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Pacheco MA, Cepeda AS, Miller EA, Beckerman S, Oswald M, London E, Mateus-Pinilla NE, Escalante AA. A new long-read mitochondrial-genome protocol (PacBio HiFi) for haemosporidian parasites: a tool for population and biodiversity studies. Malar J 2024; 23:134. [PMID: 38704592 PMCID: PMC11069185 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04961-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies on haemosporidian diversity, including origin of human malaria parasites, malaria's zoonotic dynamic, and regional biodiversity patterns, have used target gene approaches. However, current methods have a trade-off between scalability and data quality. Here, a long-read Next-Generation Sequencing protocol using PacBio HiFi is presented. The data processing is supported by a pipeline that uses machine-learning for analysing the reads. METHODS A set of primers was designed to target approximately 6 kb, almost the entire length of the haemosporidian mitochondrial genome. Amplicons from different samples were multiplexed in an SMRTbell® library preparation. A pipeline (HmtG-PacBio Pipeline) to process the reads is also provided; it integrates multiple sequence alignments, a machine-learning algorithm that uses modified variational autoencoders, and a clustering method to identify the mitochondrial haplotypes/species in a sample. Although 192 specimens could be studied simultaneously, a pilot experiment with 15 specimens is presented, including in silico experiments where multiple data combinations were tested. RESULTS The primers amplified various haemosporidian parasite genomes and yielded high-quality mt genome sequences. This new protocol allowed the detection and characterization of mixed infections and co-infections in the samples. The machine-learning approach converged into reproducible haplotypes with a low error rate, averaging 0.2% per read (minimum of 0.03% and maximum of 0.46%). The minimum recommended coverage per haplotype is 30X based on the detected error rates. The pipeline facilitates inspecting the data, including a local blast against a file of provided mitochondrial sequences that the researcher can customize. CONCLUSIONS This is not a diagnostic approach but a high-throughput method to study haemosporidian sequence assemblages and perform genotyping by targeting the mitochondrial genome. Accordingly, the methodology allowed for examining specimens with multiple infections and co-infections of different haemosporidian parasites. The pipeline enables data quality assessment and comparison of the haplotypes obtained to those from previous studies. Although a single locus approach, whole mitochondrial data provide high-quality information to characterize species pools of haemosporidian parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, (SERC - 645), 1925 N. 12 St, Philadelphia, PA, 19122-1801, USA.
| | - Axl S Cepeda
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, (SERC - 645), 1925 N. 12 St, Philadelphia, PA, 19122-1801, USA
| | - Erica A Miller
- University of Pennsylvania, Wildlife Futures Program, Kennett Square, Philadelphia, PA, 19348, USA
| | | | | | - Evan London
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Nohra E Mateus-Pinilla
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61801, USA
- Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61802, USA
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, (SERC - 645), 1925 N. 12 St, Philadelphia, PA, 19122-1801, USA.
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Jones W, Reifová R, Reif J, Synek P, Šíma M, Munclinger P. Sympatry in a nightingale contact zone has no effect on host-specific blood parasite prevalence and lineage diversity. Int J Parasitol 2024:S0020-7519(24)00052-3. [PMID: 38460721 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.03.002] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Parasites are a key driving force behind many ecological and evolutionary processes. Prevalence and diversity of parasites, as well as their effects on hosts, are not uniform across host species. As such, the potential parasite spillover between species can significantly influence outcomes of interspecific interactions. We screened two species of Luscinia nightingales for haemosporidian blood parasites (Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus) along an approximately 3000 km transect in Europe, incorporating areas of host distant allopatry, close allopatry and sympatry. We found significant differences in infection rates between the two host species, with common nightingales having much lower parasite prevalence than thrush nightingales (36.7% versus 83.8%). This disparity was mostly driven by Haemoproteus prevalence, which was significantly higher in thrush nightingales while common nightingales had a small, but significantly higher, Plasmodium prevalence. Furthermore, we found no effect of proximity to the contact zone on infection rate in either host species. Despite having lower infection prevalence, common nightingales were infected with a significantly higher diversity of parasite lineages than thrush nightingales, and lineage assemblages differed considerably between the two species, even in sympatry. This pattern was mostly driven by the large diversity of comparatively rare lineages, while the most abundant lineages were shared between the two host species. This suggests that, despite the close evolutionary relationships between the two nightingales, there are significant differences in parasite prevalence and diversity, regardless of the distance from the contact zone. This suggests that spillover of haemosporidian blood parasites is unlikely to contribute towards interspecific interactions in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Jones
