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Lourdes EY, Low VL, Izwan-Anas N, Dawood MM, Sofian-Azirun M, Takaoka H, Ya'cob Z. Occurrence of five distinct clades of mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae) infecting black fly larvae (Diptera: Simuliidae) in tropical streams in Malaysia. Parasitol Int 2023; 94:102733. [PMID: 36693472 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2023.102733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Mermithids are the most common parasites of black flies and are associated with host feminization and sterilization in infected hosts. However, information on the species / lineage of black fly mermithids in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia requires further elucidation. In this study, mermithids were obtained from black fly larvae collected from 138 freshwater stream sites across East and West Malaysia. A molecular approach based on nuclear-encoded 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene was used to identify the species identity / lineage of 77 nematodes successfully extracted and sequenced from the specimens collected. Maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining phylogenetic analyses demonstrated five distinct mermithid lineages. Four species delimitation analyses: automated simultaneous analysis phylogenetics (ASAP), maximum likelihood Poisson tree processes with Bayesian inferences (bPTP_ML), generalized mixed yule coalescent (GMYC) and single rate Poisson tree processes (PTP) were applied to delimit the species boundaries of mermithid lineages in this data set along with genetic distance analysis. Data analysis supports five distinct lineages or operational taxonomic units for mermithids in the present study, with two requiring further investigation as they may represent intraspecific variation or closely related taxa. One mermithid lineage was similar to that previously observed in Simulium nigrogilvum from Thailand. Co-infection with two mermithids of different lineages was observed in one larva of Simulium trangense. This study represents an important first step towards exploring other aspects of host - parasite interactions in black fly mermithids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Yogan Lourdes
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Van Lun Low
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
| | - Noor Izwan-Anas
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Mahadimenakbar M Dawood
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC), University of Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Sofian-Azirun
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Hiroyuki Takaoka
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Zubaidah Ya'cob
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
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2
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Hosseini S, Trakooljul N, Hirschfeld M, Wimmers K, Simianer H, Tetens J, Sharifi AR, Brenig B. Epigenetic Regulation of Phenotypic Sexual Plasticity Inducing Skewed Sex Ratio in Zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:880779. [PMID: 35912111 PMCID: PMC9334531 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.880779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The plasticity of sexual phenotype in response to environmental conditions results in biased sex ratios, and their variation has an effect on population dynamics. Epigenetic modifications can modulate sex ratio variation in species, where sex is determined by genetic and environmental factors. However, the role of epigenetic mechanisms underlying skewed sex ratios is far from being clear and is still an object of debate in evolutionary developmental biology. In this study, we used zebrafish as a model animal to investigate the effect of DNA methylation on sex ratio variation in sex-biased families in response to environmental temperature. Two sex-biased families with a significant difference in sex ratio were selected for genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). The results showed significant genome-wide methylation differences between male-biased and female-biased families, with a greater number of methylated CpG sites in testes than ovaries. Likewise, pronounced differences between testes and ovaries were identified within both families, where the male-biased family exhibited a higher number of methylated sites than the female-biased family. The effect of temperature showed more methylated positions in the high incubation temperature than the control temperature. We found differential methylation of many reproduction-related genes (e.g., sox9a, nr5a2, lhx8a, gata4) and genes involved in epigenetic mechanisms (e.g., dnmt3bb.1, dimt1l, hdac11, h1m) in both families. We conclude that epigenetic modifications can influence the sex ratio variation in zebrafish families and may generate skewed sex ratios, which could have a negative consequence for population fitness in species with genotype-environment interaction sex-determining system under rapid environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrbanou Hosseini
- Molecular Biology of Livestock and Molecular Diagnostics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Functional Breeding Group, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Shahrbanou Hosseini, ; Nares Trakooljul,
| | - Nares Trakooljul
- Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Genome Biology, Genomics Unit, Dummerstorf, Germany
- *Correspondence: Shahrbanou Hosseini, ; Nares Trakooljul,
| | - Marc Hirschfeld
- Molecular Biology of Livestock and Molecular Diagnostics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Wimmers
- Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Genome Biology, Genomics Unit, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Henner Simianer
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jens Tetens
- Functional Breeding Group, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ahmad Reza Sharifi
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bertram Brenig
- Molecular Biology of Livestock and Molecular Diagnostics Group, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
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3
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Maier AG, Doerig C. “The sexy side of parasites” – how parasites influence host sex and how the sex of the host impacts parasites. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2022; 248:111462. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2022.111462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Tobias ZJC, Fowler AE, Blakeslee AMH, Darling JA, Torchin ME, Miller AW, Ruiz GM, Tepolt CK. Invasion history shapes host transcriptomic response to a body-snatching parasite. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4321-4337. [PMID: 34162013 PMCID: PMC10128110 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
By shuffling biogeographical distributions, biological invasions can both disrupt long-standing associations between hosts and parasites and establish new ones. This creates natural experiments with which to study the ecology and evolution of host-parasite interactions. In estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico, the white-fingered mud crab (Rhithropanopeus harrisii) is infected by a native parasitic barnacle, Loxothylacus panopaei (Rhizocephala), which manipulates host physiology and behaviour. In the 1960s, L. panopaei was introduced to the Chesapeake Bay and has since expanded along the southeastern Atlantic coast, while host populations in the northeast have so far been spared. We use this system to test the host's transcriptomic response to parasitic infection and investigate how this response varies with the parasite's invasion history, comparing populations representing (i) long-term sympatry between host and parasite, (ii) new associations where the parasite has invaded during the last 60 years and (iii) naïve hosts without prior exposure. A comparison of parasitized and control crabs revealed a core response, with widespread downregulation of transcripts involved in immunity and moulting. The transcriptional response differed between hosts from the parasite's native range and where it is absent, consistent with previous observations of increased susceptibility in populations lacking exposure to the parasite. Crabs from the parasite's introduced range, where prevalence is highest, displayed the most dissimilar response, possibly reflecting immune priming. These results provide molecular evidence for parasitic manipulation of host phenotype and the role of gene regulation in mediating host-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J C Tobias
- MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Cambridge and Woods Hole, MA, USA.,Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA.,Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amy E Fowler
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | | | - John A Darling
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Mark E Torchin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | | | - Gregory M Ruiz
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Carolyn K Tepolt
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA.,Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
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Herbison R, Evans S, Doherty JF, Algie M, Kleffmann T, Poulin R. A molecular war: convergent and ontogenetic evidence for adaptive host manipulation in related parasites infecting divergent hosts. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191827. [PMID: 31744433 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mermithids (phylum Nematoda) and hairworms (phylum Nematomorpha) somehow drive their arthropod hosts into water, which is essential for the worms' survival after egression. The mechanisms behind this behavioural change have been investigated in hairworms, but not in mermithids. Establishing a similar mechanistic basis for host behavioural change between these two distantly related parasitic groups would provide strong convergent evidence for adaptive manipulation and insight into how these parasites modify and/or create behaviour. Here, we search for this convergence, and also contrast changes in physiology between hosts infected with immature and mature mermithids to provide the first ontogenetic evidence for adaptive manipulation by disentangling host response and pathology from the parasite's apparent manipulative effects. We used SWATH-mass spectrometry on brains of Forficula auricularia (earwig) and Bellorchestia quoyana (sandhopper), infected with the mermithids Mermis nigrescens and Thaumamermis zealandica, respectively, at both immature and mature stages of infection, to quantify proteomic changes resulting from mermithid infection. Across both hosts (and hairworm-infected hosts, from earlier studies), the general function of dysregulated proteins was conserved. Proteins involved in energy generation/mobilization were dysregulated, corroborating reports of erratic/hyperactive behaviour in infected hosts. Dysregulated proteins involved in axon/dendrite and synapse modulation were also common to all hosts, suggesting neuronal manipulation is involved in inducing positive hydrotaxis. Furthermore, downregulation of CamKII and associated proteins suggest manipulation of memory also contributes to the behavioural shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Herbison
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Steven Evans
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | | | - Michael Algie
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Torsten Kleffmann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Robert Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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6
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Abstract
Certain species of parasites have the apparent ability to alter the behaviour of their host in order to facilitate the completion of their own life cycle. While documented in hairworms (phylum Nematomorpha), the ability for mermithid parasites (from the sister phylum Nematoda) to force hosts to enter water remains more enigmatic. Here, we present the first experimental evidence in a laboratory setting that an insect which normally never enters open water (the European earwig Forficula auricularia) will readily enter the water when infected with a mermithid nematode (Mermis nigrescens). Only adult mermithids appear capable of inducing this polarising shift in behaviour, with mermithid length being a very strong predictor of whether their host enters water. However, mermithid length was only weakly associated with how long it took an earwig to enter water following the beginning of a trial. Considering the evidence presented here and its alignment with a proteomic investigation on the same host-parasite system, this study provides strong evidence for adaptive behavioural manipulation and a foundational system for further behavioural and mechanistic exploration.
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Jacobus LM, Macadam CR, Sartori M. Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and Their Contributions to Ecosystem Services. INSECTS 2019; 10:E170. [PMID: 31207933 PMCID: PMC6628430 DOI: 10.3390/insects10060170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This work is intended as a general and concise overview of Ephemeroptera biology, diversity, and services provided to humans and other parts of our global array of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. The Ephemeroptera, or mayflies, are a small but diverse order of amphinotic insects associated with liquid freshwater worldwide. They are nearly cosmopolitan, except for Antarctica and some very remote islands. The existence of the subimago stage is unique among extant insects. Though the winged stages do not have functional mouthparts or digestive systems, the larval, or nymphal, stages have a variety of feeding approaches-including, but not limited to, collector-gatherers, filterers, scrapers, and active predators-with each supported by a diversity of morphological and behavioral adaptations. Mayflies provide direct and indirect services to humans and other parts of both freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. In terms of cultural services, they have provided inspiration to musicians, poets, and other writers, as well as being the namesakes of various water- and aircraft. They are commemorated by festivals worldwide. Mayflies are especially important to fishing. Mayflies contribute to the provisioning services of ecosystems in that they are utilized as food by human cultures worldwide (having one of the highest protein contents of any edible insect), as laboratory organisms, and as a potential source of antitumor molecules. They provide regulatory services through their cleaning of freshwater. They provide many essential supporting services for ecosystems such as bioturbation, bioirrigation, decomposition, nutrition for many kinds of non-human animals, nutrient cycling and spiraling in freshwaters, nutrient cycling between aquatic and terrestrial systems, habitat for other organisms, and serving as indicators of ecosystem health. About 20% of mayfly species worldwide might have a threatened conservation status due to influences from pollution, invasive alien species, habitat loss and degradation, and climate change. Even mitigation of negative influences has benefits and tradeoffs, as, in several cases, sustainable energy production negatively impacts mayflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke M Jacobus
- Division of Science, Indiana University Purdue University Columbus, 4601 Central Ave., Columbus, IN 47203, USA.
