prevalence during past flooding events indicate that the ongoing global warming and sea-level rise will lead to significant intensification of trematode parasitism, suppressed fecundity of common benthic organisms, and negative impacts on marine ecosystems, ecosystem services, and, eventually, to human well-being.
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Abstract
Thelodonts are an enigmatic group of Paleozoic jawless vertebrates that have been well studied from taxonomical, biostratigraphic and paleogeographic points of view, although our knowledge of their ecology and mode of life is still scant. Their bodies were covered by micrometric scales whose morphology, histology and the developmental process are extremely similar to those of extant sharks. Based on these similarities and on the well-recognized relationship between squamation and ecology in sharks, here we explore the ecological diversity and lifestyles of thelodonts. For this we use classic morphometrics and discriminant analysis to characterize the squamation patterns of a significant number of extant shark species whose ecology is well known. Multivariate analyses have defined a characteristic squamation pattern for each ecological group, thus establishing a comparative framework for inferring lifestyles in thelodonts. We then use this information to study the squamation of the currently described 147 species of thelodonts, known from both articulated and disarticulated remains. Discriminant analysis has allowed recognizing squamation patterns comparable to those of sharks and links them to specific ecological groups. Our results suggest a remarkable ecological diversity in thelodonts. A large number of them were probably demersal species inhabiting hard substrates, within caves and crevices in rocky environments or reefs, taking advantage of the flexibility provided by their micromeric squamations. Contrary to classical interpretations, only few thelodonts were placed among demersal species inhabiting sandy and muddy substrates. Schooling species with defensive scales against ectoparasites could be also abundant suggesting that social interactions and pressure of ectoparasites were present in vertebrates as early the Silurian. The presence of species showing scales suggestive of low to moderate speed and a lifestyle presumably associated with open water environments indicates adaptation of thelodonts to deep water habitats. Scale morphology suggests that some other thelodonts were strong-swimming pelagic species, most of them radiating during the Early Devonian in association with the Nekton Revolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humberto G. Ferrón
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Héctor Botella
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
SUMMARYFor parasitic platyhelminths that generally lack a fossil record, there is little information on the pathways of morphological change during evolution. Polystomatid monogeneans are notable for their evolutionary diversification, having originated from ancestors on fish and radiated in parallel with tetrapod vertebrates over more than 425 million years (My). This study focuses on the genusPolystomoidesthat occurs almost worldwide on freshwater chelonian reptiles. Morphometric data show a major divergence in structural adaptations for attachment; this correlates with a dichotomy in micro-environmental conditions in habitats within the hosts. Species infecting the urinary tract have attachment organs with large hamuli and small suckers; species in the oro-nasal tract differ fundamentally, having small hamuli and large suckers. Zoogeographical and molecular evidence supports ancient separation of these site-specific clades: a new genus is proposed –Uropolystomoides– containing urinary tract species distinct fromPolystomoides sensu strictoin oro-nasal sites. Aside from differences in attachment adaptations, body plans have probably changed little over perhaps 150 My. This case contrasts markedly with polystomatids in other vertebrate groups where major morphological changes have evolved over much shorter timescales; the chelonian parasites show highly stable morphology across their global distribution over a long period of evolution, exemplifying ‘living fossils’.
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Aberrant immune response with consequent vascular and connective tissue remodeling - causal to scleroderma and associated syndromes such as Raynaud phenomenon and other fibrosing syndromes? Curr Opin Rheumatol 2016; 28:571-6. [PMID: 27548652 DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000000333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Scleroderma and other autoimmune-induced connective tissue diseases are characterized by dysfunctions in the immune system, connective tissue and the vasculature. We are focusing on systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated pulmonary hypertension, which remains a leading cause of death with only a 50-60% of 2-year survival rate. RECENT FINDINGS Much research and translational efforts have been directed at understanding the immune response that causes SSc and the networked interactions with the connective tissue and the vasculature. One of the unexpected findings was that in some cases the pathogenic immune response in SSc resembles the immune response to helminth parasites. During coevolution, means of communication were developed which protect the host from over-colonization with parasites and which protect the parasite from excessive host responses. One explanation for the geographically clustered occurrence of SSc is that environmental exposures combined with genetic predisposition turn on triggers of molecular and cellular modules that were once initiated by parasites. SUMMARY Future research is needed to further understand the parasite-derived signals that dampen the host response. Therapeutic helminth infection or treatment with parasite-derived response modifiers could be promising new management tools for autoimmune connective tissue diseases.
