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Li R, Zhuang W, Feng X, Hines HN, Hu X. First redescription and molecular phylogeny of Trimyema claviforme Kahl, 1933 with the description of a Chinese population of Plagiopyla nasuta Stein, 1860 (Ciliophora, Plagiopylea). Eur J Protistol 2023; 90:126003. [PMID: 37453202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2023.126003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ciliates belonging to the class Plagiopylea are obligate anaerobes that are often neglected due to their cryptic lifestyles, difficulty of observation, and overall under-sampling. Here, we investigate two species, namely Trimyema claviforme Kahl, 1933 and Plagiopyla nasuta Stein, 1860, collected in China from marine and freshwater anaerobic sediments, respectively. A complete morphological dataset, together with SSU rRNA gene sequence data were obtained and used to diagnose the species. No molecular sequencing had ever been performed on Trimyema claviforme, with its ciliature also previously unknown. Based on these novel data presented here, the ciliate is characterized by a claviform cell shape, with a size of 35-45 × 10-20 μm in vivo, 28-39 longitudinal somatic ciliary rows forming five ciliary girdles (four complete girdles and a shorter one), two dikinetids left to anterior end of oral kinety 1, and an epaulet. A Chinese population of the well-known ciliate P. nasuta was investigated, and morphological comparisons revealed phenotypic stability of the species. The phylogenetic analyses supported previous findings about the monophyly of the families Trimyemidae and Plagiopylidae, with Trimyema claviforme branching off early in the genus Trimyema. The Chinese population of P. nasuta clusters together with two other populations with full support corroborating their conspecificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Li
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Wenbao Zhuang
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiaochen Feng
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hunter N Hines
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, Florida 34946, USA
| | - Xiaozhong Hu
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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Fernández-Boo S, Duarte C, Guévélou E, Sousa J, Freitas R, Joaquim S, Costas B, Magalhães L, Matias D, Cruz A. Effect of the alveolate parasite Perkinsus olseni infection on sexual maturation and spawning efficiency of the clam Ruditapes decussatus. Parasitology 2023; 150:1-8. [PMID: 36722314 PMCID: PMC10090476 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The effect of Perkinsus olseni infection on the reproduction ability of clams has been underestimated so far. Although some studies found evidence of reduction of egg production and delay in gonad maturation after infection, the total effect of the infection is still unclear. In this study, Ruditapes decussatus clams from a naïve population were injected with two different doses of P. olseni parasites, a low dose leading to a light infection and a high dose leading to a heavy infection. Clams were maintained during 2 months for maturation, and at the end of the experiment, the spawning was induced, the number of larvae release and mortality were evaluated. During the maturation period, infection level, gonadal stage, condition index, gross biochemical composition and oxidative status of progenitors were evaluated at days 0, 30 and 60 post-injection. The effects of P. olseni infection on clams showed alterations on biochemical parameters, namely lipid peroxidation, a significant mortality and a delayed gonad maturation, with a greater effect in the highly infected individuals. The reproductive capacity of the clams was impaired in both infected groups showing a lower production and a higher mortality rate of larvae. Finally, this study indicates that the production of natural beds with a high prevalence of P. olseni could be compromised by a deregulation of the natural reproduction cycle and a decrease in larvae production by infected animals, probably due to a combination of lower egg production and lower lipid reserves in larvae from infected clams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Fernández-Boo
- Animal Health and Aquaculture (A2S), CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Catarina Duarte
- Oceano Fresco S.A, Porto de Abrigo, 2450-075 Nazaré, Portugal
- IPMA – Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Av. 5 outubro s/n, 8700-503 Olhão, Portugal
| | - Eric Guévélou
- Oceano Fresco S.A, Porto de Abrigo, 2450-075 Nazaré, Portugal
| | - Joana Sousa
- Oceano Fresco S.A, Porto de Abrigo, 2450-075 Nazaré, Portugal
| | - Rosa Freitas
- CESAM, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Sandra Joaquim
- IPMA – Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Av. 5 outubro s/n, 8700-503 Olhão, Portugal
- Aquaculture and Seafood Safety, CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Benjamin Costas
- Animal Health and Aquaculture (A2S), CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal
- ICBAS – Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Luisa Magalhães
- CESAM, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Domitília Matias
- IPMA – Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Av. 5 outubro s/n, 8700-503 Olhão, Portugal
- Aquaculture and Seafood Safety, CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Andreia Cruz
- Oceano Fresco S.A, Porto de Abrigo, 2450-075 Nazaré, Portugal
