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Nak-On S, Chontananarth T. The determination and relationship of four coexisting paramphistomes in perspective of integrative taxonomic investigation. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY: REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2023; 40:100849. [PMID: 37068856 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Co-infections with Orthocoelium species and other paramphistomes were found in different ruminant hosts from two provinces of Thailand. Whilst O. parvipapillatum coexisted with Paramphistomum epiclitum in the same cattle (Bos taurus) from Pathum Thani Province, Thailand, O. dicranocoelium and Fischoederius elongatus were found in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) from Chiang Mai Province. Morphological, histological, and tegumental surface features of both Orthocoelium species were intensively investigated for species differentiation. Statistical analysis of eight morphometric ratios presented morphological differences for three paramphistomes in the Paramphistomidae family and some relationships among paramphistomes in different definitive hosts. The genetic relationships of the co-infecting paramphistomes were investigated using p-distance and phylogenetic tree analyses. Genetic variations in the Orthocoelium co-infecting paramphistomes, P. epiclitum and F. elongatus, were calculated and compared to DNA sequence alignments based on internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA markers. In addition, the phylogenetic tree constructions from both DNA markers and their concatenated sequence (ITS2 + COI) were used for species confirmation and the presentation of genetic relationships between co-infecting paramphistomes and other paramphistomes. This study improves the basic taxonomical description and understanding of parasite-parasite and host-parasite interactions from the perspectives of morpho-histological, morphometric, and genetic variation in co-infecting paramphistomes and Orthocoelium species in different hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirapat Nak-On
- Applied Parasitology Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
| | - Thapana Chontananarth
- Applied Parasitology Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10110, Thailand; Research and Innovation Unit for Diagnosis of Medical and Veterinary Important Parasites, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.
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2
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Li X, Liu T, Li A, Xiao Y, Sun K, Feng J. Diversifying selection and climatic effects on major histocompatibility complex class
II
gene diversity in the greater horseshoe bat. Evol Appl 2023; 16:688-704. [PMID: 36969140 PMCID: PMC10033860 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneous pathogenic stress can shape major histocompatibility complex (MHC) diversity by influencing the functional plasticity of the immune response. Therefore, MHC diversity could reflect environmental stress, demonstrating its importance in uncovering the mechanisms of adaptive genetic variation. In this study, we combined neutral microsatellite loci, an immune-related MHC II-DRB locus, and climatic factors to unravel the mechanisms affecting the diversity and genetic differentiation of MHC genes in the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum), a species with a wide geographical distribution that has three distinct genetic lineages in China. First, increased genetic differentiation at the MHC locus among populations compared using microsatellites indicated diversifying selection. Second, the genetic differentiation of MHC and microsatellites were significantly correlated, suggesting that demographic processes exist. However, MHC genetic differentiation was significantly correlated with geographical distance among populations, even after controlling for the neutral markers, suggesting a major effect of selection. Third, although the MHC genetic differentiation was larger than that for microsatellites, there was no significant difference in the genetic differentiation between the two markers among genetic lineages, indicating the effect of balancing selection. Fourth, combined with climatic factors, MHC diversity and supertypes showed significant correlations with temperature and precipitation, but not with the phylogeographic structure of R. ferrumequinum, suggesting an effect of local adaptation driven by climate on MHC diversity. Moreover, the number of MHC supertypes varied between populations and lineages, suggesting regional characteristics and support for local adaptation. Taken together, the results of our study provide insights into the adaptive evolutionary driving forces at different geographic scales in R. ferrumequinum. In addition, climate factors may have played a vital role in driving adaptive evolution in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun China
| | - Tong Liu
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University Changchun China
| | - Aoqiang Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Yanhong Xiao
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
| | - Keping Sun
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization Northeast Normal University Changchun China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University Changchun China
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Paredes-Trujillo A, Mendoza-Carranza M, Río-Rodriguez RED, Cerqueda-García D. Comparative assessment of metazoans infestation of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (L.) (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in floating cages and ponds from Chiapas, Mexico. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022; 34:100757. [PMID: 36041793 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nile tilapia is the most commercially important fish in Chiapas as well as in other parts of the world. An understanding of parasite infection dynamics in tilapia may assist in applying proper prophylactic measures for reducing the loss of fish caused by parasitic diseases. Different environments and culture systems may imply different infection dynamics; therefore, the present study identified and compared the infection parameters (prevalence, mean abundance, and intensity) of parasites of Oreochromis niloticus cultured in floating cages and ponds. A total of 18 metazoan parasite taxa were recovered from gills, skin, fins and intestines of 310 specimens from floating cages and ponds. Fourteen species of parasites were found in floating cages: 8 monogenean species, 1 nematode, 1 digenea, 1 crustacea, 3 protozoans. In ponds, 16 parasite taxa were reported: 11 were monogeneans species, 4 protozoans and 1 crustacean. In both systems, monogeneans (Cichlidogyrus sclerosus, C. tilapiae, Gyrodactylus cichlidarum) and protozoans (Trichodina compacta) were most prevalent. Tilapia in ponds sustained higher parasitic infections than those in floating cages (p < 0.05). The Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed two groups: the first grouped the ponds, associated with high values of nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, conductivity, temperature, and the abundance of the ectoparasites C. halli, C. dossoui, Scutogyrus longicornis, C. sclerosus and T. compacta. The second group grouped the cages, associated with Clinostomum marginatum, Apiosoma piscicola, Lernea sp., and Contracaecum sp. and a high dissolved oxygen concentration. Our findings suggest that monitoring programs are required to improve the sanitary conditions of tilapia cultures in Chiapas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia Paredes-Trujillo
- Laboratorio de Sanidad Acuícola, Instituto de Ecología, Pesquerías y Oceanografía (EPOMEX) de la Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Campus de investigación 6 Av. Héroes de Nacozari 466, C.P. 24039 Campeche, Campeche, Mexico.
| | - Manuel Mendoza-Carranza
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Sustentabilidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur-ECOSUR, km. 15.5 Carr. Reforma s/n, Ra. Guineo 2a. Sección, 86280 Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo E Del Río-Rodriguez
- Laboratorio de Sanidad Acuícola, Instituto de Ecología, Pesquerías y Oceanografía (EPOMEX) de la Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Campus de investigación 6 Av. Héroes de Nacozari 466, C.P. 24039 Campeche, Campeche, Mexico
| | - Daniel Cerqueda-García
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica, Periferico Sur 4809, Col. Arenal Tepepan, Tlalpan, 14610 Ciudad de Mexico, CDMX, Mexico
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Morphological and molecular characterization of larval trematodes infecting the assassin snail genus Anentome in Thailand. J Helminthol 2022; 96:e52. [PMID: 35894430 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x22000463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The assassin snail genus Anentome is widespread in Southeast Asia, and is distributed all over the world via the aquarium trade. One species of genus Anentome, Anentome helena, is known to act as intermediate host of parasitic trematodes. This study investigates the taxonomic diversity of larval trematodes infecting A. helena and Anentome wykoffi in Thailand. Larval trematodes were identified by combining morphological and DNA sequence data (cytochrome c oxidase I and internal transcribed spacer 2). Species delimitation methods were used to explore larval trematode species boundaries. A total of 1107 specimens of Anentome sp. were collected from 25 localities in Thailand. Sixty-two specimens of A. helena (n = 33) and A. wykoffi (n = 29) were infected by zoogonid cercariae, heterophyid metacercariae and echinostome metacercariae, with an overall prevalence of 5.6% (62/1107) and population-level prevalences in the range of 0.0-22.3%. DNA sequence data confirmed that the larval trematodes belong to the families Echinostomatidae, Heterophyidae and Zoogonidae. As such, this is the first report of zoogonid cercariae and heterophyid metacercariae in A. helena, and echinostome metacercariae in A. wykoffi. Moreover, this study provides evidence of tentative species-level differentiation between Thai Echinostoma sp. and Cambodian Echinostoma mekongi, as well as within Echinostoma caproni, Echinostoma trivolvis and Echinostoma revolutum.