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czechia
| | - Petr Synek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Biodviser Ltd. Enterprise House 2 Pass Street Oldham, Manchester OL9 6HZ, United Kingdom
| | - Michal Šíma
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Department of Nanotoxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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Seidl CM, Ferreira FC, Parise KL, Paxton KL, Paxton EH, Atkinson CT, Fleischer RC, Foster JT, Marm Kilpatrick A. Linking avian malaria parasitemia estimates from quantitative PCR and microscopy reveals new infection patterns in Hawai'i. Int J Parasitol 2024; 54:123-130. [PMID: 37922977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites infect thousands of species and provide an exceptional system for studying host-pathogen dynamics, especially for multi-host pathogens. However, understanding these interactions requires an accurate assay of infection. Assessing Plasmodium infections using microscopy on blood smears often misses infections with low parasitemias (the fractions of cells infected), and biases in malaria prevalence estimates will differ among hosts that differ in mean parasitemias. We examined Plasmodium relictum infection and parasitemia using both microscopy of blood smears and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on 299 samples from multiple bird species in Hawai'i and fit models to predict parasitemias from qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) values. We used these models to quantify the extent to which microscopy underestimated infection prevalence and to more accurately estimate infection patterns for each species for a large historical study done by microscopy. We found that most qPCR-positive wild-caught birds in Hawaii had low parasitemias (Ct scores ≥35), which were rarely detected by microscopy. The fraction of infections missed by microscopy differed substantially among eight species due to differences in species' parasitemia levels. Infection prevalence was likely 4-5-fold higher than previous microscopy estimates for three introduced species, including Zosterops japonicus, Hawaii's most abundant forest bird, which had low average parasitemias. In contrast, prevalence was likely only 1.5-2.3-fold higher than previous estimates for Himatione sanguinea and Chlorodrepanis virens, two native species with high average parasitemias. Our results indicate that relative patterns of infection among species differ substantially from those observed in previous microscopy studies, and that differences depend on variation in parasitemias among species. Although microscopy of blood smears is useful for estimating the frequency of different Plasmodium stages and host attributes, more sensitive quantitative methods, including qPCR, are needed to accurately estimate and compare infection prevalence among host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa M Seidl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA; Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Francisco C Ferreira
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA; Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Katy L Parise
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Kristina L Paxton
- Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Resource Management, Hawai'i National Park, HI, USA
| | - Eben H Paxton
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai'i National Park, HI. USA
| | - Carter T Atkinson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai'i National Park, HI. USA
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - A Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Martinez V, Keith KD, Grace JK, Voelker G. Avian haemosporidians of breeding birds in the Davis Mountains sky-islands of west Texas, USA. Parasitology 2023; 150:1266-1276. [PMID: 38072659 PMCID: PMC10941211 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023001087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Avian haemosporidians are protozoan parasites transmitted by insect vectors that infect birds worldwide, negatively impacting avian fitness and survival. However, the majority of haemosporidian diversity remains undescribed. Quantifying this diversity is critical to determining parasite–host relationships and host-switching potentials of parasite lineages as climate change induces both host and vector range shifts. In this study, we conducted a community survey of avian haemosporidians found in breeding birds on the Davis Mountains sky islands in west Texas, USA. We determined parasite abundance and host associations and compared our results to data from nearby regions. A total of 265 birds were screened and infections were detected in 108 birds (40.8%). Most positive infections were identified as Haemoproteus (36.2%), followed by Plasmodium (6.8%) and Leucocytozoon (0.8%). A total of 71 haemosporidian lineages were detected of which 39 were previously undescribed. We found that regional similarity influenced shared lineages, as a higher number of lineages were shared with avian communities in the sky islands of New Mexico compared to south Texas, the Texas Gulf Coast and central Mexico. We found that migratory status of avian host did not influence parasite prevalence, but that host phylogeny is likely an important driver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viridiana Martinez
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Katrina D Keith
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jacquelyn K Grace