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Tortorelli G, Pettolino F, Lai D, Tomčala A, Bacic A, Oborník M, Lukeš J, McFadden GI. The cell wall polysaccharides of a photosynthetic relative of apicomplexans, Chromera velia. J Phycol 2021; 57:1805-1809. [PMID: 34491587 PMCID: PMC9293442 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Chromerids are a group of alveolates, found in corals, that show peculiar morphological and genomic features. These organisms are evolutionary placed in-between symbiotic dinoflagellates and parasitic apicomplexans. There are two known species of chromerids: Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis. Here, the biochemical composition of the C. velia cell wall was analyzed. Several polysaccharides adorn this structure, with glucose being the most abundant monosaccharide (approx. 80%) and predominantly 4-linked (approx. 60%), suggesting that the chromerids cell wall is mostly cellulosic. The presence of cellulose was cytochemically confirmed with calcofluor white staining of the algal cell. The remaining wall polysaccharides, assuming structures are similar to those of higher plants, are indicative of a mixture of galactans, xyloglucans, heteroxylans, and heteromannans. The present work provides, for the first time, insights into the outermost layers of the photosynthetic alveolate C. velia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Tortorelli
- School of BiosciencesThe University of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Filomena Pettolino
- CSIRO Agriculture and FoodCanberra2601Australian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - De‐Hua Lai
- State Key Laboratory of BiocontrolCenter for Parasitic OrganismsSchool of Life SciencesSun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510275China
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology CentreCzech Academy of Sciences370 05České BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Aleš Tomčala
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology CentreCzech Academy of Sciences370 05České BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Antony Bacic
- Department of Animal, Plant & Soil SciencesLa Trobe Institute for Agriculture and FoodLa Trobe UniversityAgriBio BuildingBundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Miroslav Oborník
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology CentreCzech Academy of Sciences370 05České BudějoviceCzech Republic
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South Bohemia37005České BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology CentreCzech Academy of Sciences370 05České BudějoviceCzech Republic
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of South Bohemia37005České BudějoviceCzech Republic
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Itoïz S, Perennou M, Mouronvalle C, Derelle E, Le Goïc N, Bidault A, de Montaudouin X, Arzul I, Soudant P, Chambouvet A. Development of duplex TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of Perkinsus olseni and P. chesapeaki in host Manila clam tissue samples. J Invertebr Pathol 2021; 184:107603. [PMID: 33971219 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2021.107603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The aetiological agent Perkinsus olseni is globally recognised as a major threat for shellfish production considering its wide geographical distribution across Asia, Europe, Australia and South America. Another species, Perkinsus chesapeaki, which has never been known to be associated with significant mortality events, was recently detected along French coasts infecting clam populations sporadically in association with P. olseni. Identifying potential cryptic infections affecting Ruditapes philippinarum is essential to develop appropriate host resource management strategies. Here, we developed a molecular method based on duplex real-time quantitative PCR for the simultaneous detection of these two parasites, P. olseni and P. chesapeaki, in the different clam tissues: gills, digestive gland, foot, mantle, adductor muscle and the rest of the soft body. We firstly checked the presence of possible PCR inhibitors in host tissue samples. The qPCR reactions were inhibited depending on the nature of the host organ. The mantle and the rest of the soft body have a high inhibitory effect from threshold of host gDNA concentration of 2 ng.µL-1, the adductor muscle and the foot have an intermediate inhibition of 5 ng.µL-1, and the gills and digestive gland do not show any inhibition of the qPCR reaction even at the highest host gDNA concentration of 20 ng.µL-1. Then, using the gills as a template, the suitability of the molecular technique was checked in comparison with the Ray's Fluid Thioglycolate Medium methodology recommended by the World Organisation for Animal Health. The duplex qPCR method brought new insights and unveiled cryptic infections as the co-occurrence of P. olseni and P. chesapeaki from in situ tissue samples in contrast to the RFTM diagnosis. The development of this duplex qPCR method is a fundamental work to monitor in situ co-infections that will lead to optimised resource management and conservation strategies to deal with emerging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Itoïz
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Morgan Perennou
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Clara Mouronvalle
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France; EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD, CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Perpignan F-66360, France
| | - Evelyne Derelle
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Nelly Le Goïc
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Adeline Bidault
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Xavier de Montaudouin
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, UMR 5805, Station Marine, F-33120 Arcachon, France
| | - Isabelle Arzul
- IFREMER, Laboratory of Genetics and Pathology, Av de Mus de Loup-17390, La Tremblade, France
| | - Philippe Soudant
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280 Plouzané, France.
