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Berger CS, Laroche J, Maaroufi H, Martin H, Moon KM, Landry CR, Foster LJ, Aubin-Horth N. The parasite Schistocephalus solidus secretes proteins with putative host manipulation functions. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:436. [PMID: 34454597 PMCID: PMC8400842 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04933-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Manipulative parasites are thought to liberate molecules in their external environment, acting as manipulation factors with biological functions implicated in their host's physiological and behavioural alterations. These manipulation factors are part of a complex mixture called the secretome. While the secretomes of various parasites have been described, there is very little data for a putative manipulative parasite. It is necessary to study the molecular interaction between a manipulative parasite and its host to better understand how such alterations evolve. METHODS Here, we used proteomics to characterize the secretome of a model cestode with a complex life cycle based on trophic transmission. We studied Schistocephalus solidus during the life stage in which behavioural changes take place in its obligatory intermediate fish host, the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We produced a novel genome sequence and assembly of S. solidus to improve protein coding gene prediction and annotation for this parasite. We then described the whole worm's proteome and its secretome during fish host infection using LC-MS/MS. RESULTS A total of 2290 proteins were detected in the proteome of S. solidus, and 30 additional proteins were detected specifically in the secretome. We found that the secretome contains proteases, proteins with neural and immune functions, as well as proteins involved in cell communication. We detected receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatases, which were reported in other parasitic systems to be manipulation factors. We also detected 12 S. solidus-specific proteins in the secretome that may play important roles in host-parasite interactions. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that S. solidus liberates molecules with putative host manipulation functions in the host and that many of them are species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Suzanne Berger
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Ressources Aquatiques Québec (RAQ), Institut Des Sciences de La Mer de Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jérôme Laroche
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
| | - Halim Maaroufi
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
| | - Hélène Martin
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Département de Biochimie, Microbiologie Et Bioinformatique, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
| | - Kyung-Mee Moon
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Christian R. Landry
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Département de Biochimie, Microbiologie Et Bioinformatique, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- PROTEO, Le Réseau Québécois de Recherche Sur La Fonction, la structure et l’ingénierie des protéines, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Données Massives (CRDM), Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Leonard J. Foster
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative Et Des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec, QC Canada
- Ressources Aquatiques Québec (RAQ), Institut Des Sciences de La Mer de Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
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Cozzarolo CS, Glaizot O, Christe P, Pigeault R. Enhanced Attraction of Arthropod Vectors to Infected Vertebrates: A Review of Empirical Evidence. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.568140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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Jolles JW, Mazué GPF, Davidson J, Behrmann-Godel J, Couzin ID. Schistocephalus parasite infection alters sticklebacks' movement ability and thereby shapes social interactions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12282. [PMID: 32703965 PMCID: PMC7378215 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69057-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitism is ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. Although many fundamental aspects of host-parasite relationships have been unravelled, few studies have systematically investigated how parasites affect organismal movement. Here we combine behavioural experiments of Schistocephalus solidus infected sticklebacks with individual-based simulations to understand how parasitism affects individual movement ability and thereby shapes social interaction patterns. High-resolution tracking revealed that infected fish swam, accelerated, and turned more slowly than did non-infected fish, and tended to be more predictable in their movements. Importantly, the strength of these effects increased with increasing parasite load (proportion of body weight), with more heavily infected fish showing larger changes and impairments in behaviour. When grouped, pairs of infected fish moved more slowly, were less cohesive, less aligned, and less temporally coordinated than non-infected pairs, and mixed pairs were primarily led by the non-infected fish. These social patterns also emerged in simulations of self-organised groups composed of individuals differing similarly in speed and turning tendency, suggesting infection-induced changes in mobility and manoeuvrability may drive collective outcomes. Together, our results demonstrate how infection with a complex life-cycle parasite affects the movement ability of individuals and how this in turn shapes social interaction patterns, providing important mechanistic insights into the effects of parasites on host movement dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolle W Jolles
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Geoffrey P F Mazué
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jacob Davidson
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Iain D Couzin
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Natural infection by the protozoan Leptomonas wallacei impacts the morphology, physiology, reproduction, and lifespan of the insect Oncopeltus fasciatus. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17468. [PMID: 31767875 PMCID: PMC6877526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53678-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are protozoan parasites that infect thousands of globally dispersed hosts, potentially affecting their physiology. Several species of trypanosomatids are commonly found in phytophagous insects. Leptomonas wallacei is a gut-restricted insect trypanosomatid only retrieved from Oncopeltus fasciatus. The insects get infected by coprophagy and transovum transmission of L. wallacei cysts. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the effects of a natural infection by L. wallacei on the hemipteran insect O. fasciatus, by comparing infected and uninfected individuals in a controlled environment. The L. wallacei-infected individuals showed reduced lifespan and morphological alterations. Also, we demonstrated a higher infection burden in females than in males. The infection caused by L. wallacei reduced host reproductive fitness by negatively impacting egg load, oviposition, and eclosion, and promoting an increase in egg reabsorption. Moreover, we associated the egg reabsorption observed in infected females, with a decrease in the intersex gene expression. Finally, we suggest alterations in population dynamics induced by L. wallacei infection using a mathematical model. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that L. wallacei infection negatively affected the physiology of O. fasciatus, which suggests that L. wallacei potentially has a vast ecological impact on host population growth.