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Gary Voelker
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Woodrow C, Rosca AT, Fletcher R, Hone A, Ruta M, Hamer KC, Dunn JC. Haemoproteus parasites and passerines: the effect of local generalists on inferences of host-parasite co-phylogeny in the British Isles. Parasitology 2023; 150:1307-1315. [PMID: 37395052 PMCID: PMC10941225 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Host–parasite associations provide a benchmark for investigating evolutionary arms races and antagonistic coevolution. However, potential ecological mechanisms underlying such associations are difficult to unravel. In particular, local adaptations of hosts and/or parasites may hamper reliable inferences of host–parasite relationships and the specialist–generalist definitions of parasite lineages, making it problematic to understand such relationships on a global scale. Phylogenetic methods were used to investigate co-phylogenetic patterns between vector-borne parasites of the genus Haemoproteus and their passeriform hosts, to infer the ecological interactions of parasites and hosts that may have driven the evolution of both groups in a local geographic domain. As several Haemoproteus lineages were only detected once, and given the occurrence of a single extreme generalist, the effect of removing individual lineages on the co-phylogeny pattern was tested. When all lineages were included, and when all singly detected lineages were removed, there was no convincing evidence for host–parasite co-phylogeny. However, when only the generalist lineage was removed, strong support for co-phylogeny was indicated, and ecological interactions could be successfully inferred. This study exemplifies the importance of identifying locally abundant lineages when sampling host–parasite systems, to provide reliable insights into the precise mechanisms underlying host–parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Woodrow
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Adina Teodora Rosca
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Rachel Fletcher
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Abigail Hone
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Marcello Ruta
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Keith C Hamer
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Clarendon Way, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jenny Claire Dunn
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Clarendon Way, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Vanstreels RET, Chagas CRF, Valkiūnas G, Dos Anjos CC, Parsons NJ, Roberts DG, Snyman A, Hurtado R, Kirchgatter K, Ludynia K, Pistorius PA. Haemoproteus jenniae (Haemoproteidae, Haemosporida) infects gulls ( Larus spp.) in South Africa, with redescription of Haemoproteus skuae. Parasitology 2023; 150:1286-1295. [PMID: 36951108 PMCID: PMC10941229 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202300029x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Haemoproteus spp. are dipteran-borne protozoa that infect erythrocytes and reticulo-endothelial cells of birds. These parasites are not usually transmitted between birds belonging to different orders. The suborder Lari (order Charadriiformes) comprises ~170 avian species, the majority of which are aquatic, including gulls, terns, auklets, murres and skuas, among others. In spite of the diversity of this avian group, there is limited known diversity of haemosporidian parasites, with only 4 recorded Haemoproteus morphospecies thus far. We examined the blood smears of 21 kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) captured at a breeding colony in South Africa, as well as Haemoproteus-positive archival blood smears of 15 kelp gulls and 1 Hartlaub's gull (Larus hartlaubii) sampled while under care at seabird rehabilitation facilities in South Africa. Haemoproteus sp. infection was detected in 19% of wild-caught kelp gulls. All parasites from the gulls were morphologically identified as Haemoproteus jenniae, a species previously recorded in Lari birds at the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Rocas Atoll (Brazil) and Poland. Gene sequencing uncovered a new cytochrome b lineage, LARDOM01, which was closely related to the previously reported H. jenniae lineage CREFUR01. Additionally, we evaluated a hapantotype blood smear of Haemoproteus skuae, which had been described infecting a brown skua (Catharacta antarctica) in South Africa. We provide a redescription of H. skuae and discuss the morphological characters distinguishing it from H. jenniae. Further research is necessary to improve our knowledge about the host and geographic distribution, health effects and phylogeny of H. jenniae and H. skuae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph E T Vanstreels
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
| | | | | | - Carolina C Dos Anjos
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nola J Parsons
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - David G Roberts
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Albert Snyman
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Renata Hurtado
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Katrin Ludynia
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Pierre A Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