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Gastrointestinal parasites in red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) hunted in Spain: a warning to game managers. Vet Res Commun 2022; 46:1051-1062. [PMID: 35796856 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-022-09968-7] [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: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) populations are currently declining in the Iberian Peninsula, mainly due to habitat degradation and hunting pressure. In addition, the release of farm-reared partridges may introduce pathogens, including parasites, to wild populations. The presence of digestive parasites in red-legged partridges hunted in fifteen Spanish provinces was studied. Fecal samples and gastrointestinal tracts were collected, analyzed, and the morphometric identification of parasites was carried out. Eimeria spp. oocysts, nematode, cestode and trematode eggs were observed in fecal samples. Adult nematodes (Ascaridia galli, Ascaridia compar, Heterakis gallinarum, Heterakis tenuicauda, Trichostrongylus tenuis, Subulura spp., Cyrnea spp. and Aonchotheca caudinflata), tapeworms (Raillietina tetragona, R. echinobothrida, R. micracantha, Rhabdometra nigropunctata, and Choanotaenia infundibulum), and trematodes (Brachylaima spp., Brachylecithum spp., Dicrocoelium spp.) were identified in the gastrointestinal tracts. Significant statistical differences were found among climatic regions in the prevalence and intensity of Eimeria spp. infection, median intensity and the prevalence of indirect life cycle helminths, with Southern areas always showing higher infection values. The study provides information of the health status of red-legged partridges in Spain, highlighting the risk associated with the release of farm-reared partridges for restocking purposes. This should be taken into account to improve management strategies for the long-term conservation of the species.
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Context-dependent parasite infection affects trophic niche in populations of sympatric stickleback species. Parasitology 2022; 149:1164-1172. [PMID: 35570701 PMCID: PMC10090597 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022000531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
How parasites alter host feeding ecology remains elusive in natural populations. A powerful approach to investigate the link between infection and feeding ecology is quantifying unique and shared responses to parasite infection in related host species within a common environment. Here, 9 pairs of sympatric populations of the three-spined and nine-spined stickleback fishes were sampled across a range of freshwater and brackish habitats to investigate how parasites alter host feeding ecology: (i) biotic and abiotic determinants of parasite community composition, and (ii) to what extent parasite infection correlates with trophic niche specialization of the 2 species, using stable isotope analyses (δ15N and δ13C). It was determined that parasite community composition and host parasite load varied among sites and species and were correlated with dissolved oxygen. It was also observed that the digenean Cyathocotyle sp.'s abundance, a common directly infecting parasite with a complex life cycle, correlated with host δ13C in a fish species-specific manner. In 6 sites, correlations were found between parasite abundance and their hosts' feeding ecology. These effects were location-specific and occasionally host species or host size-specific. Overall, the results suggest a relationship between parasite infection and host trophic niche which may be an important and largely overlooked ecological factor. The population specificity and variation in parasite communities also suggest this effect is multifarious and context-dependent.
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Akbar S, Gu L, Sun Y, Zhang L, Lyu K, Huang Y, Yang Z. Understanding host-microbiome-environment interactions: Insights from Daphnia as a model organism. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 808:152093. [PMID: 34863741 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microbes perform a variety of vital functions that are essential for healthy ecosystems, ranging from nutrient recycling, antibiotic production and waste decomposition. In many animals, microbes become an integral part by establishing diverse communities collectively termed as "microbiome/s". Microbiomes defend their hosts against pathogens and provide essential nutrients necessary for their growth and reproduction. The microbiome is a polygenic trait that is dependent on host genotype and environmental variables. However, the alteration of microbiomes by stressful condition and their recovery is still poorly understood. Despite rapid growth in host-associated microbiome studies, very little is known about how they can shape ecological processes. Here, we review current knowledge on the microbiome of Daphnia, its role in fitness, alteration by different stressors, and the ecological and evolutionary aspects of host microbiome interactions. We further discuss how variation in Daphnia physiology, life history traits, and microbiome interactive responses to biotic and abiotic factors could impact patterns of microbial diversity in the total environment, which drives ecosystem function in many freshwater environments. Our literature review provides evidence that microbiome is essential for Daphnia growth, reproduction and tolerance against stressors. Though the core and flexible microbiome of Daphnia is still debatable, it is clear that the Daphnia microbiome is highly dependent on interactions among host genotype, diet and the environment. Different environmental factors alter the microbiome composition and diversity of Daphnia and reduce their fitness. These interactions could have important implications in shaping microbial patterns and their recycling as Daphnia are keystone species in freshwater ecosystem. This review provides a framework for studying these complex relationships to gain a better understanding of the ecological and evolutionary roles of the microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddiq Akbar
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Lei Gu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yunfei Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Kai Lyu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhou Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
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Avilés JM, Precioso M, Molina‐Morales M, Martínez JG. Early‐life environmental conditions influence parasitism at adulthood and life‐history of a cuckoo host. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Miguel Avilés
- Depto de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC Almería Spain
| | - Marta Precioso
- Depto de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Granada Granada Spain
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Hart TM, Dupuis AP, Tufts DM, Blom AM, Starkey SR, Rego ROM, Ram S, Kraiczy P, Kramer LD, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kolokotronis SO, Lin YP. Host tropism determination by convergent evolution of immunological evasion in the Lyme disease system. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009801. [PMID: 34324600 PMCID: PMC8354441 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens possess the ability to adapt and survive in some host species but not in others-an ecological trait known as host tropism. Transmitted through ticks and carried mainly by mammals and birds, the Lyme disease (LD) bacterium is a well-suited model to study such tropism. Three main causative agents of LD, Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii, vary in host ranges through mechanisms eluding characterization. By feeding ticks infected with different Borrelia species, utilizing feeding chambers and live mice and quail, we found species-level differences in bacterial transmission. These differences localize on the tick blood meal, and specifically complement, a defense in vertebrate blood, and a polymorphic bacterial protein, CspA, which inactivates complement by binding to a host complement inhibitor, Factor H (FH). CspA selectively confers bacterial transmission to vertebrates that produce FH capable of allele-specific recognition. CspA is the only member of the Pfam54 gene family to exhibit host-specific FH-binding. Phylogenetic analyses revealed convergent evolution as the driver of such uniqueness, and that FH-binding likely emerged during the last glacial maximum. Our results identify a determinant of host tropism in Lyme disease infection, thus defining an evolutionary mechanism that shapes host-pathogen associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Hart
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle M. Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna M. Blom
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Simon R. Starkey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura D. Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Institute for Genomic Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