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Dingemanse NJ, Barber I, Dochtermann NA. Non-consumptive effects of predation: does perceived risk strengthen the genetic integration of behaviour and morphology in stickleback? Ecol Lett 2019; 23:107-118. [PMID: 31646755 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Predators can shape genetic correlations in prey by altering prey perception of risk. We manipulated perceived risk to test whether such non-consumptive effects tightened behavioural trait correlations in wild-caught stickleback from high- compared to low-risk environments due to genetic variation in plasticity. We expected tighter genetic correlations within perceived risk treatments than across them, and tighter genetic correlations in high-risk than in low-risk treatments. We identified genetic variation in plasticity, with genetic correlations between boldness, sociality, and antipredator morphology, as expected, being tighter within treatments than across them, for both of two populations. By contrast, genetic correlations did not tighten with exposure to risk. Tighter phenotypic correlations in wild stickleback may thus arise because predators induce correlational selection on environmental components of these traits, or because predators tighten residual correlations by causing environmental heterogeneity that is controlled in the laboratory. Our study places phenotypic integration firmly into an ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels J Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Iain Barber
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Brackenhurst Ln, Southwell NG25 0QF, UK
| | - Ned A Dochtermann
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, 1340 Bolley Drive, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
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Berger CS, Aubin-Horth N. An eDNA-qPCR assay to detect the presence of the parasite Schistocephalus solidus inside its threespine stickleback host. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.178137. [PMID: 29615530 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.178137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Detecting the presence of a parasite within its host is crucial to the study of host-parasite interactions. The Schistocephalus solidus-threespine stickleback pair has been studied extensively to investigate host phenotypic alterations associated with a parasite with a complex life cycle. This cestode is localized inside the stickleback's abdominal cavity and can be visually detected only once it passes a mass threshold. We present a non-lethal quantitative PCR (qPCR) approach based on detection of environmental DNA from the worm (eDNA), sampled in the fish abdominal cavity. Using this approach on two fish populations (n=151), 98% of fish were correctly assigned to their S. solidus infection status. There was a significant correlation between eDNA concentration and total parasitic mass. We also assessed ventilation rate as a complementary mean to detect infection. Our eDNA detection method gives a reliable presence/absence response and its future use for quantitative assessment of infection is promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Suzanne Berger
- Département de Biologie et Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Nadia Aubin-Horth
- Département de Biologie et Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
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Woestmann L, Gibbs M, Hesketh H, Saastamoinen M. Viral exposure effects on life-history, flight-related traits, and wing melanisation in the Glanville fritillary butterfly. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 107:136-143. [PMID: 29627352 PMCID: PMC5971209 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Infections represent a constant threat for organisms and can lead to substantial fitness losses. Understanding how individuals, especially from natural populations, respond towards infections is thus of great importance. Little is known about immunity in the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia). As the larvae live gregariously in family groups, vertical and horizontal transmission of infections could have tremendous effects on individuals and consequently impact population dynamics in nature. We used the Alphabaculovirus type strain Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) and demonstrated that positive concentration-dependent baculovirus exposure leads to prolonged developmental time and decreased survival during larval and pupal development, with no sex specific differences. Viral exposure did not influence relative thorax mass or wing morphometric traits often related to flight ability, yet melanisation of the wings increased with viral exposure, potentially influencing disease resistance or flight capacity via thermal regulation. Further research is needed to explore effects under sub-optimal conditions, determine effects on fitness-related traits, and investigate a potential adaptive response of increased melanisation in the wings due to baculovirus exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Woestmann
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 65, Viikinkaari 1, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Melanie Gibbs
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom.
| | - Helen Hesketh
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom.