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Kim M, Bae J, Oh B, Rhim H, Yang MS, Yang S, Kim B, Han JI. Surveillance of wild animals carrying infectious agents based on high-throughput screening platform in the Republic of Korea. BMC Vet Res 2023; 19:158. [PMID: 37710323 PMCID: PMC10500733 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03714-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infectious diseases transmitted by wild animals are major threats to public health. This study aimed to investigate the potential of rescued wild animals that died of unknown causes as reservoirs of infectious agents. From 2018 to 2019, 121 dead wild animals (55 birds and 66 mammals) were included in this study. All wild animals died during treatment after anthropogenic events. After deaths of animals, necropsies were performed and trachea, lungs, large intestine (including stool), and spleen were collected to determine causes of deaths. A high-throughput screening (HTS) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) designed to detect 19 pathogens simultaneously against 48 samples in duplicate was performed using nucleic acids extracted from pooled tissues and peripheral blood samples. If positive, singleplex real-time PCR was performed for individual organs or blood samples. RESULTS The HTS qPCR showed positive results for Campylobacter jejuni (10/121, 8.3%), Campylobacter coli (1/121, 0.8%), Mycoplasma spp. (78/121, 64.5%), and Plasmodium spp. (7/121, 5.7%). Singleplex real-time PCR confirmed that C. jejuni was detected in the large intestine but not in the blood. C. coli was only detected in the large intestine. Mycoplasma spp. were detected in all organs, having the highest proportion in the large intestine and lowest in the blood. Plasmodium spp. was also detected in all organs, with proportions being were similar among organs. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that wild animals can become carriers of infectious agents without showing any clinical symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeongsu Kim
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
- Jeonbuk Wildlife Center, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Jieun Bae
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungkwan Oh
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Haerin Rhim
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
- Jeonbuk Wildlife Center, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeon-Sik Yang
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Somyeong Yang
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumseok Kim
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Ik Han
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, 54596, Republic of Korea.
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Pacheco MA, Escalante AA. Origin and diversity of malaria parasites and other Haemosporida. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:501-516. [PMID: 37202254 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Symbionts, including parasites, are ubiquitous in all world ecosystems. Understanding the diversity of symbiont species addresses diverse questions, from the origin of infectious diseases to inferring processes shaping regional biotas. Here, we review the current approaches to studying Haemosporida's species diversity and evolutionary history. Despite the solid knowledge of species linked to diseases, such as the agents of human malaria, studies on haemosporidian phylogeny, diversity, ecology, and evolution are still limited. The available data, however, indicate that Haemosporida is an extraordinarily diverse and cosmopolitan clade of symbionts. Furthermore, this clade seems to have originated with their vertebrate hosts, particularly birds, as part of complex community level processes that we are still characterizing.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA.
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA.
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Avian Haemosporidian (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) Status in Two Bird Groups (Old-World Flycatchers and Thrushes) of India and Their Phylogenetic Relationships with Other Lineages of the World. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:1756-1766. [DOI: 10.1007/s11686-022-00626-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Nourani L, Aliabadian M, Mirshamsi O, Dinparast Djadid N. Prevalence of co-infection and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in two rehabilitation facilities in Iran: implications for the conservation of captive raptors. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:114. [PMID: 36209068 PMCID: PMC9547439 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02068-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Various haemosporidian parasites infect raptors, especially captive hosts who may be more exposed. Diagnosis of threatening factors such as infectious diseases indirectly has a significant role in protecting endangered or threatened species that may boost the mortality or extinction resulting from declined reproduction. Few investigations have been performed in captive hosts to detect the prevalence of haemosporidian parasites and define genetic diversity in west Asia. For the first time, the current study was designed to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of haemosporidian parasites in captive raptors by molecular methods in two rehabilitation facilities in North and North-east Iran and to define phylogenetic relationships of detected lineages circulating in raptors. Results Molecular characterization of the haemosporidian parasite was accomplished by PCR-based method and DNA sequencing in 62 captive raptors. The overall prevalence was ~ 36% with higher infection of Haemoproteus spp. than Leucocytozoon spp. Plasmodium infection was not detected in any host. Results showed that 22 individuals (of 10 species) were