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Clark NF, Taylor-Robinson AW. An Ecologically Framed Comparison of The Potential for Zoonotic Transmission of Non-Human and Human-Infecting Species of Malaria Parasite. THE YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2021; 94:361-373. [PMID: 34211355 PMCID: PMC8223545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The threats, both real and perceived, surrounding the development of new and emerging infectious diseases of humans are of critical concern to public health and well-being. Among these risks is the potential for zoonotic transmission to humans of species of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, that have been considered historically to infect exclusively non-human hosts. Recently observed shifts in the mode, transmission, and presentation of malaria among several species studied are evidenced by shared vectors, atypical symptoms, and novel host-seeking behavior. Collectively, these changes indicate the presence of environmental and ecological pressures that are likely to influence the dynamics of these parasite life cycles and physiological make-up. These may be further affected and amplified by such factors as increased urban development and accelerated rate of climate change. In particular, the extended host-seeking behavior of what were once considered non-human malaria species indicates the specialist niche of human malaria parasites is not a limiting factor that drives the success of blood-borne parasites. While zoonotic transmission of non-human malaria parasites is generally considered to not be possible for the vast majority of Plasmodium species, failure to consider the feasibility of its occurrence may lead to the emergence of a potentially life-threatening blood-borne disease of humans. Here, we argue that recent trends in behavior among what were hitherto considered to be non-human malaria parasites to infect humans call for a cross-disciplinary, ecologically-focused approach to understanding the complexities of the vertebrate host/mosquito vector/malaria parasite triangular relationship. This highlights a pressing need to conduct a multi-species investigation for which we recommend the construction of a database to determine ecological differences among all known Plasmodium species, vectors, and hosts. Closing this knowledge gap may help to inform alternative means of malaria prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole F. Clark
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra,
Bruce, Australia,College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders
University, Australia
| | - Andrew W. Taylor-Robinson
- Infectious Diseases Research Group, School of Health,
Medical & Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Brisbane,
Australia,College of Health & Human Sciences, Charles Darwin
University, Casuarina, Australia,To whom all correspondence should be addressed:
Prof Andrew W. Taylor-Robinson, Infectious Diseases Research Group, School of
Health, Medical & Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, 160 Ann
Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia; Tel: +61 7 3295 1185;
; ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7342-8348
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Epidemiological approach to nematode polyparasitism occurring in a sympatric wild ruminant multi-host scenario. J Helminthol 2021; 95:e29. [PMID: 34092269 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x21000183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The epidemiology behind multi-host/multi-parasite systems is particularly interesting to investigate for a better understanding of the complex dynamics naturally occurring in wildlife populations. We aimed to approach the naturally occurring polyparasitism of gastrointestinal nematodes in a sympatric wild ruminant scenario present in south-east Spain. To this end, the gastrointestinal tract of 252 wild ruminants of four different species (red deer, Cervus elaphus; mouflon, Ovis aries musimon; Iberian ibex, Capra pyrenaica and fallow deer, Dama dama) were studied in Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (Andalusia, Spain). Of the analysed animals, 81.52% were positive for parasite infection and a total of 29 nematode species were identified. Out of these, 25 species were detected in at least two host species and 11 parasitized all ruminant species surveyed. The multi-host interaction between these nematodes and the four host species is discussed under the perspective of host family-based differences.
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Goehlich H, Sartoris L, Wagner KS, Wendling CC, Roth O. Pipefish Locally Adapted to Low Salinity in the Baltic Sea Retain Phenotypic Plasticity to Cope With Ancestral Salinity Levels. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.626442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity facilitate the migration into new habitats and enable organisms to cope with a rapidly changing environment. In contrast to genetic adaptation that spans multiple generations as an evolutionary process, phenotypic plasticity allows acclimation within the life-time of an organism. Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are usually studied in isolation, however, only by including their interactive impact, we can understand acclimation and adaptation in nature. We aimed to explore the contribution of adaptation and plasticity in coping with an abiotic (salinity) and a biotic (Vibriobacteria) stressor using six different populations of the broad-nosed pipefishSyngnathus typhlethat originated from either high [14–17 Practical Salinity Unit (PSU)] or low (7–11 PSU) saline environments along the German coastline of the Baltic Sea. We exposed wild caught animals, to either high (15 PSU) or low (7 PSU) salinity, representing native and novel salinity conditions and allowed animals to mate. After male pregnancy, offspring was split and each half was exposed to one of the two salinities and infected withVibrio alginolyticusbacteria that were evolved at either of the two salinities in a fully reciprocal design. We investigated life-history traits of fathers and expression of 47 target genes in mothers and offspring. Pregnant males originating from high salinity exposed to low salinity were highly susceptible to opportunistic fungi infections resulting in decreased offspring size and number. In contrast, no signs of fungal infection were identified in fathers originating from low saline conditions suggesting that genetic adaptation has the potential to overcome the challenges encountered at low salinity. Offspring from parents with low saline origin survived better at low salinity suggesting genetic adaptation to low salinity. In addition, gene expression analyses of juveniles indicated patterns of local adaptation,trans-generational plasticity and developmental plasticity. In conclusion, our study suggests that pipefish are locally adapted to the low salinity in their environment, however, they are retaining phenotypic plasticity, which allows them to also cope with ancestral salinity levels and prevailing pathogens.
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Du B, Yuan J, Ji H, Yin S, Kang H, Liu C. Body Size Plasticity of Weevil Larvae (Curculio davidi) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Its Stoichiometric Relationship With Different Hosts. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:2. [PMID: 33394047 PMCID: PMC7780276 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Parasites obtain energy and nutrients from the host, and their body size is also usually limited by host size. However, the regulatory mechanisms that control the plasticity of parasite body sizes and the stoichiometric relationships with their hosts remain unclear. Here we investigated the concentrations of 14 elements (C, H, O, N, P, S, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, and Zn) in the acorns of three oak species (Quercus spp.), in their endoparasitic weevil (Curculio davidi Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae and in the larval feces, and the weight of weevil larvae within different hosts in a warm-temperate zone of China. Our results showed that the three acorn species exhibited significant differences in C, H, O, P, K, Mg, and Mn concentrations. However, in the weevil larvae, only P, Mn, and C:P ratio revealed significant differences. Weevil larvae preferentially absorbed and retained N, Zn, Na, and P, whereas Mn, K, Ca, and O were passively absorbed and transported. The weevil larvae weight was associated with acorn stoichiometry, and positively correlated with acorn size. Weevil larvae P decreased, but Mn and C:P increased with their weight, implying highly variable in somatic stoichiometry are coupled with the plasticity of body size. Interestingly, weevil larvae weight was negatively correlated with acorn infection rate, indicating small-size parasitic insects might have higher fitness level in parasite-host systems than larger-size ones. Our results suggest that variation in P, Mn, and C:P in parasites may play critical roles in shaping their body size and in improving their fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoming Du
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Minhang, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Urban Forest Ecosystem Research Station, State Forestry Administration, Minhang, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Yuan
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Minhang, Shanghai, China
| | - Huawei Ji
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Minhang, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Urban Forest Ecosystem Research Station, State Forestry Administration, Minhang, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan Yin
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Minhang, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Urban Forest Ecosystem Research Station, State Forestry Administration, Minhang, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Minhang, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongzhang Kang
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Minhang, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Urban Forest Ecosystem Research Station, State Forestry Administration, Minhang, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Minhang, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunjiang Liu
