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Werb O, Matuschewski K, Weber N, Hillers A, Garteh J, Jusu A, Turay BS, Wauquier N, Escalante AA, Andreína Pacheco M, Schaer J. New member of Plasmodium (Vinckeia) and Plasmodium cyclopsi discovered in bats in Sierra Leone - nuclear sequence and complete mitochondrial genome analyses. Int J Parasitol 2024:S0020-7519(24)00108-5. [PMID: 38762159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Malaria remains the most important arthropod-borne infectious disease globally. The causative agent, Plasmodium, is a unicellular eukaryote that develops inside red blood cells. Identifying new Plasmodium parasite species that infect mammalian hosts can shed light on the complex evolution and diversity of malaria parasites. Bats feature a high diversity of microorganisms including seven separate genera of malarial parasites. Three species of Plasmodium have been reported so far, for which scarce reports exist. Here we present data from an investigation of Plasmodium infections in bats in the western Guinean lowland forest in Sierra Leone. We discovered a new Plasmodium parasite in the horseshoe bat Rhinolophus landeri. Plasmodium cyclopsi infections in a member of leaf-nosed bats, Doryrhina cyclops, exhibited a high prevalence of 100%. Phylogenetic analysis of complete mitochondrial genomes and nine nuclear markers recovered a close relationship between P. cyclopsi and the new Plasmodium parasite with the rodent species Plasmodium berghei, a widely used in vivo model to study malaria in humans. The data suggests that the "rodent/bat" Plasmodium (Vinckeia) clade represents a diverse group of malarial parasites that would likely expand with a systematic sampling of small mammals in tropical Africa. Identifying the bat Plasmodium repertoire is central to our understanding of the evolution of Plasmodium parasites in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Werb
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natalie Weber
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Migration, Radolfzell, Germany; Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Germany
| | - Annika Hillers
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), Monrovia, Liberia; The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Centre for Conservation Science, Sandy, United Kingdom
| | - Jerry Garteh
- Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL), Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Amadu Jusu
- Gola Rainforest Conservation Limited by Guarantee (GRC_LG) Kenema, Sierra Leone
| | - Brima S Turay
- Gola Rainforest Conservation Limited by Guarantee (GRC_LG) Kenema, Sierra Leone
| | - Nadia Wauquier
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1135 CNRS EMR 8255, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia; Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany; Department of Biology, Muni University, Arua, Uganda.
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Ulloa GM, Greenwood AD, Cornejo OE, Monteiro FOB, Scofield A, Santolalla Robles ML, Lescano AG, Mayor P. Phylogenetic congruence of Plasmodium spp. and wild ungulate hosts in the Peruvian Amazon. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2024; 118:105554. [PMID: 38246398 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Malaria parasites are known to infect a variety of vertebrate hosts, including ungulates. However, ungulates of Amazonia have not been investigated. We report for the first time, the presence of parasite lineages closely related to Plasmodium odocoilei clade 1 and clade 2 in free-ranging South American red-brocket deer (Mazama americana; 44.4%, 4/9) and gray-brocket deer (Mazama nemorivaga; 50.0%, 1/2). We performed PCR-based analysis of blood samples from 47 ungulates of five different species collected during subsistence hunting by an indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon. We detected Plasmodium malariae/brasilianum lineage in a sample from red-brocket deer. However, no parasite DNA was detected in collared peccary (Pecari tajacu; 0.0%, 0/10), white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari; 0.0%, 0/15), and tapir (Tapirus terrestris; 0.0%, 0/11). Concordant phylogenetic analyses suggested a possible co-evolutionary relationship between the Plasmodium lineages found in American deer and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M Ulloa
- Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici V, Bellaterra-Barcelona E-08193, Spain; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves 2501, Terra Firme, Belém 66077-830, Pará, Brazil; Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas Re-Emergentes, Universidad Científica del Sur (UCSUR), Lima, Peru.
| | - Alex D Greenwood
- Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, Berlin 10315, Germany; School of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Oertzenweg 19b, 14163, Germany
| | - Omar E Cornejo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Frederico Ozanan Barros Monteiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves 2501, Terra Firme, Belém 66077-830, Pará, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Scofield
- Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Postgraduate Program in Animal Health in the Amazon, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Pará, Castanhal, Brazil
| | - Meddly L Santolalla Robles
- Emerge, Research Unit on Emerging Diseases and Climate Change, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Andres G Lescano
- Emerge, Research Unit on Emerging Diseases and Climate Change, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Pedro Mayor
- Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici V, Bellaterra-Barcelona E-08193, Spain; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves 2501, Terra Firme, Belém 66077-830, Pará, Brazil; Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica (COMFAUNA), 332 Malecon Tarapaca, Iquitos, Peru; Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas, Loreto, Iquitos, Peru.
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Thiombiano NG, Boungou M, Chabi BAM, Oueda A, Werb O, Schaer J. First investigation of blood parasites of bats in Burkina Faso detects Hepatocystis parasites and infections with diverse Trypanosoma spp. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:3121-3129. [PMID: 37847392 PMCID: PMC10667148 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08002-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Bats are hosts to a large diversity of eukaryotic protozoan blood parasites that comprise species of Trypanosoma and different haemosporidian parasite taxa and bats have played an important role in the evolutionary history of both parasite groups. However, bats in several geographical areas have not been investigated, including in Burkina Faso, where no information about malaria parasites and trypanosomes of bats exists to date.In this study, we collected data on the prevalence and the phylogenetic relationships of protozoan blood parasites in nine different bat species in Burkina Faso. Hepatocystis parasites were detected in two species of epauletted fruit bats, and a relatively high diversity of trypanosome parasites was identified in five bat species. The phylogenetic analyses recovered the trypanosome parasites of the bat species Rhinolophus alcyone and Nycteris hispida as close relatives of T. livingstonei, the trypanosome infections in Scotophilus leucogaster as closely related to the species T. vespertilionis and the trypanosomes from Pipistrellus nanulus and Epomophorus gambianus might present the species T. dionisii. These findings of the first investigation in Burkina Faso present a first snapshot of the diversity of protozoan blood parasites in bats in this country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel Gabiliga Thiombiano
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Ecologie Animales (LBEA), Unite de Formation Et de Recherche/Science de La Vie et de La Terre (UFR/SVT), University Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Magloire Boungou
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Ecologie Animales (LBEA), Unite de Formation Et de Recherche/Science de La Vie et de La Terre (UFR/SVT), University Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Bertrand Adéchègoun Mèschac Chabi
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Ecologie Animales (LBEA), Unite de Formation Et de Recherche/Science de La Vie et de La Terre (UFR/SVT), University Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Adama Oueda
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Ecologie Animales (LBEA), Unite de Formation Et de Recherche/Science de La Vie et de La Terre (UFR/SVT), University Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Universite de Ouahigouya, Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso
| | - Oskar Werb
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
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Dick CW, Verrett TB, Webala PW, Patterson BD. Nycteribiid bat flies (Arthropoda, Insecta, Diptera, Nycteribiidae) of Kenya. Zookeys 2023; 1169:65-85. [PMID: 38328029 PMCID: PMC10848833 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1169.102800] [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: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) are hematophagous ectoparasites of bats characterized by viviparous pupiparity and generally high host specificity. Nycteribiid bat flies are wingless, morphologically constrained, and are most diverse in the Eastern Hemisphere. Africa hosts approximately 22% of global bat biodiversity and nearly one-third of all African bat species occur in Kenya, one of Africa's most bat-rich countries. However, records of nycteribiid bat fly diversity in Kenya remain sparse and unconsolidated. This paper combines all past species records of nycteribiid bat flies with records from a survey of 4,255 Kenyan bats across 157 localities between 2006 and 2015. A total of seven nycteribiid genera and 17 species are recorded, with seven species from the recent 'Bats of Kenya' surveys representing previously undocumented country records. Host associations and geographic distributions based on all available records are also described. This comprehensive species catalog addresses and further emphasizes the need for similar investigations of nycteribiid biodiversity across Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl W. Dick
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USAWestern Kentucky UniversityBowling GreenUnited States of America
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USAField Museum of Natural HistoryChicagoUnited States of America
| | - Taylor B. Verrett
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USAWestern Kentucky UniversityBowling GreenUnited States of America
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USAUniversity of OklahomaNormanUnited States of America
| | - Paul W. Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok 20500, KenyaMaasai Mara UniversityNarokKenya
| | - Bruce D. Patterson
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USAField Museum of Natural HistoryChicagoUnited States of America
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Pacheco MA, Escalante AA. Origin and diversity of malaria parasites and other Haemosporida. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:501-516. [PMID: 37202254 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Symbionts, including parasites, are ubiquitous in all world ecosystems. Understanding the diversity of symbiont species addresses diverse questions, from the origin of infectious diseases to inferring processes shaping regional biotas. Here, we review the current approaches to studying Haemosporida's species diversity and evolutionary history. Despite the solid knowledge of species linked to diseases, such as the agents of human malaria, studies on haemosporidian phylogeny, diversity, ecology, and evolution are still limited. The available data, however, indicate that Haemosporida is an extraordinarily diverse and cosmopolitan clade of symbionts. Furthermore, this clade seems to have originated with their vertebrate hosts, particularly birds, as part of complex community level processes that we are still characterizing.