infected with unique lineages. Genus Haemoproteus was detected in 26.66% of examined individuals (of eight species) and Leucocytozoon was found in 10% of individuals (of four species). The molecular analysis could detect ten lineages (nine Haemoproteus spp. and one Leucocytozoon spp.) which were categorizes as new and six lineages which have been previously detected in the other investigations. Conclusions The Bayesian phylogenetic analysis derived from obtained data in the present study and published lineages in previous investigations indicated the probable host specificity of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon parasites in several sub-clades at hosts’ order and genus level. As monitoring the parasite loads of captive birds when admitted reduce the risk of infecting hosts in captivity at those locations, we designed this study to determine infection prevalence and genetic diversity of blood parasites in raptors examined in Iran. These results allow mapping of haemosporidian distribution and shed light on the depth of their diversity in Iran to protect species by identification of risk in rehabilitation facilities. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-02068-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nourani
- grid.420169.80000 0000 9562 2611Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran ,grid.411301.60000 0001 0666 1211Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mansour Aliabadian
- grid.411301.60000 0001 0666 1211Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran ,grid.411301.60000 0001 0666 1211Research Department of Zoological Innovations (RDZI), Institute of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Omid Mirshamsi
- grid.411301.60000 0001 0666 1211Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran ,grid.411301.60000 0001 0666 1211Research Department of Zoological Innovations (RDZI), Institute of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Navid Dinparast Djadid
- grid.420169.80000 0000 9562 2611Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Valkiūnas G, Iezhova TA. Keys to the avian Haemoproteus parasites (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae). Malar J 2022; 21:269. [PMID: 36123731 PMCID: PMC9487097 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04235-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Haemoproteus is a sister genus to malaria parasites (Plasmodium), which both belong to the order Haemosporida (Apicomplexa). Parasites of both genera are flourishing in birds, however, Haemoproteus species are noticeably less investigated. This is unfortunate because knowledge about close relatives of malaria pathogens is important for better understanding the evolutionary origin and basic biological features of the entire group of haemosporidian infections. Moreover, recent findings show that Haemoproteus species can cause severe damage of various bird organs due to megalomeronts and other exo-erythrocytic stages. These haemosporidians are remarkably diverse, but remain neglected partly due to difficulties in species identification. Hundreds of Haemoproteus genetic lineages have been reported in birds, and numerous new lineages are found each year, but most remain unidentified to the species level. Numerous new Haemoproteus pathogens were described during the past 20 years. However, keys for their identification are absent. Identification of Haemoproteus species remains a difficult task and is an obstacle for better understanding of the distribution and epidemiology of these parasites. This study aimed to develop comprehensive keys for the identification of described avian Haemoproteus species using morphological features of their blood stages (gametocytes). Methods Type and voucher preparations of avian Haemoproteus species were accessed in museums in Europe, Australia and the USA. Gametocytes of most described species were examined, and these data formed a background for this study. The data also were considered from published articles containing parasite species descriptions. The method of dichotomous keys was applied. The most difficult steps in the keys were accompanied with references to the corresponding parasite pictures. Results In all, 201 published articles were included in this review. Morphological diagnostic features of gametocytes of all described Haemoproteus species were analysed and compared. Illustrated keys for identification of these parasite species were developed. Available information about the molecular characterization of Haemoproteus parasites was provided. Conclusion This review shows that 177 described species of avian Haemoproteus can be distinguished and identified in blood films using morphological characters of their gametocytes and host cells. These species were incorporated in the keys. Information about possible morphologically cryptic parasites was provided. Molecular markers are available for only 42% of the described Haemoproteus parasites, calling for researchers to fill this gap.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatjana A Iezhova
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 2100, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
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12