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Minhang, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Urban Forest Ecosystem Research Station, State Forestry Administration, Minhang, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, Minhang, Shanghai, China
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14
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Scharsack JP, Wieczorek B, Schmidt-Drewello A, Büscher J, Franke F, Moore A, Branca A, Witten A, Stoll M, Bornberg-Bauer E, Wicke S, Kurtz J. Climate change facilitates a parasite's host exploitation via temperature-mediated immunometabolic processes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:94-107. [PMID: 33067869 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change can influence organismic interactions like those between hosts and parasites. Rising temperatures may exacerbate the exploitation of hosts by parasites, especially in ectothermic systems. The metabolic activity of ectotherms is strongly linked to temperature and generally increases when temperatures rise. We hypothesized that temperature change in combination with parasite infection interferes with the host's immunometabolism. We used a parasite, the avian cestode Schistocephalus solidus, which taps most of its resources from the metabolism of an ectothermic intermediate host, the three-spined stickleback. We experimentally exposed sticklebacks to this parasite, and studied liver transcriptomes 50 days after infection at 13°C and 24°C, to assess their immunometabolic responses. Furthermore, we monitored fitness parameters of the parasite and examined immunity and body condition of the sticklebacks at 13°C, 18°C and 24°C after 36, 50 and 64 days of infection. At low temperatures (13°C), S. solidus growth was constrained, presumably also by the more active stickleback's immune system, thus delaying its infectivity for the final host to 64 days. Warmer temperature (18°C and 24°C) enhanced S. solidus growth, and it became infective to the final host already after 36 days. Overall, S. solidus produced many more viable offspring after development at elevated temperatures. In contrast, stickleback hosts had lower body conditions, and their immune system was less active at warm temperature. The stickleback's liver transcriptome revealed that mainly metabolic processes were differentially regulated between temperatures, whereas immune genes were not strongly affected. Temperature effects on gene expression were strongly enhanced in infected sticklebacks, and even in exposed-but-not-infected hosts. These data suggest that the parasite exposure in concert with rising temperature, as to be expected with global climate change, shifted the host's immunometabolism, thus providing nutrients for the enormous growth of the parasite and, at the same time suppressing immune defence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörn P Scharsack
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Animal Evolutionary Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Bartholomäus Wieczorek
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Animal Evolutionary Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Alexander Schmidt-Drewello
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Animal Evolutionary Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Limnology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Janine Büscher
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Animal Evolutionary Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Frederik Franke
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Animal Evolutionary Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Andrew Moore
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Molecular Evolution & Bioinformatics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Antoine Branca
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Molecular Evolution & Bioinformatics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Anika Witten
- Institute for Human Genetics, Core Facility Genomics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Monika Stoll
- Institute for Human Genetics, Core Facility Genomics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Erich Bornberg-Bauer
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Molecular Evolution & Bioinformatics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susann Wicke
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Plant Evolutionary Genomics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joachim Kurtz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Animal Evolutionary Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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15
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Where are the basal fungi? Current status on diversity, ecology, evolution, and taxonomy. Biologia (Bratisl) 2020. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-020-00642-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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16
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Lockley EC, Fouda L, Correia SM, Taxonera A, Nash LN, Fairweather K, Reischig T, Durão J, Dinis H, Roque SM, Lomba JP, Dos Passos L, Cameron SJK, Stiebens VA, Eizaguirre C. Long-term survey of sea turtles (Caretta caretta) reveals correlations between parasite infection, feeding ecology, reproductive success and population dynamics. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18569. [PMID: 33122760 PMCID: PMC7596700 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75498-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term monitoring of host-parasite interactions is important for understanding the consequences of infection on host fitness and population dynamics. In an eight-year survey of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) population nesting in Cabo Verde, we determined the spatiotemporal variation of Ozobranchus margoi, a sanguivorous leech best known as a vector for sea turtle fibropapilloma virus. We quantified O. margoi association with turtles’ δ15N and δ13C stable isotopes to identify where infection occurs. We then measured the influence of infection on reproduction and offspring fitness. We found that parasite prevalence has increased from 10% of the population in 2010, to 33% in 2017. Stable isotope analysis of host skin samples suggests transmission occurs within the host’s feeding grounds. Interestingly, we found a significant interaction between individual size and infection on the reproductive success of turtles. Specifically, small, infected females produced fewer offspring of poorer condition, while in contrast, large, infected turtles produced greater clutch sizes and larger offspring. We interpret this interaction as evidence, upon infection, for a size-dependent shift in reproductive strategy from bet hedging to terminal investment, altering population dynamics. This link between infection and reproduction underscores the importance of using long-term monitoring to quantify the impact of disease dynamics over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Lockley
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E14NS, UK.
| | - Leila Fouda
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E14NS, UK
| | - Sandra M Correia
- Instituto Do Mar I.P. (IMar), Cova de Inglesa, C.P 132, Mindelo, Ilha do São Vicente, Cabo Verde
| | - Albert Taxonera
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E14NS, UK.,Associação Projeto Biodiversidade, Mercado Municipal 22, Santa Maria 4111, Ilha do Sal, Cabo Verde
| | - Liam N Nash
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E14NS, UK
| | - Kirsten Fairweather
- Associação Projeto Biodiversidade, Mercado Municipal 22, Santa Maria 4111, Ilha do Sal, Cabo Verde
| | | | - Jandira Durão
- Biosfera I, Rua de Moçambique 28, Mindelo, Ilha do São Vicente, Cabo Verde
| | - Herculano Dinis
- Associação Projecto Vitó, Xaguate, São Felipe, Ilha do Fogo, Cabo Verde
| | | | - João Pina Lomba
- Associação Ambiental Caretta Caretta, Achada Igreja, Pedra Badejo, Santa Cruz, Ilha do Santiago, Cabo Verde
| | - Leno Dos Passos
- Fundação Maio Biodiversidade, Cidade de Porto Inglês, Ilha do Maio, Cabo Verde
| | - Sahmorie J K Cameron
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E14NS, UK
| | - Victor A Stiebens
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E14NS, UK
| | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E14NS, UK
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17
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Abstract
Degradation and habitat loss of natural grasslands in Southern Brazil has a negative impact on native organisms, potentially including the composition of anuran helminth communities. Here, we characterized the richness, abundance, taxonomic composition, prevalence and intensity of helminth infection in four anuran species. Host anurans were collected in 34 ponds (19 in native grasslands with livestock and 15 in agricultural cultivation) from the highland grasslands in the Brazilian states of Santa Catarina and Paraná. Our results showed a significant difference between native grasslands with livestock and agricultural cultivation regarding the structure of helminth communities for the hosts Aplastodiscus perviridis and Pseudis cardosoi. We also found a greater prevalence and intensity of infection in anurans in areas of agricultural cultivation than in native grasslands with livestock. We found that the environmental descriptors (local and landscape) seem to explain most of the differences in anuran parasitism recorded between native grasslands with livestock and agricultural areas. Thus, we emphasized that the loss of grassy habitat due to conversion to agricultural cultivation can alter helminth communities in anurans, with further work needed to understand the mechanisms involved.