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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.
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA.
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Bajić B, Werb O, Budinski I, Blagojević J, Schaer J, van Schaik J. Non-invasive investigation of Polychromophilus parasite infections in bat populations in Serbia using bat flies. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:170. [PMID: 37237268 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05786-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haemosporidian parasites of the genus Polychromophilus infect bats worldwide. They are vectored by obligate ectoparasitic bat flies of the family Nycteribiidae. Despite their global distribution, only five Polychromophilus morphospecies have been described to date. The two predominant species, Polychromophilus melanipherus and Polychromophilus murinus, are broadly distributed and mainly infect miniopterid and vespertilionid bats, respectively. In areas where species from different bat families aggregate together, the infection dynamics and ability of either Polychromophilus species to infect other host families is poorly characterized. METHODS We collected 215 bat flies from two bat species, Miniopterus schreibersii and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, which sometimes form mixed clusters in Serbia. Miniopterus schreibersii is known to be frequently infected with P. melanipherus, whereas R. ferrumequinum has been observed to be incidentally infected with both Polychromophilus species. All flies were screened for Polychromophilus infections using a PCR targeting the haemosporidian cytb gene. Positive samples were subsequently sequenced for 579 bp of cytochrome b (cytb) and 945 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1). RESULTS Polychromophilus melanipherus DNA was detected at six out of nine sampling locations and in all three examined bat fly species collected from M. schreibersii (Nycteribia schmidlii, n = 21; Penicillidia conspicua, n = 8; Penicillidia dufourii, n = 3). Four and five haplotypes were found for cytb and cox1, respectively. Evidence for multiple Polychromophilus haplotypes was found in 15 individual flies. These results point to a high diversity of P. melanipherus parasites in Miniopterus hosts and efficient transmission throughout the study area. A single Phthiridium biarticulatum bat fly collected from R. ferrumequinum screened positive for P. melanipherus, but only yielded a partial cox1 sequence fragment. Nevertheless, this result suggests that secondary hosts (both bat and fly species) are regularly confronted with this parasite. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study provide new insights into the prevalence and distribution of Polychromophilus parasites in European bats and their nycteribiid vectors. The use of bat flies for the non-invasive investigation of Polychromophilus infections in bat populations has proven to be efficient and thus represents an alternative for large-scale studies of infections in bat populations without the need to invasively collect blood from bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branka Bajić
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stankovic", National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Oskar Werb
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ivana Budinski
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stankovic", National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jelena Blagojević
- Department of Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stankovic", National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
| | - Jaap van Schaik
- Department of Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
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Verrett TB, Webala PW, Patterson BD, Dick CW. Remarkably low host specificity in the bat fly Penicillidia fulvida (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) as assessed by mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S sequence data. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:392. [PMID: 36303252 PMCID: PMC9607801 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05516-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The recognition and delineation of morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species can have broad implications for wildlife conservation, disease ecology and accurate estimates of biodiversity. Parasites are intriguing in the study of cryptic speciation because unique evolutionary pressures and diversifying factors are generated by ecological characteristics of host-parasite relationships, including host specificity. Bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) are obligate, hematophagous ectoparasites of bats that generally exhibit high host specificity. One rare exception is Penicillidia fulvida (Diptera: Nycteribiidae), an African bat fly found in association with many phylogenetically distant hosts. One explanation for P. fulvida's extreme polyxeny is that it may represent a complex of host-specific yet cryptic species, an increasingly common finding in molecular genetic studies of supposed generalist parasites. METHODS A total of 65 P. fulvida specimens were collected at 14 localities across Kenya, from bat species representing six bat families. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and nuclear 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences were obtained from 59 specimens and used to construct Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenies. Analysis of molecular variance was used to determine how genetic variation in P. fulvida was allocated among host taxa. RESULTS The 28S rRNA sequences studied were invariant within P. fulvida. Some genetic structure was present in the COI sequence data, but this could be more parsimoniously explained by geography than host family. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the status of P. fulvida as a rare example of a single bat fly species with primary host associations spanning multiple bat families. Gene flow among P. fulvida utilizing different host species may be promoted by polyspecific roosting behavior in bats, and host preference may also be malleable based on bat assemblages occupying shared roosts. The proclivity of generalist parasites to switch hosts makes them more likely to vector or opportunistically transmit pathogens across host species boundaries. Consequently, the presence of polyxenous bat flies is an important consideration to disease ecology as bat flies become increasingly known to be associated with bat pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor B. Verrett
- grid.268184.10000 0001 2286 2224Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101 USA
| | - Paul W. Webala
- grid.449040.d0000 0004 0460 0871Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, 20500 Kenya
| | - Bruce D. Patterson
- grid.299784.90000 0001 0476 8496Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605 USA
| | - Carl W. Dick
- grid.268184.10000 0001 2286 2224Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101 USA ,grid.299784.90000 0001 0476 8496Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605 USA
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Molecular detection of Trypanosoma spp. and Hepatocystis parasite infections of bats in Northern Nigeria. Parasitology 2022; 149:1460-1467. [PMID: 35822266 PMCID: PMC10090768 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022000890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Bats are mammalian hosts to a large diversity of eukaryotic protozoan blood parasites, including different genera of haemosporidians and diverse species of trypanosomes. Phylogenetic studies suggest that bats, particularly in Africa, have played an important role in the evolutionary histories of these parasite groups. However, our understanding of the diversity and distribution of chiropteran haemosporidians and trypanosomes in Africa remains tenuous. We investigated the prevalence and phylogenetic relationships of the blood parasites in different bat species in Northern Nigeria using molecular methods. A low prevalence of Hepatocystis parasites was detected in a potentially rare host species, the African straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) confirming yet another fruit bat species in the diverse range of African bat hosts. Trypanosome infections were identified in 3 different bat species. The trypanosomes of Mops cf. pumilus were recovered as a distinct lineage that is related to Trypanosoma erneyi, a species which is closely related to Trypanosoma dionisii and Trypanosoma cruzi. Nycteris cf. macrotis bats were infected with trypanosomes that are related to the distinct lineage of Trypanosoma cf. livingstonei parasites. Further, 2 different lineages of trypanosomes in E. helvum bats share highest nucleotide identities with Trypanosoma livingstonei and a group of Trypanosoma sp. parasites that are closely related to T. cf. livingstonei and T. livingstonei, respectively. The findings of this study confirm the notion that trypanosomes of African bats are phylogenetically diverse and that African bats might harbour a variety of yet undescribed trypanosome species.