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 65, Viikinkaari 1, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
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Rabiee MH, Mahmoudi A, Siahsarvie R, Kryštufek B, Mostafavi E. Rodent-borne diseases and their public health importance in Iran. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006256. [PMID: 29672510 PMCID: PMC5908068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Rodents are reservoirs and hosts for several zoonotic diseases such as plague, leptospirosis, and leishmaniasis. Rapid development of industry and agriculture, as well as climate change throughout the globe, has led to change or increase in occurrence of rodent-borne diseases. Considering the distribution of rodents throughout Iran, the aim of this review is to assess the risk of rodent-borne diseases in Iran. Methodology/Principal finding We searched Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran databases up to September 2016 to obtain articles reporting occurrence of rodent-borne diseases in Iran and extract information from them. Out of 70 known rodent-borne diseases, 34 were reported in Iran: 17 (50%) parasitic diseases, 13 (38%) bacterial diseases, and 4 (12%) viral diseases. Twenty-one out of 34 diseases were reported from both humans and rodents. Among the diseases reported in the rodents of Iran, plague, leishmaniasis, and hymenolepiasis were the most frequent. The most infected rodents were Rattus norvegicus (16 diseases), Mus musculus (14 diseases), Rattus rattus (13 diseases), Meriones persicus (7 diseases), Apodemus spp. (5 diseases), Tatera indica (4 diseases), Meriones libycus (3 diseases), Rhombomys opimus (3 diseases), Cricetulus migratorius (3 diseases), and Nesokia indica (2 diseases). Conclusions/Significance The results of this review indicate the importance of rodent-borne diseases in Iran. Considering notable diversity of rodents and their extensive distribution throughout the country, it is crucial to pay more attention to their role in spreading infectious diseases for better control of the diseases. This review showed that approximately half of the known rodent-borne diseases have been reported in Iran, half of which were reported both in humans and rodents. Most of the diseases were bacterial and parasitic. Plague, leishmaniasis, and hymenolepiasis were the most frequent diseases among rodent populations. Also, this review showed that among the rodent species, three commensal ones—R. norvegicus, M. musculus, and R. rattus—play an important role in the transmission of diseases to humans in Iran. Considering repeated reports of many of these diseases in humans and rodents, and the notable diversity and extensive distribution of rodents throughout Iran, it is crucial to pay adequate attention to rodents as a source of zoonotic infectious diseases in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hasan Rabiee
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Mahmoudi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Iran
| | - Roohollah Siahsarvie
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Rodentology Research Department (RRD), Institute of Applied Animal (IAA), Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Ehsan Mostafavi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Iran
- * E-mail:
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Moretti EH, Titon B, Madelaire CB, de Arruda R, Alvarez T, Gomes FR. Behavioral, physiological and morphological correlates of parasite intensity in the wild Cururu toad ( Rhinella icterica). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2017; 6:146-154. [PMID: 28725553 PMCID: PMC5502792 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Large numbers of parasites are found in various organs of anuran amphibians, with parasite intensities thought to modulate the host's Darwinian fitness traits. Interaction between the anuran hosts and their multiple parasites should modulate the host's phenotypic characteristic, such as those associated with high energetic demand (such as calling effort and locomotor performance), energy balance (standard metabolic rate), and morphological plasticity (as indicated by organ masses). The present study investigated the impact of parasite intensities on the behavioral, physiological, and morphological traits of wild adult male Rhinella icterica (Anura: Bufonidae). We tested as to whether individuals with higher parasite intensities would present: 1) lower vocal calling effort in the field, as well as poorer locomotor performance and body-condition index; and 2) higher standard metabolic rates and internal organ masses. Measurements included: calling effort in the field; standard metabolic rate; locomotor performance; parasite intensity; internal organ masses (heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, stomach, lungs, hind limb muscle, and spleen); and the body-condition index. Results showed a negative association of parasite intensities with locomotor performance, and standard metabolic rate of R. icterica. A positive association between parasite intensities and relative organ masses (heart, intestines and kidneys) was also evident. Toads with higher pulmonary and intestinal parasites intensities also showed higher total parasite intensities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Hermógenes Moretti
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rua Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, s/n, 18618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Braz Titon
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rua Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, s/n, 18618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Carla Bonetti Madelaire
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rua Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, s/n, 18618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Raquel de Arruda
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rua Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, s/n, 18618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Alvarez