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18
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Shadman M, Meshgi B, Fathi S, Hanafi-Bojd AA, Majidi-Rad M, Modabbernia G. Mapping habitat suitability for gastrointestinal nematodiasis of ruminants in southern Caspian Sea littoral: a predicted risk pattern model based on the MaxEnt. Trop Anim Health Prod 2020; 52:3843-3854. [PMID: 33047225 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-020-02423-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we provide the ecological niches of gastrointestinal nematode infections in Guilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces. For this purpose, 2688 fecal specimens of sheep and cattle were subjected to the flotation method. For modeling procedure, the results were analyzed by considering 23 bioclimatic and environmental variables as well as 96 points/locations. Maximum entropy (model MaxEnt) was used to visualize the spatial distribution of gastrointestinal nematodes. The relative importance of all variables was also assessed by using jackknife analysis. The highest proportion of sheep infection with strongyle-type egg was observed in Golestan province (57.8%) and the lowest in Guilan province (49.5%), and eggs per gram (EPG) was around 21-29. The parasites with the highest proportion of infection in both domestic animals included strongyle-type eggs. Among the different bioclimatic and environmental variables, the biggest contributor to habitat suitability of the gastrointestinal nematode presence was found to be minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), precipitation of driest quarter (Bio17), precipitation of coldest quarter (Bio19), and altitude. The MaxEnt model was able to provide a suitable guidance for predicting the probability distribution of gastrointestinal nematodes under bioclimatic and environmental variables, and the findings pave way for integrated gastrointestinal nematode surveillance and control strategies in the southern strip of Caspian Sea. In addition, the low intensity of gastrointestinal nematodiasis in ruminants may be associated with the frequent administration of anthelmintic drugs, where actions are needed to investigate drug resistance in the areas concerned and to provide anthelmintic drugs administration in a targeted manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shadman
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, P.O.Box 14155-6453, Tehran, Iran
| | - B Meshgi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, P.O.Box 14155-6453, Tehran, Iran.
| | - S Fathi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, P.O.Box 14155-6453, Tehran, Iran
| | - A A Hanafi-Bojd
- Department of Medical Entomology & Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - M Majidi-Rad
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, P.O.Box 14155-6453, Tehran, Iran
| | - G Modabbernia
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, P.O.Box 14155-6453, Tehran, Iran
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19
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García-Huidobro MR, Aldana M, Varas O, Pulgar J, García-Herrera C, Abarca-Ortega A, Grenier C, Rodríguez-Navarro AB, Lagos NA. Geographical variability and parasitism on body size, reproduction and shell characteristics of the keyhole limpet Fissurella crassa (Mollusca: Vetigastropoda). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 161:105060. [PMID: 33070932 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Environmental variation may alter biological interactions and their ecological consequences. For instance, in marine ecosystems hosts and parasites are subject to environmental variability across latitudinal gradients, and their co-evolutionary dynamics may be the result of the interplay with local physical-chemical variables in seawater. Thus, assessing the environmental conditions required for a host in order to improve their survival is essential to understand the host-parasite interaction and dynamics. In this study, we evaluated the impact of parasitism by Proctoeces humboldti on the body size and reproduction of the intertidal keyhole limpet Fissurella crassa collected from three populations spanning ca. 1500 km along the latitudinal gradient of the Chilean coast. In addition, for the first time, we explore whether the effect of parasitism can be extended to changes in the organic composition and mechanical properties of the host shell. Our results show that parasitism prevalence and intensity, and body size of F. crassa increased in central Chile (ca. 33°S). Unlike body size, which was greater in parasitized limpets than in non-parasitized limpets at the three study sites, reproductive performance followed this trend only in central Chile populations, with no differences between parasitized and non-parasitized limpets collected in the northern Chilean (ca. 23°S), and lower in parasitized than non-parasitized individuals from the south-central Chile (ca. 37°S). The organic composition of F. crassa shells showed significant differences between parasite conditions (e.g. polysaccharides and water decreased in parasitized limpets) and across sites (e.g. proteins levels increase in shell of parasitized limpets from central Chile, but decreased at south-central Chile). However, variability in shell mechanical properties (e.g. toughness and elastic module) do not showed significant differences across sites and parasitism condition. These results suggest the interplay of both parasitism and environmental fluctuations upon the reproductive performance and morphology of the host. In addition, our result highlight that the host may also trade-offs reproduction, growth and shell organic composition to maintain the shell functionality (e.g. protection for mechanical forces and durophagous predators).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Roberto García-Huidobro
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejército 146, Santiago, Chile; Doctorado en Conservación y Gestión de la Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejército 146, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Marcela Aldana
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejército 146, Santiago, Chile; Doctorado en Conservación y Gestión de la Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejército 146, Santiago, Chile
| | - Oscar Varas
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago, Chile
| | - José Pulgar
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudio García-Herrera
- Laboratorio de Biomateriales y Biomecánica, Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Aldo Abarca-Ortega
- Laboratorio de Biomateriales y Biomecánica, Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christian Grenier
- Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain; Departamento de Mineralogía y Petrología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Nelson A Lagos
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación para el Cambio Climático (CiiCC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejército 146, Santiago, Chile
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20
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Noreikiene K, Ozerov M, Ahmad F, Kõiv T, Kahar S, Gross R, Sepp M, Pellizzone A, Vesterinen EJ, Kisand V, Vasemägi A. Humic-acid-driven escape from eye parasites revealed by RNA-seq and target-specific metabarcoding. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:433. [PMID: 32859251 PMCID: PMC7456052 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04306-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are extensively used to dissect the molecular mechanisms of host-parasite interactions in human pathogens. However, ecological studies have yet to fully exploit the power of NGS as a rich source for formulating and testing new hypotheses. Methods We studied Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) and its eye parasite (Trematoda, Diplostomidae) communities in 14 lakes that differed in humic content in order to explore host-parasite-environment interactions. We hypothesised that high humic content along with low pH would decrease the abundance of the intermediate hosts (gastropods), thus limiting the occurrence of diplostomid parasites in humic lakes. This hypothesis was initially invoked by whole eye RNA-seq data analysis and subsequently tested using PCR-based detection and a novel targeted metabarcoding approach. Results Whole eye transcriptome results revealed overexpression of immune-related genes and the presence of eye parasite sequences in RNA-seq data obtained from perch living in clear-water lakes. Both PCR-based and targeted-metabarcoding approach showed that perch from humic lakes were completely free from diplostomid parasites, while the prevalence of eye flukes in clear-water lakes that contain low amounts of humic substances was close to 100%, with the majority of NGS reads assigned to Tylodelphys clavata. Conclusions High intraspecific diversity of T. clavata indicates that massively parallel sequencing of naturally pooled samples represents an efficient and powerful strategy for shedding light on cryptic diversity of eye parasites. Our results demonstrate that perch populations in clear-water lakes experience contrasting eye parasite pressure compared to those from humic lakes, which is reflected by prevalent differences in the expression of immune-related genes in the eye. This study highlights the utility of NGS to discover novel host-parasite-environment interactions and provide unprecedented power to characterize the molecular diversity of cryptic parasites.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Noreikiene
- Chair of Aquaculture, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 46, 51006, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Mikhail Ozerov
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.,Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 17893, Drottningholm, Sweden.,Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Freed Ahmad
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Toomas Kõiv
- Chair of Hydrobiology and Fishery, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51006, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Siim Kahar
- Chair of Aquaculture, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 46, 51006, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Riho Gross
- Chair of Aquaculture, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 46, 51006, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Margot Sepp
- Chair of Hydrobiology and Fishery, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51006, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Antonia Pellizzone
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.,Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Eero J Vesterinen
- Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.,Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75651, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Veljo Kisand
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Anti Vasemägi
- Chair of Aquaculture, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 46, 51006, Tartu, Estonia. .,Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Freshwater Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 17893, Drottningholm, Sweden.