| | - Craig R Macadam
- Buglife-The Invertebrate Conservation Trust, Balallan House, 24 Allan Park, Stirling, Scotland FK8 2QG, UK.
| | - Michel Sartori
- Musée cantonal de zoologie, Palais de Rumine, Place de la Riponne 6, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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8
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Lancaster J, Downes BJ. Aquatic versus Terrestrial Insects: Real or Presumed Differences in Population Dynamics? INSECTS 2018; 9:insects9040157. [PMID: 30388810 PMCID: PMC6315690 DOI: 10.3390/insects9040157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The study of insect populations is dominated by research on terrestrial insects. Are aquatic insect populations different or are they just presumed to be different? We explore the evidence across several topics. (1) Populations of terrestrial herbivorous insects are constrained most often by enemies, whereas aquatic herbivorous insects are constrained more by food supplies, a real difference related to the different plants that dominate in each ecosystem. (2) Population outbreaks are presumed not to occur in aquatic insects. We report three examples of cyclical patterns; there may be more. (3) Aquatic insects, like terrestrial insects, show strong oviposition site selection even though they oviposit on surfaces that are not necessarily food for their larvae. A novel outcome is that density of oviposition habitat can determine larval densities. (4) Aquatic habitats are often largely 1-dimensional shapes and this is presumed to influence dispersal. In rivers, drift by insects is presumed to create downstream dispersal that has to be countered by upstream flight by adults. This idea has persisted for decades but supporting evidence is scarce. Few researchers are currently working on the dynamics of aquatic insect populations; there is scope for many more studies and potentially enlightening contrasts with terrestrial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Lancaster
- School of Geography, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
| | - Barbara J Downes
- School of Geography, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
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Tobias ZJC, Jorge F, Poulin R. Life at the beach: comparative phylogeography of a sandhopper and its nematode parasite reveals extreme lack of parasite mtDNA variation. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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10
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Muñoz-Muñoz F, Ramoneda J, Pagès N, Pujol N, Talavera S. Is the morphology of Culicoides intersexes parasitized by mermithid nematodes a parasite adaptation? A morphometric approach to Culicoides circumscriptus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). J Invertebr Pathol 2016; 135:1-9. [PMID: 26809123 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2016.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mermithidae is a family of endoparasitic nematodes known to cause intersexuality in arthropods. Intersexes of the genus Culicoides parasitized by mermithids have been the object of several studies aiming to describe their particular morphology. Culicoides intersexes are specimens with male genitalia and feminized sexually dimorphic structures, i.e. antennae, mouthparts and wings. To date, these specimens have only been described qualitatively and a quantitative approach supported by statistical analysis is lacking. Here we conduct morphometric analyses of sexually dimorphic structures in a sample of Culicoides circumscriptus that includes 34 intersexes with the aim of describing precisely the intersexual morphology. The morphology of antennae and the mouthparts was studied by multivariate statistical analysis of linear measures, and wing form by implementing geometric morphometrics techniques. While intersex wings proved to have a similar size to male wings, their shape was intermediate between males and females. However, when allometric shape variation was removed, the wing shape of intersexes was almost identical to that of females. The intersex antennae were morphometrically of the female type, especially when size variation was considered. In contrast, the measured mouthparts (the labrum and the third palpal segment) were halfway between males and females, even when body size was considered. Overall, the antennae and the wings showed a higher degree of feminization than the mouthparts. These findings indicate that the degree of feminization depends both on the morphological structure and on body size. Moreover, we propose that the feminization of the wings and antennae has an adaptive meaning for the parasite, which would favor female-like traits in order to access more easily its breeding sites, where the parasite has plenty of new hosts to infect. Female-like antennae would be beneficial to detect these sites, while having female-like wings would favor the host's capacity of dispersal to these sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesc Muñoz-Muñoz
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Josep Ramoneda
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Nonito Pagès
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Nuria Pujol
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Sandra Talavera
- IRTA, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
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11
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Barquin A, McGehee B, Sedam RT, Gordy WL, Hanelt B, de Valdez MRW. Calling Behavior of Male Acheta domesticus Crickets Infected with Paragordius varius (Nematomorpha: Gordiida). J Parasitol 2015; 101:393-7. [PMID: 25978343 DOI: 10.1645/15-765.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that parasites in the phylum Nematomorpha induce suicide behavior of their insect hosts to bring adult worms to the appropriate habitat for emergence. It is not well established, however, whether other nematomorph-induced behavioral alterations occur before worm emergence. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of the nematomorph Paragordius varius on the calling behavior of the male house cricket Acheta domesticus . We hypothesized that cricket calling, an energetically expensive and risky behavior, would be a potential target for nematomorph-induced behavioral alterations. We assessed if and how infection with P. varius affects A. domesticus calling behavior and whether the presence of wings at time of exposure to P. varius influenced changes in calling behavior. We recorded the calling behavior of male A. domesticus over the course of their infection after exposure to P. various before or after wing development. Additionally, we assessed whether winged crickets were "callers" or "noncallers" before exposure. We found that regardless of cricket developmental stage (or age) at time of infection, infected crickets spent significantly less time calling than their uninfected counterparts but only during the later stages of infection. Developmental stage at infection did affect whether crickets became callers: when infected before wing development significantly more uninfected crickets initiated calling; there was no difference between infected and uninfected crickets when infected as winged adults. Infection was a factor in whether callers stopped calling, with more infected crickets ceasing to call than uninfected crickets. This is the first study to show that infection with nematomorphs affects calling behavior of their insect host. Cricket calling behavior is immensely complex and although it was difficult to elucidate the adaptive nature of these parasite-induced behavioral changes, this study lays the groundwork for future studies to begin teasing out the factors that will help make the determination between side effect of infection or parasite/host adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Barquin