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Isolation and molecular characterization of Polychromophilus spp. (Haemosporida: Plasmodiidae) from the Asian long-fingered bat (Miniopterus fuliginosus) and Japanese large-footed bat (Myotis macrodactylus) in Japan. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:2547-2559. [PMID: 35819494 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07592-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bats (order, Chiroptera) account for more than one-fifth of all mammalian species in the world and are infected by various intra-erythrocytic parasites of the family Plasmodiidae (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida), including Polychromophilus Dionisi, 1899. Recent advance in the molecular characterization of haemosporidian isolates has enabled their accurate identification, particularly in the last decade. Studies are actively conducted in tropical regions, Europe, and Australia; however, data on haemosporidian infection in bats in Asian temperate areas, including Japan, remain limited. In this study, 75 bats of 4 species (Miniopterus fuliginosus, Myotis macrodactylus, Rhinolophus nippon, and Rhinolophus cornutus) were captured at three sites in western Japan (Yamaguchi Prefecture), and haemosporidian parasites were screened microscopically and molecularly via nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the cytochrome b (cytb), cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox-1), apicoplast caseinolytic protease C (clpc), and nuclear elongation factor 2 (EF2) genes. The survey detected Polychromophilus melanipherus in 15 (40.5%) miniopterid bats (M. fuliginosus) and Polychromophilus murinus in 6 (46.2%) vespertilionid bats (M. macrodactylus), whereas none of the 25 rhinolophid bats (R. nippon and R. cornutus) was infected, indicating the robust host specificity for miniopterid (P. melanipherus) and vespertilionid (P. murinus) bats regardless of orthotopic nesting. The 15 Polychromophilus cytb sequences obtained from 11 miniopterid and 4 vespertilionid bats were classified into six cytb haplotypes (three for each species), showing no region-specific variation in a phylogenetic tree of Polychromophilus isolates in the Old World. Similarly, multiple haplotypes (seven for cox-1 and nine for clpc) and genotypes (three for EF2) were characterized for the Japanese isolates of Polychromophilus, and the results were consistent with those based on a haemosporidian cytb analysis. Bat flies (Nycteribia allotopa and another undetermined Nycteribia sp.) collected from the body surface of bats harbored Polychromophilus oocysts on the external surface of the midgut. This is the first study to report the isolation and molecular characterization of Polychromophilus spp. in miniopterid and vespertilionid bats in the temperate area of Asia (western Japan). Future studies should evaluate the global prevalence of haemosporidian infections in bats.
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Ramanantsalama RV, Goodman SM, Dietrich M, Lebarbenchon C. Interaction between Old World fruit bats and humans: From large scale ecosystem services to zoonotic diseases. Acta Trop 2022; 231:106462. [PMID: 35421381 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The Old World tropical and subtropical frugivorous bat genus Rousettus (Pteropodidae) contains species with broad distributions, as well as those occurring in restricted geographical areas, particularly islands. Herein we review the role of Rousettus as a keystone species from a global "One Health" approach and related to ecosystem functioning, zoonotic disease and public health. Rousettus are efficient at dispersing seeds and pollinating flowers; their role in forest regeneration is related to their ability to fly considerable distances during nightly foraging bouts and their relatively small body size, which allows them to access fruits in forested areas with closed vegetation. Rousettus are also reservoirs for various groups of pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa), which, by definition, are infectious agents causing disease. The study of day roosts of different species of Rousettus and the successful establishment of captive breeding colonies have provided important details related to the infection dynamics of their associated pathogens. Large-scale conversion of forested areas into agricultural landscapes has increased contact between humans and Rousettus, therefore augmenting the chances of infectious agent spillover. Many crucial scientific details are still lacking related to members of this genus, which have direct bearing on the prevention of emerging disease outbreaks, as well as the conservation of these bats. The public should be better informed on the capacity of fruit bats as keystone species for large scale forest regeneration and in spreading pathogens. Precise details on the transmission of zoonotic diseases of public health importance associated with Rousettus should be given high priority.
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The evolution of primate malaria parasites: A study on the origin and diversification of Plasmodium in lemurs. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 174:107551. [PMID: 35690381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Among the primate malaria parasites, those found in lemurs have been neglected. Here, six Plasmodium lineages were detected in 169 lemurs. Nearly complete mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA, ≈6Kb) and apicoplast loci (≈6Kb) were obtained from these parasites and other Haemosporida species. Plasmodium spp. in lemurs are a diverse clade that shares a common ancestor with other primate parasites from continental Africa. Time-trees for the mtDNA were estimated under different scenarios, and the origin of the lemur clade coincides with the proposed time of their host species' most recent common ancestor (Lemuridae-Indriidae). A time tree with fewer taxa was estimated with mtDNA + Apicoplast loci. Those time estimates overlapped but were younger and had narrower credibility intervals than those from mtDNA alone. Importantly, the mtDNA + Apicoplast estimates that the clade including the most lethal malaria parasite in humans, Plasmodium falciparum, may have originated with Homininae (African apes). Finally, the phylogenetic congruence of the lemurs and their parasites was explored. A statistically significant scenario identified four cospeciation, two duplications, four transfer (host-switches), and zero loss events. Thus, the parasite species sampled in lemurs seem to be radiating with their hosts.
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Escalante AA, Cepeda AS, Pacheco MA. Why Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum are so different? A tale of two clades and their species diversities. Malar J 2022; 21:139. [PMID: 35505356 PMCID: PMC9066883 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04130-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The global malaria burden sometimes obscures that the genus Plasmodium comprises diverse clades with lineages that independently gave origin to the extant human parasites. Indeed, the differences between the human malaria parasites were highlighted in the classical taxonomy by dividing them into two subgenera, the subgenus Plasmodium, which included all the human parasites but Plasmodium falciparum that was placed in its separate subgenus, Laverania. Here, the evolution of Plasmodium in primates will be discussed in terms of their species diversity and some of their distinct phenotypes, putative molecular adaptations, and host–parasite biocenosis. Thus, in addition to a current phylogeny using genome-level data, some specific molecular features will be discussed as examples of how these parasites have diverged. The two subgenera of malaria parasites found in primates, Plasmodium and Laverania, reflect extant monophyletic groups that originated in Africa. However, the subgenus Plasmodium involves species in Southeast Asia that were likely the result of adaptive radiation. Such events led to the Plasmodium vivax lineage. Although the Laverania species, including P. falciparum, has been considered to share “avian characteristics,” molecular traits that were likely in the common ancestor of primate and avian parasites are sometimes kept in the Plasmodium subgenus while being lost in Laverania. Assessing how molecular traits in the primate malaria clades originated is a fundamental science problem that will likely provide new targets for interventions. However, given that the genus Plasmodium is paraphyletic (some descendant groups are in other genera), understanding the evolution of malaria parasites will benefit from studying “non-Plasmodium” Haemosporida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine [iGEM], Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122-1801, USA.