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21
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Pinek L, Mansour I, Lakovic M, Ryo M, Rillig MC. Rate of environmental change across scales in ecology. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1798-1811. [PMID: 32761787 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The rate of change (RoC) of environmental drivers matters: biotic and abiotic components respond differently when faced with a fast or slow change in their environment. This phenomenon occurs across spatial scales and thus levels of ecological organization. We investigated the RoC of environmental drivers in the ecological literature and examined publication trends across ecological levels, including prevalent types of evidence and drivers. Research interest in environmental driver RoC has increased over time (particularly in the last decade), however, the amount of research and type of studies were not equally distributed across levels of organization and different subfields of ecology use temporal terminology (e.g. 'abrupt' and 'gradual') differently, making it difficult to compare studies. At the level of individual organisms, evidence indicates that responses and underlying mechanisms are different when environmental driver treatments are applied at different rates, thus we propose including a time dimension into reaction norms. There is much less experimental evidence at higher levels of ecological organization (i.e. population, community, ecosystem), although theoretical work at the population level indicates the importance of RoC for evolutionary responses. We identified very few studies at the community and ecosystem levels, although existing evidence indicates that driver RoC is important at these scales and potentially could be particularly important for some processes, such as community stability and cascade effects. We recommend shifting from a categorical (e.g. abrupt versus gradual) to a quantitative and continuous (e.g. °C/h) RoC framework and explicit reporting of RoC parameters, including magnitude, duration and start and end points to ease cross-scale synthesis and alleviate ambiguity. Understanding how driver RoC affects individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems, and furthermore how these effects can feed back between levels is critical to making improved predictions about ecological responses to global change drivers. The application of a unified quantitative RoC framework for ecological studies investigating environmental driver RoC will both allow cross-scale synthesis to be accomplished more easily and has the potential for the generation of novel hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Pinek
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - India Mansour
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Milica Lakovic
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Masahiro Ryo
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Institut für Biologie, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
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22
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Sagonas K, Meyer BS, Kaufmann J, Lenz TL, Häsler R, Eizaguirre C. Experimental Parasite Infection Causes Genome-Wide Changes in DNA Methylation. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:2287-2299. [PMID: 32227215 PMCID: PMC7531312 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites are arguably among the strongest drivers of natural selection, constraining hosts to evolve resistance and tolerance mechanisms. Although, the genetic basis of adaptation to parasite infection has been widely studied, little is known about how epigenetic changes contribute to parasite resistance and eventually, adaptation. Here, we investigated the role of host DNA methylation modifications to respond to parasite infections. In a controlled infection experiment, we used the three-spined stickleback fish, a model species for host-parasite studies, and their nematode parasite Camallanus lacustris. We showed that the levels of DNA methylation are higher in infected fish. Results furthermore suggest correlations between DNA methylation and shifts in key fitness and immune traits between infected and control fish, including respiratory burst and functional trans-generational traits such as the concentration of motile sperm. We revealed that genes associated with metabolic, developmental, and regulatory processes (cell death and apoptosis) were differentially methylated between infected and control fish. Interestingly, genes such as the neuropeptide FF receptor 2 and the integrin alpha 1 as well as molecular pathways including the Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation were hypermethylated in infected fish, suggesting parasite-mediated repression mechanisms of immune responses. Altogether, we demonstrate that parasite infection contributes to genome-wide DNA methylation modifications. Our study brings novel insights into the evolution of vertebrate immunity and suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are complementary to genetic responses against parasite-mediated selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Sagonas
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Britta S Meyer
- Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Fishes, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Joshka Kaufmann
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Tobias L Lenz
- Research Group for Evolutionary Immunogenomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Robert Häsler
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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23
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Gopko M, Mironova E, Pasternak A, Mikheev V, Taskinen J. Parasite transmission in aquatic ecosystems under temperature change: effects of host activity and elimination of parasite larvae by filter‐feeders. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Gopko
- Severtsov Inst. of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Laboratory for Behaviour of Lower Vertebrates Moscow Russia
| | - Ekaterina Mironova
- Severtsov Inst. of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Center of Parasitology Moscow Russia
| | - Anna Pasternak
- Shirshov Inst. of Oceanology RAS, Plankton ecology laboratory Moscow Russia
| | - Victor Mikheev
- Severtsov Inst. of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Laboratory for Behaviour of Lower Vertebrates Moscow Russia
| | - Jouni Taskinen
- Jyväskylän Yliopisto, Dept of Biological and Environmental Science Jyväskylä Finland
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24
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Dumbo JC, Gilbert BM, Avenant-Oldewage A. Oxidative stress biomarkers in the African sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus, associated with infections by adult digeneans and water quality. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2020; 12:232-241. [PMID: 32714829 PMCID: PMC7369607 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.07.002] [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: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Parasites and environmental features could synergistically act as stressors to the health of their hosts. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of: (i) water quality, host sex, size and body condition on adult digenean parasite infections; (ii) digenean infections and host sex and size on the oxidative stress biomarkers and body condition of hosts; and (iii) water quality on the oxidative stress biomarkers and body condition in Clarias gariepinus. Water quality variables were measured and C. gariepinus were collected each month for a year for examination of two intestinal digeneans, Masenia nkomatiensis and Glossidium pedatum, and determination of body condition and measurement of biomarkers in the host. The results indicated that the intensity of M. nkomatiensis was positively correlated with electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids. Prevalence of G. pedatum was negatively correlated with electrical conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solids. High summer water temperature was strongly associated with high digenean infections. There was no host body condition, sex or size bias for any of the parasite infection variables. Differences in the biomarker levels and body condition between uninfected fish and those infected with M. nkomatiensis or G. pedatum were insignificant indicating a low effect of the digenean parasites on oxidative stress biomarkers and body condition in the fish. However, total protein levels were positively associated with host size, and lipid peroxidation was negatively related to host body condition; total protein levels were also positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen. Host body condition was only negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen. Overall the trends observed in the data showed that the parasites have a negligible effect on oxidative stress in host fish and the trends observed for all variables (water quality, stress biomarkers, body condition and parasite infections) showed a strong seasonal pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Chissiua Dumbo
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524 Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa.,Department of Biological Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, P.O. Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Beric Michael Gilbert
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524 Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa.,Spectrum Analytical Facility, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524 Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa
| | - Annemariè Avenant-Oldewage
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524 Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa
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25
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Analysis of Streptococcal Infection and Correlation with Climatic Factors in Cultured Tilapia Oreochromis spp. in Taiwan. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10114018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), a prominent warm water food fish, is one of the major fish species grown in the aquaculture industry in south-east Asia. Tilapia can tolerate adverse water quality and other stressors, like diverse salinity and fluctuation of pH value, better than most other commercial aquaculture species. Environmental fluctuations are one of the main factors that affect the outbreak of infectious diseases in cultured tilapia. Cultured tilapia in Taiwan appears to be more susceptible to infections caused by Streptococci during the summer season. The present study emphasizes the Streptococcus spp. infection in tilapia in Taiwan and is the first study on the analysis of the potential impact of climate change on streptococcal infection in cultured tilapia in Asia. The data collected from the treatment and diagnosis system (TDS) of the aquatic animal diseases database from 2006 to 2015 were used to analyze the endemic streptococcal infection and the effect of climatic factors. Based on the results, the factor, average atmospheric pressure, is negatively correlated to streptococcal infection, while the other three, including average temperature, ultraviolet (UV) index, and rainfall, are positively correlated to streptococcal infection. A multivariate logistic regression model with these four factors was also built. When the average temperature is above 27.0 °C, the average atmospheric pressure is lower than 1005.1 hPa, or the UV index is above 7.2, the percentage of cumulated positive farms from all submitted tilapia cases was more than 50%. In addition, within 3 days of rain, rainfall is relevant to the occurrence of Streptococcus in tilapia. Using TDS to alert the occurrence of streptococcal infection in tilapia can be a very useful tool for veterinary aquatic animal inspection stations, and reducing economic losses and labour costs in aquatic agriculture.