- Program of Biology, Texas A&M-San Antonio, 1 University Way, San Antonio, Texas 78224
| | - B McGehee
- Program of Biology, Texas A&M-San Antonio, 1 University Way, San Antonio, Texas 78224
| | - R T Sedam
- Program of Biology, Texas A&M-San Antonio, 1 University Way, San Antonio, Texas 78224
| | - W L Gordy
- Program of Biology, Texas A&M-San Antonio, 1 University Way, San Antonio, Texas 78224
| | - B Hanelt
- Program of Biology, Texas A&M-San Antonio, 1 University Way, San Antonio, Texas 78224
| | - M R Wise de Valdez
- Program of Biology, Texas A&M-San Antonio, 1 University Way, San Antonio, Texas 78224
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12
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Umbers KDL, Byatt LJ, Hill NJ, Bartolini RJ, Hose GC, Herberstein ME, Power ML. Prevalence and Molecular Identification of Nematode and Dipteran Parasites in an Australian Alpine Grasshopper (Kosciuscola tristis). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121685. [PMID: 25919745 PMCID: PMC4412563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In alpine Australia, Orthoptera are abundant, dominant herbivores, important prey species, and hosts for parasites and parasitoids. Despite the central role of orthopterans in alpine ecosystems, the impact of parasites on orthopteran populations is under-explored. In this study we describe the relationship between parasite prevalence and host sex, body size and year of collection. We accessed an existing, preserved collection of 640 Kosciuscola tristis collected from across its range between 2007 and 2011. Upon dissection we collected juvenile parasites and used molecular tools to identify them to three families (Nematoda; Mermithidae, and Arthropoda: Diptera: Tachinidae and Sarcophagidae). The prevalence of nematodes ranged from 3.5% to 25.0% and dipterans from 2.4% to 20.0%. Contrary to predictions, we found no associations between parasite prevalence and grasshopper sex or size. Although there was an association between prevalence of both nematodes and dipterans with year of collection, this is likely driven by a small sample size in the first year. Our results provide a foundation for future studies into parasite prevalence within the alpine environment and the abiotic factors that might influence these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate D. L. Umbers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lachlan J. Byatt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nichola J. Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Remo J. Bartolini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Grant C. Hose
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marie E. Herberstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michelle L Power
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
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Shao C, Li Q, Chen S, Zhang P, Lian J, Hu Q, Sun B, Jin L, Liu S, Wang Z, Zhao H, Jin Z, Liang Z, Li Y, Zheng Q, Zhang Y, Wang J, Zhang G. Epigenetic modification and inheritance in sexual reversal of fish. Genome Res 2014; 24:604-15. [PMID: 24487721 PMCID: PMC3975060 DOI: 10.1101/gr.162172.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Environmental sex determination (ESD) occurs in divergent, phylogenetically unrelated taxa, and in some species, co-occurs with genetic sex determination (GSD) mechanisms. Although epigenetic regulation in response to environmental effects has long been proposed to be associated with ESD, a systemic analysis on epigenetic regulation of ESD is still lacking. Using half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) as a model—a marine fish that has both ZW chromosomal GSD and temperature-dependent ESD—we investigated the role of DNA methylation in transition from GSD to ESD. Comparative analysis of the gonadal DNA methylomes of pseudomale, female, and normal male fish revealed that genes in the sex determination pathways are the major targets of substantial methylation modification during sexual reversal. Methylation modification in pseudomales is globally inherited in their ZW offspring, which can naturally develop into pseudomales without temperature incubation. Transcriptome analysis revealed that dosage compensation occurs in a restricted, methylated cytosine enriched Z chromosomal region in pseudomale testes, achieving equal expression level in normal male testes. In contrast, female-specific W chromosomal genes are suppressed in pseudomales by methylation regulation. We conclude that epigenetic regulation plays multiple crucial roles in sexual reversal of tongue sole fish. We also offer the first clues on the mechanisms behind gene dosage balancing in an organism that undergoes sexual reversal. Finally, we suggest a causal link between the bias sex chromosome assortment in the offspring of a pseudomale family and the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of sexual reversal in tongue sole fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changwei Shao
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, CAFS, Key Lab for Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Qingdao 266071, China