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Kristmundsson Á, Erlingsdóttir Á, Lange S. Peptidylarginine Deiminase (PAD) and Post-Translational Protein Deimination-Novel Insights into Alveolata Metabolism, Epigenetic Regulation and Host-Pathogen Interactions. Biology (Basel) 2021; 10:biology10030177. [PMID: 33653015 PMCID: PMC7996758 DOI: 10.3390/biology10030177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The alveolates (Superphylum Alveolata) comprise a group of primarily single-celled eukaryotes that have adopted extremely diverse modes of nutrition, such as predation, photoautotrophy and parasitism. The alveolates consists of several major phyla including the apicomplexans, a large group of unicellular, spore forming obligate intracellular parasites, and chromerids, which are believed to be the phototrophic ancestors of the parasitic apicomplexans. Molecular pathways involved in Alveolata host-pathogen interactions, epigenetic regulation and metabolism in parasite development remain to be fully understood. Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) are a phylogenetically conserved enzyme family which causes post-translational protein deimination, affecting protein function through the conversion of arginine to citrulline in a wide range of target proteins, contributing to protein moonlighting in physiological and pathological processes. The identification of deiminated protein targets in alveolate parasites may therefore provide novel insight into pathogen survival and host-pathogen interactions. The current study assessed PAD homologues and deiminated protein profiles of two alveolate parasites, Piridium sociabile (Chromerida) and Merocystis kathae (Apicomplexa). Histological analysis verified strong cytoplasmic PAD expression in both Alveolates, detected deiminated proteins in nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments of the alveolate parasites and verified the presence of citrullinated histone H3 in Alveolata nucleus, indicating roles in epigenetic regulation. Histone H3 citrullination was also found significantly elevated in the host tissue, indicative of neutrophil extracellular trap formation, a host-defence mechanism against a range of pathogens, particularly those that are too large for phagocytosis. Proteomic analysis of deiminated proteins from both Alveolata identified GO and KEGG pathways strongly relating to metabolic and genetic regulation, with some species-specific differences between the apicomplexan and the chromerid. Our findings provide novel insights into roles for the conserved PAD/ADI enzyme family in the regulation of metabolic and epigenetic pathways in alveolate parasites, possibly also relating to their life cycle and host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Árni Kristmundsson
- Institute for Experimental Pathology at Keldur, University of Iceland, Keldnavegur 3, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland;
- Correspondence: (Á.K.); (S.L.)
| | - Ásthildur Erlingsdóttir
- Institute for Experimental Pathology at Keldur, University of Iceland, Keldnavegur 3, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland;
| | - Sigrun Lange
- Tissue Architecture and Regeneration Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK
- Correspondence: (Á.K.); (S.L.)
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Ferreira JL, Heincke D, Wichers JS, Liffner B, Wilson DW, Gilberger TW. The Dynamic Roles of the Inner Membrane Complex in the Multiple Stages of the Malaria Parasite. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:611801. [PMID: 33489940 PMCID: PMC7820811 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.611801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites, such as human malaria parasites, have complex lifecycles encompassing multiple and diverse environmental niches. Invading, replicating, and escaping from different cell types, along with exploiting each intracellular niche, necessitate large and dynamic changes in parasite morphology and cellular architecture. The inner membrane complex (IMC) is a unique structural element that is intricately involved with these distinct morphological changes. The IMC is a double membrane organelle that forms de novo and is located beneath the plasma membrane of these single-celled organisms. In Plasmodium spp. parasites it has three major purposes: it confers stability and shape to the cell, functions as an important scaffolding compartment during the formation of daughter cells, and plays a major role in motility and invasion. Recent years have revealed greater insights into the architecture, protein composition and function of the IMC. Here, we discuss the multiple roles of the IMC in each parasite lifecycle stage as well as insights into its sub-compartmentalization, biogenesis, disassembly and regulation during stage conversion of P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie Liane Ferreira
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Heinrich Pette Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dorothee Heincke
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Stephan Wichers
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Liffner