| | - Axl S Cepeda
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine [iGEM], Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122-1801, USA
| | - M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine [iGEM], Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122-1801, USA
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Vythilingam I, Chua TH, Liew JWK, Manin BO, Ferguson HM. The vectors of Plasmodium knowlesi and other simian malarias Southeast Asia: challenges in malaria elimination. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2021; 113:131-189. [PMID: 34620382 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium knowlesi, a simian malaria parasite of great public health concern has been reported from most countries in Southeast Asia and exported to various countries around the world. Currently P. knowlesi is the predominant species infecting humans in Malaysia. Besides this species, other simian malaria parasites such as P. cynomolgi and P. inui are also infecting humans in the region. The vectors of P. knowlesi and other Asian simian malarias belong to the Leucosphyrus Group of Anopheles mosquitoes which are generally forest dwelling species. Continual deforestation has resulted in these species moving into forest fringes, farms, plantations and human settlements along with their macaque hosts. Limited studies have shown that mosquito vectors are attracted to both humans and macaque hosts, preferring to bite outdoors and in the early part of the night. We here review the current status of simian malaria vectors and their parasites, knowledge of vector competence from experimental infections and discuss possible vector control measures. The challenges encountered in simian malaria elimination are also discussed. We highlight key knowledge gaps on vector distribution and ecology that may impede effective control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Vythilingam
- Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Tock Hing Chua
- Department of Pathobiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sabah Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
| | - Jonathan Wee Kent Liew
- Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benny O Manin
- Department of Pathobiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sabah Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Heather M Ferguson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Hepatocystis and Nycteria (Haemosporida) parasite infections of bats in the Central Region of Cameroon. Parasitology 2021; 149:51-58. [PMID: 35184780 PMCID: PMC8862134 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021001542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian haemosporidian parasites are classified in ten genera, including Plasmodium, Hepatocystis and Nycteria. A high diversity of haemosporidian parasites has been described from bats, but our understanding of their prevalence, distribution and use of hosts remain fragmented. The haemosporidian parasites of bats in Cameroon have been largely understudied, but here, bats, sampled from different habitat types of the Central Region of Cameroon, were investigated for haemosporidian infections with a combination of microscopic and molecular phylogenetic analysis. An overall prevalence of 18.1% of haemosporidian infections was detected in a total of 155 investigated bats belonging to 14 bat species. For the first time Hepatocystis and Nycteria parasites were detected in bats from Cameroon and molecularly characterized. Hepatocystis infections were exclusively identified in the epauletted fruit bat host species Epomophorus pusillus with a high prevalence of 65.5%, whereas Nycteria infections could be detected in several hosts, namely: Doryrhina cyclops (60.0%), Rhinolophus landeri (20.0%) and one Nycteris grandis. This study unveils evidence that habitat types may play a role in transmission of Hepatocystis parasites on a local scale and it adds important information on the distribution and host specificity of the neglected haemosporidian genus Nycteria.
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Lutz HL, Gilbert JA, Dick CW. Associations between Afrotropical bats, eukaryotic parasites, and microbial symbionts. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:1939-1950. [PMID: 34181795 PMCID: PMC9546020 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Skin is the largest mammalian organ and the first defensive barrier against the external environment. The skin and fur of mammals can host a wide variety of ectoparasites, many of which are phylogenetically diverse, specialized, and specifically adapted to their hosts. Among hematophagous dipteran parasites, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to serve as important attractants, leading parasites to compatible sources of blood meals. VOCs have been hypothesized to be mediated by host‐associated bacteria, which may thereby indirectly influence parasitism. Host‐associated bacteria may also influence parasitism directly, as has been observed in interactions between animal gut microbiota and malarial parasites. Hypotheses relating bacterial symbionts and eukaryotic parasitism have rarely been tested among humans and domestic animals, and to our knowledge have not been tested in wild vertebrates. In this study, we used Afrotropical bats, hematophagous ectoparasitic bat flies, and haemosporidian (malarial) parasites vectored by bat flies as a model to test the hypothesis that the vertebrate host microbiome is linked to parasitism in a wild system. We identified significant correlations between bacterial community composition of the skin and dipteran ectoparasite prevalence across four major bat lineages, as well as striking differences in skin microbial network characteristics between ectoparasitized and nonectoparasitized bats. We also identified links between the oral microbiome and presence of malarial parasites among miniopterid bats. Our results support the hypothesis that microbial symbionts may serve as indirect mediators of parasitism among eukaryotic hosts and parasites. see also the Perspective by Kelly A. Speer
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly L Lutz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jack A Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carl W Dick
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA
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16
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Minozzo GA, da Silva Mathias B, Riediger IN, de Oliveira Guimarães L, dos Anjos CC, Monteiro EF, dos Santos AP, Biondo AW, Kirchgatter K. First Molecular Detection of Polychromophilus Parasites in Brazilian Bat Species. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061240. [PMID: 34200516 PMCID: PMC8230147 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061240] [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: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood parasites of the Haemosporida order, such as the Plasmodium spp. responsible for malaria, have become the focus of many studies in evolutionary biology. However, there is a lack of molecular investigation of haemosporidian parasites of wildlife, such as the genus Polychromophilus. Species of this neglected genus exclusively have been described in bats, mainly in Europe, Asia, and Africa, but little is known about its presence and genetic diversity on the American continent. Here, we investigated 406 bats from sites inserted in remnant fragments of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes and urbanized areas from southern Brazil for the presence of Polychromophilus species by PCR of the mitochondrial cytochrome b encoding gene. A total of 1.2% of bats was positive for Polychromophilus, providing the first molecular information of these parasites in Myotis riparius and Eptesicus diminutus, common vespertilionid bats widely distributed in different Brazilian biomes, and Myotis ruber, an endangered species. A Bayesian analysis was conducted to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships between Polychromophilus recovered from Brazilian bats and those identified elsewhere. Sequences of Brazilian Polychromophilus lineages were placed with P. murinus and in a clade distinct from P. melanipherus, mainly restricted to bats in the family Vespertilionidae. However, the sequences were split into two minor clades, according to the genus of hosts, indicating that P. murinus and a distinct species may be circulating in Brazil. Morphological observations combined with additional molecular studies are needed to conclude and describe these Polychromophilus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Augusto Minozzo
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Paraná, São José dos Pinhais 83060-500, PR, Brazil; (G.A.M.); (I.N.R.)
| | - Bruno da Silva Mathias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (B.d.S.M.); (C.C.d.A.); (E.F.M.)
| | - Irina Nastassja Riediger
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Paraná, São José dos Pinhais 83060-500, PR, Brazil; (G.A.M.); (I.N.R.)
| | - Lilian de Oliveira Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo 01027-000b, SP, Brazil;
| | - Carolina Clares dos Anjos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (B.d.S.M.); (C.C.d.A.); (E.F.M.)
| | - Eliana Ferreira Monteiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (B.d.S.M.); (C.C.d.A.); (E.F.M.)
| | | | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 80035-050, PR, Brazil;
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (B.d.S.M.); (C.C.d.A.); (E.F.M.)