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Schoebel CN, Brodbeck S, Buehler D, Cornejo C, Gajurel J, Hartikainen H, Keller D, Leys M, Ríčanová S, Segelbacher G, Werth S, Csencsics D. Lessons learned from microsatellite development for nonmodel organisms using 454 pyrosequencing. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:600-11. [PMID: 23331991 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2012] [Accepted: 11/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microsatellites, also known as simple sequence repeats (SSRs), are among the most commonly used marker types in evolutionary and ecological studies. Next Generation Sequencing techniques such as 454 pyrosequencing allow the rapid development of microsatellite markers in nonmodel organisms. 454 pyrosequencing is a straightforward approach to develop a high number of microsatellite markers. Therefore, developing microsatellites using 454 pyrosequencing has become the method of choice for marker development. Here, we describe a user friendly way of microsatellite development from 454 pyrosequencing data and analyse data sets of 17 nonmodel species (plants, fungi, invertebrates, birds and a mammal) for microsatellite repeats and flanking regions suitable for primer development. We then compare the numbers of successfully lab-tested microsatellite markers for the various species and furthermore describe diverse challenges that might arise in different study species, for example, large genome size or nonpure extraction of genomic DNA. Successful primer identification was feasible for all species. We found that in species for which large repeat numbers are uncommon, such as fungi, polymorphic markers can nevertheless be developed from 454 pyrosequencing reads containing small repeat numbers (five to six repeats). Furthermore, the development of microsatellite markers for species with large genomes was also with Next Generation Sequencing techniques more cost and time-consuming than for species with smaller genomes. In this study, we showed that depending on the species, a different amount of 454 pyrosequencing data might be required for successful identification of a sufficient number of microsatellite markers for ecological genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C N Schoebel
- Biodiversity & Conservation Biology, WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
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Insect Sex Determination Manipulated by Their Endosymbionts: Incidences, Mechanisms and Implications. INSECTS 2012; 3:161-99. [PMID: 26467955 PMCID: PMC4553623 DOI: 10.3390/insects3010161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2011] [Revised: 01/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The sex-determining systems of arthropods are surprisingly diverse. Some species have male or female heterogametic sex chromosomes while other species do not have sex chromosomes. Most species are diploids but some species, including wasps, ants, thrips and mites, are haplodiploids (n in males; 2n in females). Many of the sexual aberrations, such as sexual mosaics, sex-specific lethality and conversion of sexuality, can be explained by developmental defects including double fertilization of a binucleate egg, loss of a sex chromosome or perturbation of sex-determining gene expression, which occur accidentally or are induced by certain environmental conditions. However, recent studies have revealed that such sexual aberrations can be caused by various groups of vertically-transmitted endosymbiotic microbes such as bacteria of the genera Wolbachia, Rickettsia, Arsenophonus, Spiroplasma and Cardinium, as well as microsporidian protists. In this review, we first summarize the accumulated data on endosymbiont-induced sexual aberrations, and then discuss how such endosymbionts affect the developmental system of their hosts and what kinds of ecological and evolutionary effects these endosymbionts have on their host populations.
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Tulgetske GM, Stouthamer R. Characterization of intersex production in Trichogramma kaykai infected with parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia. Naturwissenschaften 2012; 99:143-52. [PMID: 22218612 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0880-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2011] [Revised: 12/14/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexually aberrant individuals, displaying both male and female characteristics, are rare in occurrence but are documented throughout the animal kingdom. In parasitoid wasps of the genus Trichogramma, such individuals typically appear as a result of rearing Wolbachia-infected thelytokous wasps at high temperatures. Sexually aberrant Trichogramma have been referred to interchangeably in the literature as gynandromorphs, sexual mosaics and intersexes. However, accurately used, the terms "gynandromorph" and "sexual mosaic" describe an individual composed of a mixture of genetically distinct tissues corresponding to the sexual phenotypes observed, while "intersex" refers to an individual having a uniform genetic constitution but with some tissues exhibiting sexual phenotypes conflicting with the associated genotype. Here, we investigate the heat-induced production of sexually aberrant offspring by thelytokous Trichogramma kaykai. Aberrant individuals were rare, but each was characterized as one of 11 morphotypes ranging from very feminine to very masculine. Overall, the production of aberrant individuals increased with time from the onset of maternal oviposition. However, while the production of males also increased with time, the degree of masculinity of aberrant individuals did not; the different morphotypes appeared to be produced haphazardly. We conclude that the aberrant individuals produced by T. kaykai are actually intersexes and not gynandromorphs. The wasp's close association with Wolbachia and the absence of intersexes in uninfected populations allow us to discuss a possible origin of the condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genet M Tulgetske
- Department of Entomology, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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Gupta DK, Jahan N, Gupta N. Distribution pattern of apicomplexan parasites (Sporozoa: Haemosporida) in Columba livia, Gmelin. J Parasit Dis 2011; 35:18-22. [PMID: 22654310 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-011-0026-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2010] [Accepted: 03/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
During 39 months of sampling, the prevalence of apicomplexan parasites (Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) was studied in Columba livia Gmelin of Rohilkhand region, UP, India, according to the sex of the host, different seasons and host localities. Out of 266 pigeons sampled, 148 pigeons were positive for Haemoproteus at a prevalence of 55.63%. Only 18 pigeons (2.67%) had a dual Haemoproteus and Plasmodium infection and 130 pigeons (48.87%) had Haemoproteus infection. No pigeons were positive for Plasmodium alone. Parasite incidence in relation to the sex of the host indicated a higher infestation in females (62.79%) as compared to males (57.65%). The overall highest infectivity of parasites was recorded during the summer season (82.85%) followed by spring season (59.37%) and least in the winter season (42.30%). It was also observed that Haemoproteus occurred at diverse infectivity in C. livia from different localities (Badaun 51.35%, Bareilly 57.14%, and Shajahanpur 58.06%) whereas Plasmodium was recorded at 11.18% only from Bareilly. The intensity of the parasite was highest (2.77/100 RBC) at Shahjahanpur.