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26
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Ferris C, Wright R, Brockhurst MA, Best A. The evolution of host resistance and parasite infectivity is highest in seasonal resource environments that oscillate at intermediate amplitudes. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200787. [PMID: 32453992 PMCID: PMC7287369 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal environments vary in their amplitude of oscillation but the effects of this temporal heterogeneity for host-parasite coevolution are poorly understood. Here, we combined mathematical modelling and experimental evolution of a coevolving bacteria-phage interaction to show that the intensity of host-parasite coevolution peaked in environments that oscillate in their resource supply with intermediate amplitude. Our experimentally parameterized mathematical model explains that this pattern is primarily driven by the ecological effects of resource oscillations on host growth rates. Our findings suggest that in host-parasite systems where the host's but not the parasite's population growth dynamics are subject to seasonal forcing, the intensity of coevolution will peak at intermediate amplitudes but be constrained at extreme amplitudes of environmental oscillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Ferris
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, 226 Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
| | - Rosanna Wright
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Michael A. Brockhurst
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Alex Best
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, 226 Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
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27
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Hund AK, Hubbard JK, Albrecht T, Vortman Y, Munclinger P, Krausová S, Tomášek O, Safran RJ. Divergent sexual signals reflect costs of local parasites. Evolution 2020; 74:2404-2418. [PMID: 32385910 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Many closely related populations are distinguished by variation in sexual signals and this variation is hypothesized to play an important role in reproductive isolation and speciation. Within populations, there is considerable evidence that sexual signals provide information about the incidence and severity of parasite infections, but it remains unclear if variation in parasite communities across space could play a role in initiating or maintaining sexual trait divergence. To test for variation in parasite-associated selection, we compared three barn swallow subspecies with divergent sexual signals. We found that parasite community structure and host tolerance to ecologically similar parasites varied between subspecies. Across subspecies we also found that different parasites were costly in terms of male survival and reproductive success. For each subspecies, the preferred sexual signal(s) were associated with the most costly local parasite(s), indicating that divergent signals are providing relevant information to females about local parasite communities. Across subspecies, the same traits were often associated with different parasites, indicating that parasite-sexual signal links are quite flexible and may evolve relatively quickly. This study provides evidence for (1) variation in parasite communities and (2) different parasite-sexual signal links among three closely related subspecies with divergent sexual signal traits, suggesting that parasites may play an important role in initiating and/or maintaining the divergence of sexual signals among these closely related, yet geographically isolated populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K Hund
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108
| | - Joanna K Hubbard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.,Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, 63501
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 60365, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Yoni Vortman
- Department of Animal Sciences, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, 1220800, Israel
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Krausová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Oldřich Tomášek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 60365, Czech Republic
| | - Rebecca J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309
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28
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Steenrod CL, Jones JR, Marino JA. Variation in Trematode Infection in Snails Associated with Land Cover and Water Chemistry in the Central Illinois River Watershed. J Parasitol 2019. [PMID: 31348718 DOI: 10.1645/18-147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites can affect animal populations and communities in aquatic ecosystems. However, greater understanding is needed for the distributions and drivers of parasite infection levels in many areas. This study focuses on parasite prevalence (percent infected hosts) of an important class of parasites, trematodes, in 2 species of snail first intermediate hosts (Planorbella trivolvis and Physa sp.) in the Illinois River watershed, which has been impacted by human development. We hypothesized that trematode prevalence depends on local (e.g., water chemistry) and landscape (e.g., proximity to the Illinois River and land cover) factors. To test our hypotheses, we collected at least 20 individuals of 1 or both species of snails from 28 ponds within the watershed, and we made water-quality measurements and recorded habitat characteristics at each site. We then screened the snails for infections in the laboratory and identified the trematode cercariae that emerged based on morphological and molecular techniques. We found 5 cercariae morphotypes, including important parasites of wildlife, such as Echinostoma sp. and Ribeiroia ondatrae. Our results indicate that proximity to the Illinois River and open water or wetlands was positively associated with trematode prevalence in both snail species, whereas water chemistry (higher pH, lower calcium concentration, and lower specific conductance) was associated with increased prevalence, but only in Physa. Our findings offer increased understanding of potential environmental drivers underlying trematode distributions, with implications for wildlife health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille L Steenrod
- 1 Department of Geography, University of Maryland, 2181 LeFrak Hall, College Park, Maryland 20740
| | - Jacob R Jones
- 2 Department of Biology, Bradley University, 1501 West Bradley Avenue, Peoria, Illinois 61625
| | - John A Marino
- 2 Department of Biology, Bradley University, 1501 West Bradley Avenue, Peoria, Illinois 61625
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29
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Ecology of fear: environment-dependent parasite avoidance among ovipositing Drosophila. Parasitology 2019; 146:1564-1570. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019000854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractHabitat avoidance is an anti-parasite behaviour exhibited by at-risk hosts that can minimize exposure to parasites. Because environments are often heterogeneous, host decision-making with regards to habitat use may be affected by the presence of parasites and habitat quality simultaneously. In this study we examine how the ovipositing behaviour of a cactiphilic fruit fly, Drosophila nigrospiracula, is affected by the presence of an ectoparasitic mite, Macrocheles subbadius, in conjunction with other environmental factors – specifically the presence or absence of conspecific eggs and host plant tissue. We hypothesized that the trade-off between site quality and parasite avoidance should favour ovipositing at mite-free sites even if it is of inferior quality. We found that although flies avoided mites in homogeneous environments (86% of eggs at mite-free sites), site quality overwhelmed mite avoidance. Both conspecific eggs (65% of eggs at infested sites with other Drosophila eggs) and host plant tissue (78% of eggs at infested sites with cactus) overpowered mite avoidance. Our results elucidate the context-dependent decision-making of hosts in response to the presence of parasites in variable environments, and suggest how the ecology of fear and associated trade-offs may influence the relative investment in anti-parasite behaviour in susceptible hosts.