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Danny W. Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Bardele CF, Schultheiß S, Lynn DH, Wright ADG, Dominguez-Bello MG, Obispo NE. Aviisotricha hoazini n. gen., n. sp., the Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of an Anaerobic Ciliate from the Crop of the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), the Cow Among the Birds. Protist 2017; 168:335-351. [PMID: 28554152 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The hoatzin is the only known avian species that has evolved a foregut fermentation system similar to that of ruminant animals. Due to the closeness of the bird's fermentation chamber, the crop, to the bird's beak it exudes an unpleasant odour; therefore, the hoatzin is called the "cow among the birds". In addition to Eubacteria and Archaea, responsible for digestion of the vegetation they consume, the bird's crop contains a holotrich ciliate, described here for the first time in detail. Cytological staining of this isotrichid-like ciliate with the Chatton-Lwoff and Protargol staining procedures, as well as SEM and TEM, justified the establishment of the new genus Aviisotricha n. gen. with its new type species Aviisotricha hoazini n. gen., n. sp.. Phylogenetic analyses of a portion of the small subunit rRNA gene supported the taxonomic placement of this new genus and species in the family Isotrichidae. Aviisotricha is compared with Balantidium, Dasytricha and Isotricha with special reference to their dorsal brushes, which show similarity to the paralabial organelle of the Entodiniomorphida. The possible phylogenetic origin of Aviisotricha is discussed and a taxonomic revision of the family Isotrichidae is given.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sigrid Schultheiß
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Denis H Lynn
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - André-Denis G Wright
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Nestor E Obispo
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrícolas, Aragua, Venezuela
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Borner J, Pick C, Thiede J, Kolawole OM, Kingsley MT, Schulze J, Cottontail VM, Wellinghausen N, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Bruchhaus I, Burmester T. Phylogeny of haemosporidian blood parasites revealed by a multi-gene approach. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 94:221-31. [PMID: 26364971 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Revised: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The apicomplexan order Haemosporida is a clade of unicellular blood parasites that infect a variety of reptilian, avian and mammalian hosts. Among them are the agents of human malaria, parasites of the genus Plasmodium, which pose a major threat to human health. Illuminating the evolutionary history of Haemosporida may help us in understanding their enormous biological diversity, as well as tracing the multiple host switches and associated acquisitions of novel life-history traits. However, the deep-level phylogenetic relationships among major haemosporidian clades have remained enigmatic because the datasets employed in phylogenetic analyses were severely limited in either gene coverage or taxon sampling. Using a PCR-based approach that employs a novel set of primers, we sequenced fragments of 21 nuclear genes from seven haemosporidian parasites of the genera Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Parahaemoproteus, Polychromophilus and Plasmodium. After addition of genomic data from 25 apicomplexan species, the unreduced alignment comprised 20,580 bp from 32 species. Phylogenetic analyses were performed based on nucleotide, codon and amino acid data employing Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony. All analyses resulted in highly congruent topologies. We found consistent support for a basal position of Leucocytozoon within Haemosporida. In contrast to all previous studies, we recovered a sister group relationship between the genera Polychromophilus and Plasmodium. Within Plasmodium, the sauropsid and mammal-infecting lineages were recovered as sister clades. Support for these relationships was high in nearly all trees, revealing a novel phylogeny of Haemosporida, which is robust to the choice of the outgroup and the method of tree inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janus Borner
- Institute of Zoology and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Pick
- Institute of Zoology and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jenny Thiede
- Institute of Zoology and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Olatunji Matthew Kolawole
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Ilorin, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
| | - Manchang Tanyi Kingsley
- Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, Veterinary Research Laboratory, Wakwa Regional Center, PO Box␣65, Ngaoundere, Cameroon
| | - Jana Schulze
- Institute of Zoology and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Veronika M Cottontail
- Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
| | - Nele Wellinghausen
- Gaertner & Colleagues Laboratory, Elisabethenstr. 11, D-88212 Ravensburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Iris Bruchhaus
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Burmester
- Institute of Zoology and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
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Abstract
Apicomplexa are known to contain greatly reduced organellar genomes. Their mitochondrial genome carries only three protein-coding genes, and their plastid genome is reduced to a 35-kb-long circle. The discovery of coral-endosymbiotic algae Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis, which share a common ancestry with Apicomplexa, provided an opportunity to study possibly ancestral forms of organellar genomes, a unique glimpse into the evolutionary history of apicomplexan parasites. The structurally similar mitochondrial genomes of Chromera and Vitrella differ in gene content, which is reflected in the composition of their respiratory chains. Thus, Chromera lacks respiratory complexes I and III, whereas Vitrella and apicomplexan parasites are missing only complex I. Plastid genomes differ substantially between these algae, particularly in structure: The Chromera plastid genome is a linear, 120-kb molecule with large and divergent genes, whereas the plastid genome of Vitrella is a highly compact circle that is only 85 kb long but nonetheless contains more genes than that of Chromera. It appears that organellar genomes have already been reduced in free-living phototrophic ancestors of apicomplexan parasites, and such reduction is not associated with parasitism.
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