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Włodarczyk R, Bouwhuis S, Bichet C, Podlaszczuk P, Chyb A, Indykiewicz P, Dulisz B, Betleja J, Janiszewski T, Minias P. Contrasting haemoparasite prevalence in larid species with divergent ecological niches and migration patterns. Parasitology 2022; 149:1479-1486. [PMID: 35768413 PMCID: PMC11010501 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022000920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Haemoparasites represent a diverse group of vector-borne parasites that infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts. In birds, haemoparasite infection rates may be associated with various ecological and life history traits, including habitat choice, colony size and migration distance. Here, we molecularly assessed the prevalence of 3 main haemoparasite genera (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) in 2 bird species with different habitat preferences and migratory behaviour: black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) and common terns (Sterna hirundo). We found that gulls showed a much higher prevalence and diversity of Plasmodium or Haemoproteus (ca. 60% of individuals infected) than terns (zero prevalence). The prevalence of Leucocytozoon was low in both species (<3%). The differences in haemoparasite prevalences may be primarily driven by varying vector encounter rate resulting from different habitat preferences, as black-headed gulls mainly use vector-rich vegetated freshwater habitats, whereas common terns often use vector-poor coastal and brackish habitats. Since common terns migrate further than black-headed gulls, our results did not provide support for an association between haemoparasite prevalence and migratory distance. In gulls, we found a negative association between colony size and infection rates, suggestive of an ideal despotic distribution, and phylogenetic analyses of detected haemoparasite lineages provided evidence for higher host specificity in Haemoproteus than Plasmodium. Our results suggest that the preference for coastal areas and less vegetated habitats in terns may reduce haemoparasite infection rates compared to other larids, regardless of their migratory distance, emphasizing the role of ecological niches in parasite exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radosław Włodarczyk
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | | | - Coraline Bichet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Patrycja Podlaszczuk
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | - Amelia Chyb
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | - Piotr Indykiewicz
- Department of Biology and Animal Environment, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Mazowiecka 28, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Beata Dulisz
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Plac Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Jacek Betleja
- Department of Natural History, Upper Silesian Museum, Plac Jana III Sobieskiego 2, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
| | - Tomasz Janiszewski
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | - Piotr Minias
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
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13
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De La Torre GM, Fecchio A, Bell JA, Campião KM. Host evolutionary history rather than avian functional traits drives the
Plasmodium
regional assembly in the Atlantic Forest. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M. De La Torre
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
- Laboratório de Interações Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Alan Fecchio
- Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Cuiabá Brazil
| | - Jeffrey A. Bell
- Department of Biology University of North Dakota Grand Forks North Dakota U.S.A
| | - Karla M. Campião
- Laboratório de Interações Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
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14
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Šujanová A, Václav R. Phylogeographic Patterns of Haemoproteid Assemblages of Selected Avian Hosts: Ecological and Evolutionary Implications. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10051019. [PMID: 35630463 PMCID: PMC9144617 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10051019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: While the dynamics of disease emergence is driven by host–parasite interactions, the structure and dynamics of these interactions are still poorly understood. Here we study the phylogenetic and morphological clustering of haemosporidian parasite lineages in a local avian host community. Subsequently, we examine geographical patterns of parasite assemblages in selected avian hosts breeding in Europe. Methods: We conduct phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses of Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) lineages based on a short and an extended cytochrome b barcode region. Ordination analyses are used to examine changes in parasite assemblages with respect to climate type and geography. Results: We reveal relatively low phylogenetic clustering of haemoproteid lineages in a local avian host community and identify a potentially new Haemoproteus morphospecies. Further, we find that climate is effectively capturing geographical changes in parasite assemblages in selected widespread avian hosts. Moreover, parasite assemblages are found to vary distinctly across the host’s breeding range, even within a single avian host. Conclusions: This study suggests that a few keystone hosts can be important for the local phylogenetic and morphological clustering of haemoproteid parasites. Host spatio-temporal dynamics, both for partially and long-distance migratory birds, appear to explain geographical variation in haemoproteid parasite assemblages. This study also gives support to the idea that climate variation in terms of rainfall seasonality can be linked to the propensity for host switching in haemosporidians.