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30
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Robinson SA, Gavel MJ, Richardson SD, Chlebak RJ, Milotic D, Koprivnikar J, Forbes MR. Sub-chronic exposure to a neonicotinoid does not affect susceptibility of larval leopard frogs to infection by trematode parasites, via either depressed cercarial performance or host immunity. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:2621-2633. [PMID: 31300888 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06385-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Little information is available on the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on vertebrates. Previous work using amphibians found chronic exposure to some neonicotinoids had no detrimental effects on fitness-relevant traits. However, there is some evidence of more subtle effects of neonicotinoids on immune traits and evidence that other pesticides can suppress tadpole immunity resulting in elevated levels of parasitism in the exposed tadpoles. The objective of our study was to assess whether neonicotinoid exposure affected tadpole immunometrics and susceptibility to parasitic helminths. We assessed northern leopard frog tadpole (Lithobates pipiens) levels of parasitism and leukocyte profiles following exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of clothianidin and free-living infective cercariae of a helminth parasite, an Echinostoma sp. trematode. When comparing tadpoles from controls to either 1 or 100 μg/L clothianidin treatments, we found similar measures of parasitism (i.e. prevalence, abundance and intensity of echinostome cysts) and similar leukocyte profiles. We also confirmed that clothianidin was not lethal for cercariae; however, slight reductions in swimming activity were detected at the lowest exposure concentration of 0.23 μg/L. Our results show that exposure to clothianidin during the larval amphibian stage does not affect leukocyte profiles or susceptibility to parasitism by larval trematodes in northern leopard frogs although other aspects such as length of host exposure require further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey A Robinson
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada.
| | - M J Gavel
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - S D Richardson
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - R J Chlebak
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada.,Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - D Milotic
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - J Koprivnikar
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - M R Forbes
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
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31
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Awadi A, Ben Slimen H, Smith S, Knauer F, Makni M, Suchentrunk F. Positive selection and climatic effects on MHC class II gene diversity in hares (Lepus capensis) from a steep ecological gradient. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11514. [PMID: 30065344 PMCID: PMC6068193 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29657-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In natural populations, allelic diversity of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is commonly interpreted as resulting from positive selection in varying spatiotemporal pathogenic landscapes. Composite pathogenic landscape data are, however, rarely available. We studied the spatial distribution of allelic diversity at two MHC class II loci (DQA, DQB) in hares, Lepus capensis, along a steep ecological gradient in North Africa and tested the role of climatic parameters for the spatial distribution of DQA and DQB proteins. Climatic parameters were considered to reflect to some extent pathogenic landscape variation. We investigated historical and contemporary forces that have shaped the variability at both genes, and tested for differential selective pressure across the ecological gradient by comparing allelic variation at MHC and neutral loci. We found positive selection on both MHC loci and significantly decreasing diversity from North to South Tunisia. Our multinomial linear models revealed significant effects of geographical positions that were correlated with mean annual temperature and precipitation on the occurrence of protein variants, but no effects of co-occurring DQA or DQB proteins, respectively. Diversifying selection, recombination, adaptation to local pathogenic landscapes (supposedly reflected by climate parameters) and neutral demographic processes have shaped the observed MHC diversity and differentiation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Awadi
- Unité de Recherche Génomique des Insectes Ravageurs des Cultures d'Intérêt Agronomique, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Hichem Ben Slimen
- Unité de Recherche Génomique des Insectes Ravageurs des Cultures d'Intérêt Agronomique, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia.,Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Béja, University of Jendouba, Avenue Habib Bourguiba Béja 9000, BP. 382, Béja, Tunisia
| | - Steve Smith
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Knauer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mohamed Makni
- Unité de Recherche Génomique des Insectes Ravageurs des Cultures d'Intérêt Agronomique, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Franz Suchentrunk
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
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32
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Stochasticity in the Parasite-Driven Trait Evolution of Competing Species Masks the Distinctive Consequences of Distance Metrics. Processes (Basel) 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/pr5040074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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33
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Debes PV, Gross R, Vasemägi A. Quantitative Genetic Variation in, and Environmental Effects on, Pathogen Resistance and Temperature-Dependent Disease Severity in a Wild Trout. Am Nat 2017; 190:244-265. [PMID: 28731797 DOI: 10.1086/692536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Health after pathogen contact varies among individuals because of differences in pathogen load (which is limited by resistance) and disease severity in response to pathogen load (which is limited by tolerance). To understand pathogen-induced host evolution, it is critical to know not only the relative contributions of nongenetic and genetic variation to resistance and tolerance but also how they change environmentally. We quantified nongenetic and genetic variation in parasite load and the associated temperature-dependent disease among trout siblings from two rivers. We detected a genetic variance for parasite load 6.6 times as large in the colder river. By contrast, genetic variance for disease traits tended to be larger in the warmer river, where the disease was manifested more severely. The relationships between disease severity and pathogen load (tolerance) exhibited plateaus at low pathogen load and stronger steepening slopes at high pathogen load in the warmer river. Our study demonstrates the environmental influence on disease severity, nongenetic and genetic variance for health-damage-limiting host abilities, and the shape of tolerance curves. Environmental variability is predicted to govern the presence and intensity of selection, change the relative contributions of nongenetic and genetic variance, and therefore hamper evolution toward more resistant and tolerant hosts.
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34
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Osborne MJ, Pilger TJ, Lusk JD, Turner TF. Spatio-temporal variation in parasite communities maintains diversity at the major histocompatibility complex class IIβ in the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow. Mol Ecol 2016; 26:471-489. [PMID: 27864911 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Climate change will strongly impact aquatic ecosystems particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Fish-parasite interactions will also be affected by predicted altered flow and temperature regimes, and other environmental stressors. Hence, identifying environmental and genetic factors associated with maintaining diversity at immune genes is critical for understanding species' adaptive capacity. Here, we combine genetic (MHC class IIβ and microsatellites), parasitological and ecological data to explore the relationship between these factors in the remnant wild Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus) population, an endangered species found in the southwestern United States. Infections with multiple parasites on the gills were observed and there was spatio-temporal variation in parasite communities and patterns of infection among individuals. Despite its highly endangered status and chronically low genetic effective size, Rio Grande silvery minnow had high allelic diversity at MHC class IIβ with more alleles recognized at the presumptive DAB1 locus compared to the DAB3 locus. We identified significant associations between specific parasites and MHC alleles against a backdrop of generalist parasite prevalence. We also found that individuals with higher individual neutral heterozygosity and higher amino acid divergence between MHC alleles had lower parasite abundance and diversity. Taken together, these results suggest a role for fluctuating selection imposed by spatio-temporal variation in pathogen communities and divergent allele advantage in maintenance of high MHC polymorphism. Understanding the complex interaction of habitat, pathogens and immunity in protected species will require integrated experimental, genetic and field studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Osborne
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC 03-2020, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Tyler J Pilger
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC 03-2020, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Joel D Lusk
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services, Albuquerque, NM, 87113, USA
| | - Thomas F Turner
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC 03-2020, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
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35
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Rahn AK, Eßer E, Reher S, Ihlow F, MacColl AD, Bakker TC. Distribution of common stickleback parasites on North Uist, Scotland, in relation to ecology and host traits. ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:395-402. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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36
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Scharsack JP, Franke F, Erin NI, Kuske A, Büscher J, Stolz H, Samonte IE, Kurtz J, Kalbe M. Effects of environmental variation on host–parasite interaction in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). ZOOLOGY 2016; 119:375-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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37
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Anaya-Rojas JM, Brunner FS, Sommer N, Seehausen O, Eizaguirre C, Matthews B. The association of feeding behaviour with the resistance and tolerance to parasites in recently diverged sticklebacks. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:2157-2167. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaime M. Anaya-Rojas
- Center of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry; Aquatic Ecology Department; Eawag; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- Center of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry; Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution; Eawag; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- Division of Aquatic Ecology and Macroevolution; Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - Franziska S. Brunner
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | - Nina Sommer
- Center of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry; Aquatic Ecology Department; Eawag; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Center of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry; Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution; Eawag; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
- Division of Aquatic Ecology and Macroevolution; Institute of Ecology and Evolution; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | - Blake Matthews
- Center of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry; Aquatic Ecology Department; Eawag; Kastanienbaum Switzerland
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