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo 01027-000b, SP, Brazil;
- Correspondence:
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17
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Low DHW, Hitch AT, Skiles MM, Borthwick SA, Neves ES, Lim ZX, Lee BPYH, Su YCF, Smith GJD, Mendenhall IH. Host specificity of Hepatocystis infection in short-nosed fruit bats ( Cynopterus brachyotis) in Singapore. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2021; 15:35-42. [PMID: 33948432 PMCID: PMC8081878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporidians infect a wide diversity of bat genera and species, yet little is known about their transmission cycles or epidemiology. Though several recent studies have focused on the genus Hepatocystis, an Old World parasite primarily infecting bats, monkeys, and squirrels, this group is still understudied with little known about its transmission and molecular ecology. These parasites lack an asexual erythrocytic stage, making them unique from the Plasmodium vertebrate life cycle. In this study, we detected a prevalence of 31% of Hepatocystis in short-nosed fruit bats (Cynopterus brachyotis) in Singapore. Phylogenetic reconstruction with a partial cytochrome b sequence revealed a monophyletic group of Hepatocystis from C. brachyotis in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. There was no relationship with infection and bat age, sex, location, body condition or monsoon season. The absence of this parasite in the five other bat species sampled in Singapore indicates this Hepatocystis species may be host restricted. A bat haemosporidian (Hepatocystis) was detected in short nose fruit bats (Cynopterus brachyotis) in Singapore. Infection was not associated with bat age, sex, sample location, body condition or monsoon season. Infection was detected in only one bat species, indicating this Hepatocystis species may be host specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dolyce H W Low
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Disease, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore.,National University of Singapore Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Singapore
| | - Alan T Hitch
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Maggie M Skiles
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Sophie A Borthwick
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Disease, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore
| | - Erica S Neves
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Disease, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore
| | - Zong Xian Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore
| | - Benjamin P Y-H Lee
- Wildlife Management Division, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Rd, 259569, Singapore
| | - Yvonne C F Su
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Disease, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore
| | - Gavin J D Smith
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Disease, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.,SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
| | - Ian H Mendenhall
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Disease, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore.,SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
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18
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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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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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20
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Attia El Hili R, Achouri MS, Verneau O. Cytochrome c oxydase I phylogenetic analysis of Haemogregarina parasites (Apicomplexa, Coccidia, Eucoccidiorida, Haemogregarinidae) confirms the presence of three distinct species within the freshwater turtles of Tunisia. Parasitol Int 2021; 82:102306. [PMID: 33610828 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102306] [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: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Species of Haemogregarina are apicomplexan blood parasites that use vertebrates as intermediate hosts. Due to limited interspecific morphological characters within the genus during the last decade, 18S rRNA gene sequences were widely used for species identification. As coinfection patterns were recently reported from nuclear molecular data for two sympatric freshwater turtles Mauremys leprosa and Emys orbicularis from Tunisia, our objectives were to design COI specific primers to confirm the presence of three distinct species in both host species. Blood samples were collected from 22 turtles, from which DNAs were extracted and used as templates for amplification. Following different rounds of PCR and nested PCR, we designed specific Haemogregarina COI primers that allowed the sequencing of nine distinct haplotypes. Phylogenetic Bayesian analysis revealed the occurrence of three well-differentiated sublineages that clustered together into a single clade. Based on pairwise genetic distances (p-distance), we confirmed the occurrence of three distinct but phylogenetically closely related species coinfecting M. leprosa and E. orbicularis in the same aquatic environments. Our results demonstrate that the use of fast evolving genes within Haemogregarina will help to investigate the parasite diversity within both intermediate vertebrate and definitive invertebrate hosts, and to assess the evolution, historical biogeography and specificity of haemogregarines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahma Attia El Hili
- University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Laboratory of Diversity, Management and Conservation of Biological Systems, LR18ES06 Tunis, Tunisia; Université Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, Perpignan, France; CNRS, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, Perpignan, France
| | - Mohamed Sghaier Achouri
- University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Laboratory of Diversity, Management and Conservation of Biological Systems, LR18ES06 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Olivier Verneau
- Université Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, Perpignan, France; CNRS, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, Perpignan, France; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
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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: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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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Thompson CW, Phelps KL, Allard MW, Cook JA, Dunnum JL, Ferguson AW, Gelang M, Khan FAA, Paul DL, Reeder DM, Simmons NB, Vanhove MPM, Webala PW, Weksler M, Kilpatrick CW. Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies. mBio 2021; 12:e02698-20. [PMID: 33436435 PMCID: PMC7844540 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02698-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being nearly 10 months into the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the definitive animal host for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the causal agent of COVID-19, remains unknown. Unfortunately, similar problems exist for other betacoronaviruses, and no vouchered specimens exist to corroborate host species identification for most of these pathogens. This most basic information is critical to the full understanding and mitigation of emerging zoonotic diseases. To overcome this hurdle, we recommend that host-pathogen researchers adopt vouchering practices and collaborate with natural history collections to permanently archive microbiological samples and host specimens. Vouchered specimens and associated samples provide both repeatability and extension to host-pathogen studies, and using them mobilizes a large workforce (i.e., biodiversity scientists) to assist in pandemic preparedness. We review several well-known examples that successfully integrate host-pathogen research with natural history collections (e.g., yellow fever, hantaviruses, helminths). However, vouchering remains an underutilized practice in such studies. Using an online survey, we assessed vouchering practices used by microbiologists (e.g., bacteriologists, parasitologists, virologists) in host-pathogen research. A much greater number of respondents permanently archive microbiological samples than archive host specimens, and less than half of respondents voucher host specimens from which microbiological samples were lethally collected. To foster collaborations between microbiologists and natural history collections, we provide recommendations for integrating vouchering techniques and archiving of microbiological samples into host-pathogen studies. This integrative approach exemplifies the premise underlying One Health initiatives, providing critical infrastructure for addressing related issues ranging from public health to global climate change and the biodiversity crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody W Thompson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Marc W Allard
- Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jonathan L Dunnum
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, Biology Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Adam W Ferguson
- Gantz Family Collections Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Magnus Gelang
- Gothenburg Natural History Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Deborah L Paul
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
- Species File Group, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maarten P M Vanhove
- Hasselt University, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity and Toxicology, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Paul W Webala
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya
| | - Marcelo Weksler
- Departamento de Vertebrados, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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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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Emmenegger T, Alves JA, Rocha AD, Costa JS, Schmid R, Schulze M, Hahn S. Population- and age-specific patterns of haemosporidian assemblages and infection levels in European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster). Int J Parasitol 2020; 50:1125-1131. [PMID: 32866492 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Amongst other factors, host behaviour critically determines the patterns with which blood parasites occur in wild host populations. In particular, migratory hosts that sequentially occupy distant sites within and across years are expected to show distinct patterns of blood parasitism depending on their population-specific schedules and whereabouts. Here, we monitored haemosporidian parasitism in two populations of European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster), breeding in Portugal and Germany, with fundamentally different spatiotemporal migration patterns and colonisation histories. We describe and compare the composition of their parasite fauna as well as host population-, age- and sex-specific patterns in the frequency and intensity of infections. We found haemosporidian prevalence to be higher in Portugal compared with Germany and the prevalence generally increased with host age in both populations. Bee-eaters breeding in Portugal and wintering in western Africa mostly hosted parasites of the genus Haemoproteus, while Plasmodium lineages prevailed in birds breeding in Germany and wintering in central Africa. We found 18 genetic lineages, of which nine uniquely occurred in Germany, three uniquely in Portugal and six occurred in both breeding populations. The infection intensities (= % infected per inspected erythrocytes) ranged from 0.002% up to maximally 2.5% in Portugal and 9.6% in Germany. The intensity was higher in Germany compared with Portugal, vastly varied between the parasite genera (Haemoproteus > Plasmodium), but also differed between lineages of the same genus. Our results suggest that populations from different parts of a host's breeding range differ in prevalence and the composition of their haemosporidian assemblages, rather than in the intensity of their infections. Whether these patterns are mainly caused by differential habitat use throughout the annual cycle and/or the population-specific co-evolutionary backgrounds of a host species in range expansion remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Emmenegger
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland.