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Martínez-Aquino A. Phylogenetic framework for coevolutionary studies: a compass for exploring jungles of tangled trees. Curr Zool 2016; 62:393-403. [PMID: 29491928 PMCID: PMC5804275 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetics is used to detect past evolutionary events, from how species originated to how their ecological interactions with other species arose, which can mirror cophylogenetic patterns. Cophylogenetic reconstructions uncover past ecological relationships between taxa through inferred coevolutionary events on trees, for example, codivergence, duplication, host-switching, and loss. These events can be detected by cophylogenetic analyses based on nodes and the length and branching pattern of the phylogenetic trees of symbiotic associations, for example, host-parasite. In the past 2 decades, algorithms have been developed for cophylogetenic analyses and implemented in different software, for example, statistical congruence index and event-based methods. Based on the combination of these approaches, it is possible to integrate temporal information into cophylogenetical inference, such as estimates of lineage divergence times between 2 taxa, for example, hosts and parasites. Additionally, the advances in phylogenetic biogeography applying methods based on parametric process models and combined Bayesian approaches, can be useful for interpreting coevolutionary histories in a scenario of biogeographical area connectivity through time. This article briefly reviews the basics of parasitology and provides an overview of software packages in cophylogenetic methods. Thus, the objective here is to present a phylogenetic framework for coevolutionary studies, with special emphasis on groups of parasitic organisms. Researchers wishing to undertake phylogeny-based coevolutionary studies can use this review as a "compass" when "walking" through jungles of tangled phylogenetic trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Martínez-Aquino
- División Zoología Invertebrados, Museo de La Plata, FCNyM, UNLP, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
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De Baets K, Littlewood DTJ. The Importance of Fossils in Understanding the Evolution of Parasites and Their Vectors. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:1-51. [PMID: 26597064 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge concerning the diversity of parasitism and its reach across our current understanding of the tree of life has benefitted considerably from novel molecular phylogenetic methods. However, the timing of events and the resolution of the nature of the intimate relationships between parasites and their hosts in deep time remain problematic. Despite its vagaries, the fossil record provides the only direct evidence of parasites and parasitism in the fossil record of extant and extinct lineages. Here, we demonstrate the potential of the fossil record and other lines of geological evidence to calibrate the origin and evolution of parasitism by combining different kinds of dating evidence with novel molecular clock methodologies. Other novel methods promise to provide additional evidence for the presence or the life habit of pathogens and their vectors, including the discovery and analysis of ancient DNA and other biomolecules, as well as computed tomographic methods.
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Klompmaker AA, Boxshall GA. Fossil Crustaceans as Parasites and Hosts. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:233-89. [PMID: 26597069 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Numerous crustacean lineages have independently moved into parasitism as a mode of life. In modern marine ecosystems, parasitic crustaceans use representatives from many metazoan phyla as hosts. Crustaceans also serve as hosts to a rich diversity of parasites, including other crustaceans. Here, we show that the fossil record of such parasitic interactions is sparse, with only 11 examples, one dating back to the Cambrian. This may be due to the limited preservation potential and small size of parasites, as well as to problems with ascribing traces to parasitism with certainty, and to a lack of targeted research. Although the confirmed stratigraphic ranges are limited for nearly every example, evidence of parasitism related to crustaceans has become increasingly more complete for isopod-induced swellings in decapods so that quantitative analyses can be carried out. Little attention has yet been paid to the origin of parasitism in deep time, but insight can be generated by integrating data on fossils with molecular studies on modern parasites. In addition, there are other traces left by parasites that could fossilize, but have not yet been recognized in the fossil record.
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Huntley JW, De Baets K. Trace Fossil Evidence of Trematode-Bivalve Parasite-Host Interactions in Deep Time. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:201-31. [PMID: 26597068 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Parasitism is one of the most pervasive phenomena amongst modern eukaryotic life and yet, relative to other biotic interactions, almost nothing is known about its history in deep time. Digenean trematodes (Platyhelminthes) are complex life cycle parasites, which have practically no body fossil record, but induce the growth of characteristic malformations in the shells of their bivalve hosts. These malformations are readily preserved in the fossil record, but, until recently, have largely been overlooked by students of the fossil record. In this review, we present the various malformations induced by trematodes in bivalves, evaluate their distribution through deep time in the phylogenetic and ecological contexts of their bivalve hosts and explore how various taphonomic processes have likely biased our understanding of trematodes in deep time. Trematodes are known to negatively affect their bivalve hosts in a number of ways including castration, modifying growth rates, causing immobilization and, in some cases, altering host behaviour making the host more susceptible to their own predators. Digeneans are expected to be significant agents of natural selection. To that end, we discuss how bivalves may have adapted to their parasites via heterochrony and suggest a practical methodology for testing such hypotheses in deep time.
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