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Thomas F, Brodeur J, Maure F, Franceschi N, Blanchet S, Rigaud T. Intraspecific variability in host manipulation by parasites. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2011; 11:262-9. [PMID: 21211573 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2010.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2010] [Accepted: 12/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Abstract
Parasitic organisms account for a large portion of living species. They have arisen on multiple independent occasions in many phyla, and thus encompass a huge biological diversity. This review uses several lines of evidence to argue that this vast diversity can be reduced to a few evolutionary end points that transcend phylogenetic boundaries. These represent peaks in the adaptive landscape reached independently by different lineages undergoing convergent evolution. Among eukaryotic parasites living in or on animals, six basic parasitic strategies are identified based on the number of hosts used per parasite generation, the fitness loss incurred by the host, and the transmission routes used by the parasites. They are parasitoids, parasitic castrators, directly transmitted parasites, trophically transmitted parasites, vector-transmitted parasites and micropredators. These show evidence of convergence in morphology, physiology, reproduction, life cycles and transmission patterns. Parasite-host body size ratios, and the relationship between virulence and intensity of infection, are also associated with the different parasitic strategies, but not consistently so. At the population level, patterns of parasite distribution among hosts are not uniform across all parasitic strategies, but are distinctly different for parasitoids and castrators than for other parasites. To demonstrate that the above six strategies defined for animal parasites are universal, comparisons are made with parasites of plants, in particular, plant-parasitic nematodes and parasitic angiosperms; these are shown to follow the same evolutionary trajectories seen among animal parasites, despite huge physiological and ecological differences between animals and plants. Beyond demonstrating the inevitable convergence of disparate lineages across biological hyperspace towards a limited set of adaptive strategies, this synthesis also provides a unifying framework for the study of parasitism.
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Holomuzki JR, Feminella JW, Power ME. Biotic interactions in freshwater benthic habitats. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1899/08-044.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R. Holomuzki
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, 1760 University Drive, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio 44906-1535 USA
| | - Jack W. Feminella
- Department of Biological Sciences, 331 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849-5407 USA
| | - Mary E. Power
- Department of Integrative Biology, 4184 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-3140 USA
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STELKENS RIKEB, WEDEKIND CLAUS. Environmental sex reversal, Trojan sex genes, and sex ratio adjustment: conditions and population consequences. Mol Ecol 2010; 19:627-46. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04526.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Botto-Mahan C. Trypanosoma cruzi induces life-history trait changes in the wild kissing bug Mepraia spinolai: implications for parasite transmission. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 9:505-10. [PMID: 19128032 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2008.0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One important paradigm in host-parasite evolutionary biology is the ability of parasites to manipulate the phenotype of their hosts to facilitate transmission. In this paper, I examine whether the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi modifies the developmental time, body size, and survival of its vector, the bloodsucking insect Mepraia spinolai (Hemiptera; Reduviidae). M. spinolai nymphs were experimentally infected when fed on T. cruzi-infected mice (infected group) or kept uninfected when fed on healthy mice (control group). T. cruzi-infected insects showed a retarded developmental time and reduced survival compared with uninfected individuals. The impact of the parasite on the vector was age-dependent as the last three insect molts were the most affected stages. The presence of T. cruzi decreased significantly the weight of male and female insects in the three last stages. When insect sex was taken into account, infected female bugs took longer than infected males to develop into the adult stage, which implies that the impact of T. cruzi is sex-dependent. Results from this study indicate that T. cruzi has a strong impact on life history traits of M. spinolai and provide strong evidence of age- and sex-dependent parasite-induced phenotype modification for insect vectors. The implications of this study along with previously reported feeding behavioral alterations in this insect vector-parasite system suggest that T. cruzi-induced modifications could translate into an enhanced transmission to definitive mammal hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Botto-Mahan
- The Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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25
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Sharp AL, Hunter FF. Chiasmate meiosis in male black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) larvae associated with mermithid infections (Nematoda: Mermithidae). CAN J ZOOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1139/z08-105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mermithid nematodes (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitize larval, pupal, and adult black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) and may result in the development of intersex adults, generally considered to be feminized males. Simuliid gonad morphology and meiotic chromosome condition were examined in both early-instar larvae and late-instar larvae (≈ pharate pupae) to determine the developmental stage at which mermithid-associated feminization was initiated. We found that feminization occurred in early-instar larvae prior to gill histoblast formation. Infected larvae were morphologically male (rounded testes present) or female (elongated ovaries present), with morphological males exhibiting either male (achiasmate) or female (chiasmate) meiotic chromosomes; morphological females only had chiasmate chromosomes. Mermithid infection can also inhibit simuliid gonad development completely.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. L. Sharp
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - F. F. Hunter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
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27
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Encalada AC, Peckarsky BL. A comparative study of the costs of alternative mayfly oviposition behaviors. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-007-0376-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Botto-Mahan C, Cattan PE, Medel R. Chagas disease parasite induces behavioural changes in the kissing bug Mepraia spinolai. Acta Trop 2006; 98:219-23. [PMID: 16780784 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2006.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2006] [Revised: 03/22/2006] [Accepted: 05/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Parasites have been shown to manipulate the feeding behaviour of their invertebrate vectors, which results in an increased probability of transmission to definitive hosts. Most evidence for this hypothesis comes from protozoan species with salivary transmission but evidence for stercorarian parasite transmission is lacking. We present experimental evidence that infection of the kissing bug Mepraia spinolai (Hemiptera; Reduviidae) with the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi reduced the time to detect potential hosts in comparison to control insects. Infected bugs bit about twice more often than uninfected nymphs and defecated 8 min after the last blood meal whereas uninfected bugs needed 11 min. The behaviour of male and female nymphs did not differ significantly. Since all of these traits relate to parasite transmission, we suggest that parasite-mediated changes in the foraging and defecation behaviour of M. spinolai may promote the spread of T. cruzi toward definitive hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carezza Botto-Mahan
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile.
