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Thomé PC, Wolinska J, Van Den Wyngaert S, Reñé A, Ilicic D, Agha R, Grossart HP, Garcés E, Monaghan MT, Strassert JFH. Phylogenomics including new sequence data of phytoplankton-infecting chytrids reveals multiple independent lifestyle transitions across the phylum. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 197:108103. [PMID: 38754710 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108103] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Parasitism is the most common lifestyle on Earth and has emerged many times independently across the eukaryotic tree of life. It is frequently found among chytrids (Chytridiomycota), which are early-branching unicellular fungi that feed osmotrophically via rhizoids as saprotrophs or parasites. Chytrids are abundant in most aquatic and terrestrial environments and fulfil important ecosystem functions. As parasites, they can have significant impacts on host populations. They cause global amphibian declines and influence the Earth's carbon cycle by terminating algal blooms. To date, the evolution of parasitism within the chytrid phylum remains unclear due to the low phylogenetic resolution of rRNA genes for the early diversification of fungi, and because few parasitic lineages have been cultured and genomic data for parasites is scarce. Here, we combine transcriptomics, culture-independent single-cell genomics and a phylogenomic approach to overcome these limitations. We newly sequenced 29 parasitic taxa and combined these with existing data to provide a robust backbone topology for the diversification of Chytridiomycota. Our analyses reveal multiple independent lifestyle transitions between parasitism and saprotrophy among chytrids and multiple host shifts by parasites. Based on these results and the parasitic lifestyle of other early-branching holomycotan lineages, we hypothesise that the chytrid last common ancestor was a parasite of phytoplankton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline C Thomé
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Justyna Wolinska
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Silke Van Den Wyngaert
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Albert Reñé
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Doris Ilicic
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany
| | - Ramsy Agha
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Grossart
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany; Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Esther Garcés
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael T Monaghan
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen F H Strassert
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.
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Sures B, Nachev M, Schwelm J, Grabner D, Selbach C. Environmental parasitology: stressor effects on aquatic parasites. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:461-474. [PMID: 37061443 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors are causing fundamental changes in aquatic habitats and to the organisms inhabiting these ecosystems. Yet, we are still far from understanding the diverse responses of parasites and their hosts to these environmental stressors and predicting how these stressors will affect host-parasite communities. Here, we provide an overview of the impacts of major stressors affecting aquatic ecosystems in the Anthropocene (habitat alteration, global warming, and pollution) and highlight their consequences for aquatic parasites at multiple levels of organisation, from the individual to the community level. We provide directions and ideas for future research to better understand responses to stressors in aquatic host-parasite systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Sures
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Research Center One Health Ruhr, Research Alliance Ruhr, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Milen Nachev
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jessica Schwelm
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Research Center One Health Ruhr, Research Alliance Ruhr, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel Grabner
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Selbach
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Freshwater Ecology Group, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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