| | - José A Alves
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810 193 Aveiro, Portugal; South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Lindarbraut 4, 840 Laugarvatn, Iceland
| | - Afonso D Rocha
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810 193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Joana Santos Costa
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810 193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Raffaella Schmid
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Martin Schulze
- RANA, Agency for Ecology and Nature Conservation, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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Arnuphapprasert A, Riana E, Ngamprasertwong T, Wangthongchaicharoen M, Soisook P, Thanee S, Bhodhibundit P, Kaewthamasorn M. First molecular investigation of haemosporidian parasites in Thai bat species. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2020; 13:51-61. [PMID: 32904325 PMCID: PMC7452641 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Malaria parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa (Order: Haemosporida) infect diverse vertebrates and invertebrate hosts. At least seven genera of haemosporidian parasites have been described to exclusively infect bats. Most of these parasites remain enigmatic with a poorly known host range. Here, we investigated 271 bats belonging to 21 species and seven families from six provinces of Thailand. Overall, 124 out of 271 bats (45.8%) were positive for haemosporidian parasites, while none had Plasmodium, based on microscopic examination of blood smears and PCR amplification. We obtained 19 distinct cytochrome b (cytb) nucleotide haplotypes of Hepatocystis from seven bat species (families: Craseonycteridae, Hipposideridae, Pteropodidae, and Rhinolophidae). Nycteria was found in four bat species (Craseonycteridae, Emballonuridae, Megadermatidae, and Pteropodidae) and Polychromophilus in two species (Emballonuridae, Vespertilionidae). Phylogenetic analysis inferred from cytb sequences placed Hepatocystis into 2 different clades. Most Hepatocystis infections were found in insectivorous bats and clustered together with a sequence from Hipposideros larvatus in Cambodia (in subclade 1a). A single sequence of Hepatocystis obtained from a frugivorous bat, Cynopterus brachyotis, was placed in the same clade with Hepatocystis from the same bat species previously reported in Malaysia (clade 2). Nycteria in these Thai bats were clearly separated from the African isolates previously reported in bats in the family Rhinolophidae. Polychromophilus murinus from Myotis siligorensis was placed in a distinct clade (clade 2) from Polychromophilus melanipherus isolated from Taphozous melanopogon (clade 1). These results confirmed that at least two distinct species of Polychromophilus are found in Thailand. Collectively, Hepatocystis presented no host specificity. Although Megaderma spasma seemed to be infected by only Nycteria, its respective parasite does not show specificity to only a single bat host. Polychromophilus murinus and P. melanipherus seem to infect a narrower host range or are somehow restricted to bats in the families Vespertilionidae and Emballonuridae, respectively. First molecular analysis of haemosporidian parasites in 21 bat species across Thailand. Diverse bat species in Thailand are hosts of various haemosporidian parasites. High prevalence of haemosporidians in bats (124/271 bats; 45.8%). Hepatocystis, Nycteria, and Polychromophilus were discovered in Thai bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apinya Arnuphapprasert
- Veterinary Pathobiology Graduate Program, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Elizabeth Riana
- The International Graduate Course of Veterinary Science and Technology (VST), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | | | | | - Pipat Soisook
- Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Suchansa Thanee
- Veterinary Parasitology Research Group, Veterinary Parasitology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Phanaschakorn Bhodhibundit
- Sai Yok National Park, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Kanchanaburi, 71150, Thailand
| | - Morakot Kaewthamasorn
- Veterinary Parasitology Research Group, Veterinary Parasitology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.,Wildlife Exotic and Aquatic Pathology-Research Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
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Rodent malaria in Gabon: Diversity and host range. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 10:117-124. [PMID: 31453086 PMCID: PMC6702409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Malaria parasites infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts, such as reptiles, birds and mammals (i.e., primates, ungulates, bats, and rodents). Four Plasmodium species and their subspecies infect African Muridae. Since their discoveries in the 1940s, these rodent Plasmodium species have served as biological models to explore many aspects of the biology of malaria agents and their interactions with their hosts. Despite that, surprisingly, little is known about their ecology, natural history and evolution. Most field studies on these parasites, performed from the 1940s to the early 1980s, showed that all rodent Plasmodium species infect only one main host species, the thicket rat. In the present study, we re-explored the diversity of Plasmodium parasites infecting rodent species living in peridomestic habitats in Gabon, Central Africa. Using molecular approaches, we found that at least two Plasmodium species (Plasmodium vinckei and Plasmodium yoelii) circulated among five rodent species (including the invasive species Mus musculus). This suggests that the host range of these parasites might be larger than previously considered. Our results also showed that the diversity of these parasites could be higher than currently recognized, with the discovery of a new phylogenetic lineage that could represent a new species of rodent Plasmodium. Circulation of at least two Plasmodium species in multiple rodent species in Gabon. African rodent Plasmodium host range is higher than previously recognized. Existence of a potentially new Plasmodium species (Plasmodium sp GAB), closely related to Plasmodium yoelii.
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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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Van Hemert C, Meixell BW, Smith MM, Handel CM. Prevalence and diversity of avian blood parasites in a resident northern passerine. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:292. [PMID: 31182151 PMCID: PMC6558893 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3545-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate-related changes are expected to influence the prevalence and distribution of vector-borne haemosporidian parasites at northern latitudes, although baseline information about resident birds is still lacking. In this study, we investigated prevalence and genetic diversity of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon parasites infecting the northwestern crow (Corvus caurinus), a non-migratory passerine with unique life-history characteristics. This species occupies both intertidal and forested habitats and is subject to high prevalence of avian keratin disorder (AKD), a disease that causes gross beak deformities. Investigation of avian blood parasites in northwestern crows at sites broadly distributed across coastal Alaska provided an opportunity to evaluate specific host factors related to parasite infection status and assess geographical patterns of prevalence. RESULTS We used molecular methods to screen for haemosporidian parasites in northwestern crows and estimated genus-specific parasite prevalence with occupancy modeling that accounts for imperfect detection of parasite infection. We observed considerable geographical and annual variation in prevalence of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon, but these patterns were not correlated with indices of local climatic conditions. Our models also did not provide support for relationships between the probability of parasite infection and body condition or the occurrence of co-infections with other parasite genera or clinical signs of AKD. In our phylogenetic analyses, we identified multiple lineages of each parasite genus, with Leucocytozoon showing greater diversity than Plasmodium or Haemoproteus. CONCLUSIONS Results from this study expand our knowledge about the prevalence and diversity of avian blood parasites in northern resident birds as well as corvids worldwide. We detected all three genera of avian haemosporidians in northwestern crows in Alaska, although only Leucocytozoon occurred at all sites in both years. Given the strong geographical and annual variation in parasite prevalence and apparent lack of correlation with climatic variables, it appears that there are other key factors responsible for driving transmission dynamics in this region. Thus, caution is warranted when using standard climatic or geographical attributes in a predictive framework. Our phylogenetic results demonstrate lower host specificity for some lineages of Leucocytozoon than is typically reported and provide insights about genetic diversity of local haemosporidian parasites in Alaska.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Van Hemert
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508 USA
| | - Brandt W. Meixell
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508 USA
| | - Matthew M. Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508 USA
| | - Colleen M. Handel
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508 USA
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Pacheco MA, Matta NE, Valkiunas G, Parker PG, Mello B, Stanley CE, Lentino M, Garcia-Amado MA, Cranfield M, Kosakovsky Pond SL, Escalante AA. Mode and Rate of Evolution of Haemosporidian Mitochondrial Genomes: Timing the Radiation of Avian Parasites. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:383-403. [PMID: 29126122 PMCID: PMC5850713 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Haemosporidians are a diverse group of vector-borne parasitic protozoa that includes the agents of human malaria; however, most of the described species are found in birds and reptiles. Although our understanding of these parasites’ diversity has expanded by analyses of their mitochondrial genes, there is limited information on these genes’ evolutionary rates. Here, 114 mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) were studied from species belonging to four genera: Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Hepatocystis, and Plasmodium. Contrary to previous assertions, the mtDNA is phylogenetically informative. The inferred phylogeny showed that, like the genus Plasmodium, the Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus genera are not monophyletic groups. Although sensitive to the assumptions of the molecular dating method used, the estimated times indicate that the diversification of the avian haemosporidian subgenera/genera took place after the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary following the radiation of modern birds. Furthermore, parasite clade differences in mtDNA substitution rates and strength of negative selection were detected. These differences may affect the biological interpretation of mtDNA gene lineages used as a proxy to species in ecological and parasitological investigations. Given that the mitochondria are critically important in the parasite life cycle stages that take place in the vector and that the transmission of parasites belonging to particular clades has been linked to specific insect families/subfamilies, this study suggests that differences in vectors have affected the mode of evolution of haemosporidian mtDNA genes. The observed patterns also suggest that the radiation of haemosporidian parasites may be the result of community-level evolutionary processes between their vertebrate and invertebrate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Andreína Pacheco