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Harper MP, Peckarsky BL. Emergence cues of a mayfly in a high-altitude stream ecosystem: potential response to climate change. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2006; 16:612-21. [PMID: 16711048 DOI: 10.1890/1051-0761(2006)016[0612:ecoami]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
To understand the consequences of human accelerated environmental change, it is important to document the effects on natural populations of an increasing frequency of extreme climatic events. In stream ecosystems, recent climate change has resulted in extreme variation in both thermal and hydrological regimes. From 2001 to 2004, a severe drought in western United States corresponded with earlier emergence of the adult stage of the high-altitude stream mayfly, Baetis bicaudatus. Using a long-term database from a western Colorado stream, the peak emergence date of this mayfly population was predicted by both the magnitude and date of peak stream flow, and by the mean daily water temperature, suggesting that Baetis may respond to declining stream flow or increasing water temperature as proximate cues for early metamorphosis. However, in a one-year survey of multiple streams from the same drainage basin, only water temperature predicted spatial variation in the onset of emergence of this mayfly. To decouple the effects of temperature and flow, we separately manipulated these factors in flow-through microcosms and measured the timing of B. bicaudatus metamorphosis to the adult stage. Mayflies emerged sooner in a warmed-water treatment than an ambient-water treatment; but reducing flow did not accelerate the onset of mayfly emergence. Nonetheless, using warming temperatures to cue metamorphosis enables mayflies to time their emergence during the descending limb of the hydrograph when oviposition sites (protruding rocks) are becoming available. We speculate that large-scale climate changes involving warming and stream drying could cause significant shifts in the timing of mayfly metamorphosis, thereby having negative effects on populations that play an important role in stream ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Harper
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
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Thomas F, Adamo S, Moore J. Parasitic manipulation: where are we and where should we go? Behav Processes 2005; 68:185-99. [PMID: 15792688 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2004.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 367] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2004] [Accepted: 06/23/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Thomas
- Centre d'Etude sur le Polymorphisme des Micro-Organismes, GEMI/UMR CNRS-IRD 2724, Equipe: Evolution des Systèmes Symbiotiques, IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, B.P. 5045, 34032 Montpellier Cedex 1, France.
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31
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Helluy S, Holmes JC. Parasitic manipulation: further considerations. Behav Processes 2005; 68:205-10. [PMID: 15792690 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2004.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2004] [Accepted: 08/24/2004] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S Helluy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA.
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WILLIAMS CM, POULIN R, SINCLAIR BJ. Increased haemolymph osmolality suggests a new route for behavioural manipulation of Talorchestia quoyana (Amphipoda: Talitridae) by its mermithid parasite. Funct Ecol 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00910.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Loot G, Aulagnier S, Lek S, Thomas F, Guégan JF. Experimental demonstration of a behavioural modification in a cyprinid fish, Rutilus rutilus (L.), induced by a parasite, Ligula intestinalis (L.). CAN J ZOOL 2002. [DOI: 10.1139/z02-043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural changes in parasitized hosts have been experimentally investigated by comparing the swimming behaviour of roach, Rutilus rutilus, infected by the tapeworm Ligula intestinalis with that of uninfected roach when they were exposed to the same overhead heron stimulus. Before the stimulus was presented, infected fish swam close to the surface and uninfected fish were preferentially found near the bottom of the tank. The stimulus clearly induced a change in the vertical distribution of infected fish only. On the other hand, infected roach were less active than un infected fish before, during, and after the stimulus was presented. Proximate mechanisms of these behavioural changes are discussed. These behavioural differences, i.e., roach surfacing, swimming, and response to stimulus, probably favour the predation of infected roach by avian predators.