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rua Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, s/n, 18618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernando Ribeiro Gomes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Rua Prof. Dr. Antônio Celso Wagner Zanin, s/n, 18618-689, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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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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Ecological genomics of host behavior manipulation by parasites. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 781:169-90. [PMID: 24277300 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7347-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Among the vast array of niche exploitation strategies exhibited by millions of different species on Earth, parasitic lifestyles are characterized by extremely successful evolutionary outcomes. Some parasites even seem to have the ability to 'control' their host's behavior to fulfill their own vital needs. Research efforts in the past decades have focused on surveying the phylogenetic diversity and ecological nature of these host-parasite interactions, and trying to understand their evolutionary significance. However, to understand the proximal and ultimate causes of these behavioral alterations triggered by parasitic infections, the underlying molecular mechanisms governing them must be uncovered. Studies using ecological genomics approaches have identified key candidate molecules involved in host-parasite molecular cross-talk, but also molecules not expected to alter behavior. These studies have shown the importance of following up with functional analyses, using a comparative approach and including a time-series analysis. High-throughput methods surveying different levels of biological information, such as the transcriptome and the epigenome, suggest that specific biologically-relevant processes are affected by infection, that sex-specific effects at the level of behavior are recapitulated at the level of transcription, and that epigenetic control represents a key factor in managing life cycle stages of the parasite through temporal regulation of gene expression. Post-translational processes, such as protein-protein interactions (interactome) and post translational modifications (e.g. protein phosphorylation, phosphorylome), and processes modifying gene expression and translation, such as interactions with microRNAs (microRNAome), are examples of promising avenues to explore to obtain crucial insights into the proximal and ultimate causes of these fascinating and complex inter-specific interactions.
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Scharf I, Modlmeier AP, Beros S, Foitzik S. Ant societies buffer individual-level effects of parasite infections. Am Nat 2012; 180:671-83. [PMID: 23070326 DOI: 10.1086/667894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Parasites decrease host fitness and can induce changes in host behavior, morphology, and physiology. When parasites exploit social insects, they influence not only infected individuals but also the society as a whole. Workers of the ant Temnothorax nylanderi are an intermediate host for the cestode Anomotaenia brevis. We studied a heavily parasitized population and found that, although parasite infection had strong and diverse consequences for individual workers, colony fitness remained unchanged. At the individual level, we uncovered differences among the three worker types, infected and healthy workers from parasitized colonies and healthy workers from nonparasitized colonies. Infected workers were smaller than healthy ones and had smaller heads as parasite load increased. Behavioral changes extended to all workers from parasitized colonies; such workers were less active than workers in nonparasitized colonies but engaged in more grooming. Healthy workers from parasitized colonies showed behavioral patterns intermediate to those of infected workers and healthy workers from nonparasitized colonies. Despite the lower activity level found in ants from parasitized colonies, an important fitness parameter, per-worker productivity, remained unaltered in parasitized colonies. However, the investment strategies of parasitized colonies changed as their sex ratio became male biased and as male body size increased. In short, ant colonies can buffer the drain of resources by the parasite despite strong effects on individual workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inon Scharf
- Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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Is there a link between shell morphology and parasites of zebra mussels? J Invertebr Pathol 2012; 109:229-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2011.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Nouvellet P, Ramirez-Sierra MJ, Dumonteil E, Gourbière S. Effects of genetic factors and infection status on wing morphology of Triatoma dimidiata species complex in the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2011; 11:1243-9. [PMID: 21515410 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2011.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2011] [Revised: 04/05/2011] [Accepted: 04/07/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Triatoma dimidiata is one of the main vectors of Chagas disease, and it has been shown to be a species complex. In the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, vector populations are non-domiciliated, and the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi thus critically relies on vector dispersal. This leads us to study the morphologic variations in T. dimidiata wings with respect to genetic factors (sex and genotype at the ITS-2 locus), geographic location, and T. cruzi-infection status. Females were found to have larger and more symmetrical wings than males. Wing shape was influenced by ITS-2 genotypes, although differences are unlikely sufficient to allow taxonomic discrimination of the sibling species. Hybrids were shown to have similar fluctuating asymmetries in wing size and shape as parental species, but the level of asymmetry in shape varied slightly between villages. The two later findings are consistent with a high level of gene flow between parental species, and the high dispersal potential of these non-domiciliated vectors. More surprisingly, individuals infected with T. cruzi were found to have larger wings than non-infected ones. This effect, which was consistently observed across sexes, genotypes and villages, is likely to be due to a direct impact of T. cruzi on insect development. Sex and infection status are thus likely to be key factors influencing vector dispersal with important impacts on disease transmission, since dispersal directly controls the domestic abundance of these vectors. These aspects should be investigated further to fully capture the ecology and evolution of Chagas disease transmission by non-domiciliated vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Nouvellet
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
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