- Department of Biology, Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (igem), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Nubia E Matta
- Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigación Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Sede Bogotá-Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Patricia G Parker
- Department of Biology, Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Beatriz Mello
- Department of Biology, Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (igem), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Craig E Stanley
- Department of Biology, Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (igem), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Maria Alexandra Garcia-Amado
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Gastrointestinal, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Miranda, Venezuela
| | - Michael Cranfield
- Gorilla Doctors, the Wildlife Health Center School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Sergei L Kosakovsky Pond
- Department of Biology, Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (igem), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Department of Biology, Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (igem), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
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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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31
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Toscani Field J, Weinberg J, Bensch S, Matta NE, Valkiūnas G, Sehgal RNM. Delineation of the Genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium Using RNA-Seq and Multi-gene Phylogenetics. J Mol Evol 2018; 86:646-654. [PMID: 30426144 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-018-9875-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Members of the order Haemosporida are protist parasites that infect mammals, reptiles and birds. This group includes the causal agents of malaria, Plasmodium parasites, the genera Leucocytozoon and Fallisia, as well as the species rich genus Haemoproteus with its two subgenera Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus. Some species of Haemoproteus cause severe disease in avian hosts, and these parasites display high levels of diversity worldwide. This diversity emphasizes the need for accurate evolutionary information. Most molecular studies of wildlife haemosporidians use a bar coding approach by sequencing a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. This method is efficient at differentiating parasite lineages but insufficient for accurate phylogenetic inferences in highly diverse taxa such as haemosporidians. Recent studies have utilized multiple mitochondrial genes (cyt b, cox1 and cox3), sometimes combined with a few apicoplast and nuclear genes. These studies have been highly successful with one notable exception: the evolutionary relationships of the genus Haemoproteus remain unresolved. Here we describe the transcriptome of Haemoproteus columbae and investigate its phylogenetic position recovered from a multi-gene dataset (600 genes). This genomic approach restricts the taxon sampling to 18 species of apicomplexan parasites. We employed Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods of phylogenetic analyses and found H. columbae and a representative from the subgenus Parahaemoproteus to be sister taxa. This result strengthens the hypothesis of genus Haemoproteus being monophyletic; however, resolving this question will require sequences of orthologs from, in particular, representatives of Leucocytozoon species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Toscani Field
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1700 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA.
| | - Josh Weinberg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1700 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Nubia E Matta
- Sede Bogotá, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigación Caracterización genética e inmunología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
| | | | - Ravinder N M Sehgal
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1700 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
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32
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Ramasindrazana B, Goodman SM, Dsouli N, Gomard Y, Lagadec E, Randrianarivelojosia M, Dellagi K, Tortosa P. Polychromophilus spp. (Haemosporida) in Malagasy bats: host specificity and insights on invertebrate vectors. Malar J 2018; 17:318. [PMID: 30170583 PMCID: PMC6119311 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2461-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bats are home to diverse haemosporidian parasites namely Plasmodium and Plasmodium-related. While information is available at a worldwide level, haemosporidian infection in bats from Madagascar is still scarce and recent changes in the taxonomy of the island’s bat fauna, particularly the description of several new species, require a reassessment of previously described patterns, including blood parasite ecology and vectorial transmission. Methods A sample representing seven of the nine known bat families and 31 of the 46 currently recognized taxa from Madagascar and collected in the western and central portions of the island were screened by PCR for the presence of Polychromophilus. In addition, Nycteribiidae flies parasitizing Miniopteridae and Vespertilionidae were screened for parasites with the aim to better understand aspects of vector transmission. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial cytochrome b encoding gene was used in a Bayesian analysis to examine the relationship between Polychromophilus recovered from Malagasy bats and those identified elsewhere. Results Polychromophilus infection was restricted to Miniopterus spp. (Miniopteridae), Myotis goudoti (Vespertilionidae), and Paratriaenops furculus (Rhinonycteridae), with an overall infection rate of 13.5%. Polychromophilus melanipherus was found infecting Miniopterus spp. and P. furculus, whereas Polychromophilus murinus was only recovered from M. goudoti. These two protozoan parasites species were also detected in bat flies species known to parasitize Miniopterus spp. and M. goudoti, respectively. Generalized linear model analyses were conducted to elucidate the effect of species and sex on haemoparasites infection in Miniopterus spp., which revealed that males have higher risk of infection than females and prevalence differed according to the considered Miniopterus host. Molecular screening of nycteribiid flies revealed three positive species for Polychromophilus spp., including Penicillidia sp. (cf. fulvida), Penicillidia leptothrinax, and Nycteribia stylidiopsis. These three fly species are known to parasitize Miniopterus spp. and M. goudoti and should be considered as potential vectors of Polychromophilus spp. Conclusion Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated the existence of at least four distinct clades within the genus Polychromophilus, two of which were documented in the present study. The screening of nycteribiid flies overlaid on the highly diversified genus Miniopterus, provides considerable insight into parasite transmission, with bat infection being associated with their roosting behaviour and the occurrence of specific arthropod vectors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12936-018-2461-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beza Ramasindrazana
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France. .,Association Vahatra, BP 3972, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar. .,Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP 1274, Ambatofotsikely, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
| | - Steven M Goodman
- Association Vahatra, BP 3972, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Najla Dsouli
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Yann Gomard
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Erwan Lagadec
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Milijaona Randrianarivelojosia
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP 1274, Ambatofotsikely, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,Faculté des Sciences, Université de Toliara, 601, Toliara, Madagascar
| | - Koussay Dellagi
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France.,Institut Pasteur (International Division), 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Pablo Tortosa
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
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33
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The success of sequence capture in relation to phylogenetic distance from a reference genome: a case study of avian haemosporidian parasites. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:947-954. [PMID: 30107149 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Genomic sequencing of avian haemosporidian parasites (Haemosporida) has been challenging due to excessive contamination from host DNA. In this study, we developed a cost-effective protocol to obtain parasite sequences from naturally infected birds, based on targeted sequence capture and next generation sequencing. With the genomic data of Haemoproteus tartakovskyi as a reference, we successfully sequenced up to 1000 genes from each of the 15 selected samples belonging to nine different cytochrome b lineages, eight of which belong to Haemoproteus and one to Plasmodium. The targeted sequences were enriched to ∼104-fold, and mixed infections were identified as well as the proportions of each mixed lineage. We found that the total number of reads and the proportions of exons sequenced decreased when the parasite lineage became more divergent from the reference genome. For each of the samples, the recovery of sequences from different exons varied with the function and GC content of the exon. From the obtained sequences, we detected within-lineage variation in both mitochondrial and nuclear genes, which may be a result of local adaptation to different host species and environmental conditions. This targeted sequence capture protocol can be applied to a broader range of species and will open a new door for further studies on disease diagnostics and comparative analysis of haemosporidians evolution.