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Parasitism and the burrowing depth of the beach hopper Talorchestia quoyana (Amphipoda: Talitridae). Anim Behav 2002. [DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2001.1938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Williams JK, Townsend CR, Poulin R. Mermithid nematode infections and drift in the mayfly Deleatidium spp. (Ephemeroptera). J Parasitol 2001; 87:1225-7. [PMID: 11695410 DOI: 10.1645/0022-3395(2001)087[1225:mniadi]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in host phenotype induced by parasitic infection are often interpreted as either host or parasite adaptations, depending on which of the two appears to benefit. Mermithid nematodes typically castrate their insect hosts and, therefore, any change in host behavior has no further fitness consequences for the host; the adaptive value of the modified behavior must be assessed with respect to parasite fitness only. In a New Zealand stream, mermithid-infected nymphs of mayflies in the genus Deleatidium were disproportionately represented in drift samples compared with benthic samples, suggesting that infection by mermithids results in an increased tendency to drift. Drifting mayflies face a higher predation risk from trout, and the mermithid nematodes they harbor die if ingested by a fish. The change in mayfly behavior induced by mermithids thus appears to have negative fitness effects for the parasite, and one possible explanation for this phenomenon is that it is a nonadaptive, pathological side effect of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Williams
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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36
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Medel R. Assessment of correlational selection on tolerance and resistance traits in a host plant–parasitic plant interaction. Evol Ecol 2001. [DOI: 10.1023/a:1011966329939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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37
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Bensch S, Stjernman M, Hasselquist D, Ostman O, Hansson B, Westerdahl H, Pinheiro RT. Host specificity in avian blood parasites: a study of Plasmodium and Haemoproteus mitochondrial DNA amplified from birds. Proc Biol Sci 2000; 267:1583-9. [PMID: 11007335 PMCID: PMC1690711 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2000.1181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 434] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of avian malaria (genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) was amplified from blood samples of 12 species of passerine birds from the genera Acrocephalus, Phylloscopus and Parus. By sequencing 478 nucleotides of the obtained fragments, we found 17 different mitochondrial haplotypes of Haemoproteus or Plasmodium among the 12 bird species investigated. Only one out of the 17 haplotypes was found in more than one host species, this exception being a haplotype detected in both blue tits (Parus caeruleus) and great tits (Parus major). The phylogenetic tree which was constructed grouped the sequences into two clades, most probably representing Haemoproteus and Plasmodium, respectively. We found two to four different parasite mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes in four bird species. The phylogenetic tree obtained from the mtDNA of the parasites matched the phylogenetic tree of the bird hosts poorly. For example, the two tit species and the willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) carried parasites differing by only 0.6% sequence divergence, suggesting that Haemoproteus shift both between species within the same genus and also between species in different families. Hence, host shifts seem to have occurred repeatedly in this parasite host system. We discuss this in terms of the possible evolutionary consequences for these bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bensch
- Department of Animal Ecology, Lund University, Sweden.
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Abstract
The diversity of ways in which parasites can modify the host genotypic signal has been documented in recent years. For example, parasites can shift the mean value and increase the variance of phenotypic traits in host populations, or alter the phenotypic sex ratio of host populations, with several evolutionary implications. Here, Robert Poulin and Frederic Thomas review the types of host traits that are modified by parasites, then explore some of the evolutionary consequences of parasite-induced alterations in host phenotypes and suggest some avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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40
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Poulin R. Evolution and phylogeny of behavioural manipulation of insect hosts by parasites. Parasitology 1998; 116 Suppl:S3-11. [PMID: 9695105 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182000084894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The literature contains many examples of changes induced by parasites in the behaviour and/or other phenotypic traits of insects. From an evolutionary perspective, the nature of these changes is usually difficult to assess. Parasite-induced changes in host behaviour can be adaptations of either host or parasite, or they can be mere pathological consequences of infection. Of the many criteria and experimental tests necessary to distinguish between adaptations and non-selected consequences, two are particularly important: the demonstration of fitness benefits for either host or parasite associated with the behavioural change, and the elucidation of the proximate mechanism responsible for the behavioural change. Another approach can serve to identify adaptive changes in behavior: mapping specific behavioural alterations on a phylogeny of either hosts or parasites. The usefulness of this approach is illustrated with two examples, acanthocephalan-cockroach associations and insect-fungus associations. The adaptive nature of parasite-induced behavioural changes will always be difficult to evaluate because they are the product of two distinct but interacting genotypes. However, experimental and phylogenetic approaches can provide valuable insights into the evolutionary history of insect-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Thomas F, Ward DF, Poulin R. Fluctuating asymmetry in an ornamental trait in the cave weta, Pleioplectron simplex Hutton (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae): no role for parasites. CAN J ZOOL 1998. [DOI: 10.1139/z98-012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Using digitised pictures of the pronotum, we investigated the influence of nematomorph and mermithid parasites on the expression (intensity and fluctuating asymmetry) of cuticular ornamentation in the cave weta, Pleioplectron simplex. Because P. simplex is nocturnal, this ornamentation is probably not subject to strong directional or stabilising selection. Based on measurements of brightness, we found no significant difference in the amount of pigmented area between unparasitised and parasitised males or females. Parasitised individuals were not significantly more asymmetrical than unparasitised ones. This result was not due to measurement error. Among parasitised wetas, brightness and the fluctuating asymmetry were not related to the length of the parasite, even when the size of the host was taken into account. These results are discussed in relation to current ideas concerning the influence of parasites on fluctuating asymmetry of traits in the host.
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