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34
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McDonough MM, Parker LD, Rotzel McInerney N, Campana MG, Maldonado JE. Performance of commonly requested destructive museum samples for mammalian genomic studies. J Mammal 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Molly M McDonough
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lillian D Parker
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, Washington, DC, USA
- Environmental Science and Policy Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Nancy Rotzel McInerney
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael G Campana
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, Washington, DC, USA
- Environmental Science and Policy Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Jesús E Maldonado
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoo, Washington, DC, USA
- Environmental Science and Policy Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
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35
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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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36
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Galen SC, Borner J, Martinsen ES, Schaer J, Austin CC, West CJ, Perkins SL. The polyphyly of Plasmodium: comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of the malaria parasites (order Haemosporida) reveal widespread taxonomic conflict. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171780. [PMID: 29892372 PMCID: PMC5990803 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary relationships among the apicomplexan blood pathogens known as the malaria parasites (order Haemosporida), some of which infect nearly 200 million humans each year, has remained a vexing phylogenetic problem due to limitations in taxon sampling, character sampling and the extreme nucleotide base composition biases that are characteristic of this clade. Previous phylogenetic work on the malaria parasites has often lacked sufficient representation of the broad taxonomic diversity within the Haemosporida or the multi-locus sequence data needed to resolve deep evolutionary relationships, rendering our understanding of haemosporidian life-history evolution and the origin of the human malaria parasites incomplete. Here we present the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the malaria parasites conducted to date, using samples from a broad diversity of vertebrate hosts that includes numerous enigmatic and poorly known haemosporidian lineages in addition to genome-wide multi-locus sequence data. We find that if base composition differences were corrected for during phylogenetic analysis, we recovered a well-supported topology indicating that the evolutionary history of the malaria parasites was characterized by a complex series of transitions in life-history strategies and host usage. Notably we find that Plasmodium, the malaria parasite genus that includes the species of human medical concern, is polyphyletic with the life-history traits characteristic of this genus having evolved in a dynamic manner across the phylogeny. We find support for multiple instances of gain and loss of asexual proliferation in host blood cells and production of haemozoin pigment, two traits that have been used for taxonomic classification as well as considered to be important factors for parasite virulence and used as drug targets. Lastly, our analysis illustrates the need for a widespread reassessment of malaria parasite taxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C. Galen
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Janus Borner
- Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Grindel, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ellen S. Martinsen
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, PO Box 37012, MRC5503, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Department of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher C. Austin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | | | - Susan L. Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
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37
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Schaer J, Perkins SL, Ejotre I, Vodzak ME, Matuschewski K, Reeder DM. Epauletted fruit bats display exceptionally high infections with a Hepatocystis species complex in South Sudan. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6928. [PMID: 28761151 PMCID: PMC5537238 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07093-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocystis parasites are closely related to mammalian Plasmodium species, the causative agents of malaria. Despite the close phylogenetic relationship, Hepatocystis parasites lack the intermittent erythrocytic replication cycles, the signature and exclusive cause of malaria-related morbidity and mortality. Hepatocystis population expansion in the mammalian host is thought to be restricted to the pre-erythrocytic liver phase. Complete differentiation of first generation blood stages into sexual stages for subsequent vector transmission indicates alternative parasite/host co-evolution. In this study, we identified a region of exceptionally high prevalence of Hepatocystis infections in Old World fruit bats in South Sudan. Investigations over the course of five consecutive surveys revealed an average of 93 percent prevalence in four genera of African epauletted fruit bats. We observed a clear seasonal pattern and tolerance of high parasite loads in these bats. Phylogenetic analyses revealed several cryptic Hepatocystis parasite species and, in contrast to mammalian Plasmodium parasites, neither host specificity nor strong geographical patterns were evident. Together, our study provides evidence for Pan-African distribution and local high endemicity of a Hepatocystis species complex in Pteropodidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Schaer
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Parasitology Unit, Berlin, 10117, Germany. .,Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity, Mammals Collections, Berlin, 10115, Germany.
| | - Susan L Perkins
- American Museum of Natural History, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, New York, 10024, USA
| | - Imran Ejotre
- Humboldt University, Institute of Biology, Berlin, 10117, Germany
| | - Megan E Vodzak
- Bucknell University, Department of Biology, Lewisburg, 17837, USA.,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Parasitology Unit, Berlin, 10117, Germany.,Humboldt University, Institute of Biology, Berlin, 10117, Germany
| | - DeeAnn M Reeder
- Bucknell University, Department of Biology, Lewisburg, 17837, USA
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38
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A novel Haemosporida clade at the rank of genus in North American cranes (Aves: Gruiformes). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 109:73-79. [PMID: 28012954 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The unicellular blood parasites in the order Haemosporida are highly diverse, infect many vertebrates, are responsible for a large disease burden among humans and animals, and have reemerged as an important model system to understand the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of host-parasite interactions. The phylogenetics and systematics of Haemosporida are limited by poor sampling of different vertebrate host taxa. We surveyed the Haemosporida of wild whooping cranes (Grus americana) and sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) (Aves: Gruiformes) using a combination of morphological and molecular approaches. We identified Haemoproteus antigonis in blood smears based on published morphological descriptions. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial cytochrome b (cytb) and cytochrome oxidase (coI) sequences placed H. antigonis parasites in a novel clade, distinct from all avian Haemosporida genera for which cytb and/or coI sequences are available. Molecular clock and divergence estimates suggest this crane clade may represent a new genus. This is the first molecular description of H. antigonis and the first report of H. antigonis in wild whooping cranes, an endangered bird in North America. Further sampling of Haemosporida, especially from hosts of the Gruiformes and other poorly sampled orders, will help to resolve the relationship of the H. antigonis clade to other avian Haemosporida genera. Our study highlights the potential of sampling neglected host species to discover novel lineages of diverse parasite groups.
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39
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Caragata EP, Rezende FO, Simões TC, Moreira LA. Diet-Induced Nutritional Stress and Pathogen Interference in Wolbachia-Infected Aedes aegypti. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0005158. [PMID: 27893736 PMCID: PMC5125575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogen interference phenotype greatly restricts infection with dengue virus (DENV) and other pathogens in Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti, and is a vital component of Wolbachia-based mosquito control. Critically, the phenotype's causal mechanism is complex and poorly understood, with recent evidence suggesting that the cause may be species specific. To better understand this important phenotype, we investigated the role of diet-induced nutritional stress on interference against DENV and the avian malarial parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum in Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti, and on physiological processes linked to the phenotype. Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were fed one of four different concentrations of sucrose, and then challenged with either P. gallinaceum or DENV. Interference against P. gallinaceum was significantly weakened by the change in diet however there was no effect on DENV interference. Immune gene expression and H2O2 levels have previously been linked to pathogen interference. These traits were assayed for mosquitoes on each diet using RT-qPCR and the Amplex Red Hydrogen Peroxide/Peroxidase Assay Kit, and it was observed that the change in diet did not significantly affect immune expression, but low carbohydrate levels led to a loss of ROS induction in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. Our data suggest that host nutrition may not influence DENV interference for Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, but Plasmodium interference may be linked to both nutrition and oxidative stress. This pathogen-specific response to nutritional change highlights the complex nature of interactions between Wolbachia and pathogens in mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Pearce Caragata
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Oliveira Rezende
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Taynãna César Simões
- Serviço de Apoio a Métodos Quantitativos, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luciano Andrade Moreira
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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40
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Lutz HL, Marra NJ, Grewe F, Carlson JS, Palinauskas V, Valkiūnas G, Stanhope MJ. Laser capture microdissection microscopy and genome sequencing of the avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium relictum. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:4503-4510. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5237-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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41
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Perkins SL, Schaer J. A Modern Menagerie of Mammalian Malaria. Trends Parasitol 2016; 32:772-782. [PMID: 27492115 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Malaria parasites belong to the diverse apicomplexan order Haemospororida and use a variety of vertebrate and dipteran hosts worldwide. Recently, the utilization of molecular methods has resulted in a burst of newly discovered and rediscovered taxa infecting mammalian hosts, particularly in apes, ungulates, and bats. Additional study of these diverse mammal-infecting taxa is crucial for better understanding the evolutionary history of malaria parasites, especially given that most previous comparative phylogenetic analyses have tended to use both limited taxon sampling and a small set of genetic loci, resulting in weakly supported (and sometimes hotly contested) hypotheses. The ability to generate genomic data from these mammalian parasites, even from subpatent infections, will open up exciting prospects for research on malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan L Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, NY, NY 10024, USA.
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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