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15
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Alvarez-Londoño J, Cardona-Romero M, Martínez-Sánchez ET, Ossa-López PA, Pérez-Cárdenas JE, Gonzalez AD, Rivera-Páez FA, Castaño-Villa GJ. Avian haemosporidian (Haemosporida: Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in the department of Arauca, Colombian Orinoquia region. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:1775-1787. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07511-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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16
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Vinagre‐Izquierdo C, Bodawatta KH, Chmel K, Renelies‐Hamilton J, Paul L, Munclinger P, Poulsen M, Jønsson KA. The drivers of avian‐haemosporidian prevalence in tropical lowland forests of New Guinea in three dimensions. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8497. [PMID: 35222943 PMCID: PMC8844478 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemosporidians are among the most common parasites of birds and often negatively impact host fitness. A multitude of biotic and abiotic factors influence these associations, but the magnitude of these factors can differ by spatial scales (i.e., local, regional and global). Consequently, to better understand global and regional drivers of avian‐haemosporidian associations, it is key to investigate these associations at smaller (local) spatial scales. Thus, here, we explore the effect of abiotic variables (e.g., temperature, forest structure, and anthropogenic disturbances) on haemosporidian prevalence and host–parasite networks on a horizontal spatial scale, comparing four fragmented forests and five localities within a continuous forest in Papua New Guinea. Additionally, we investigate if prevalence and host–parasite networks differ between the canopy and the understory (vertical stratification) in one forest patch. We found that the majority of Haemosporidian infections were caused by the genus Haemoproteus and that avian‐haemosporidian networks were more specialized in continuous forests. At the community level, only forest greenness was negatively associated with Haemoproteus infections, while the effects of abiotic variables on parasite prevalence differed between bird species. Haemoproteus prevalence levels were significantly higher in the canopy, and an opposite trend was observed for Plasmodium. This implies that birds experience distinct parasite pressures depending on the stratum they inhabit, likely driven by vector community differences. These three‐dimensional spatial analyses of avian‐haemosporidians at horizontal and vertical scales suggest that the effect of abiotic variables on haemosporidian infections are species specific, so that factors influencing community‐level infections are primarily driven by host community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Vinagre‐Izquierdo
- Natural History Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
- Section for Ecology and Evolution Department of Biology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group Estación Biológica de Doñana – CSIC Sevilla Spain
| | - Kasun H. Bodawatta
- Natural History Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Kryštof Chmel
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Sciences University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | | | - Luda Paul
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre Madang Papua New Guinea
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic
| | - Michael Poulsen
- Section for Ecology and Evolution Department of Biology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Knud A. Jønsson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
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17
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López-Estrada EK, Sanmartín I, Uribe JE, Abalde S, Jiménez-Ruiz Y, García-París M. Mitogenomics and hidden-trait models reveal the role of phoresy and host shifts in the diversification of parasitoid blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2453-2474. [PMID: 35146829 PMCID: PMC9305437 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Changes in life history traits are often considered speciation triggers and can have dramatic effects on the evolutionary history of a lineage. Here, we examine the consequences of changes in two life history traits, host‐type and phoresy, in the hypermetamorphic blister beetles, Meloidae. Subfamilies Nemognathinae and Meloinae exhibit a complex life cycle involving multiple metamorphoses and parasitoidism. Most genera and tribes are bee‐parasitoids, and include phoretic or nonphoretic species, while two tribes feed on grasshopper eggs. These different life strategies are coupled with striking differences in species richness among clades. We generated a mitogenomic phylogeny for Nemognathinae and Meloinae, confirming the monophyly of these two clades, and used the dated phylogeny to explore the association between diversification rates and changes in host specificity and phoresy, using state‐dependent speciation and extinction (SSE) models that include the effect of hidden traits. To account for the low taxon sampling, we implemented a phylogenetic‐taxonomic approach based on birth‐death simulations, and used a Bayesian framework to integrate parameter and phylogenetic uncertainty. Results show that the ancestral hypermetamorphic Meloidae was a nonphoretic bee‐parasitoid, and that transitions towards a phoretic bee‐parasitoid and grasshopper parasitoidism occurred multiple times. Nonphoretic bee‐parasitoid lineages exhibit significantly higher relative extinction and lower diversification rates than phoretic bee‐and grasshopper‐parasitoids, but no significant differences were found between the latter two strategies. This suggests that Orthopteran host shifts and phoresy contributed jointly to the evolutionary success of the parasitoid meloidae. We also demonstrate that SSE models can be used to identify hidden traits coevolving with the focal trait in driving a lineage's diversification dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- E K López-Estrada
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, España.,Real Jardín Botánico (RJB-CSIC). Plaza de Murillo, 2, 28014. Madrid, España
| | - I Sanmartín
- Real Jardín Botánico (RJB-CSIC). Plaza de Murillo, 2, 28014. Madrid, España
| | - J E Uribe
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, España
| | - S Abalde
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, España.,Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC). Accéss, Cala Sant Francesc, 14, 17300, Blanes, España
| | - Y Jiménez-Ruiz
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, España
| | - M García-París
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006, Madrid, España
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18
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Filion A, Doherty JF, Poulin R, Godfrey SS. Building a comprehensive phylogenetic framework in disease ecology. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:424-427. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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19
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Voinson M, Nunn CL, Goldberg A. Primate malarias as a model for cross-species parasite transmission. eLife 2022; 11:e69628. [PMID: 35086643 PMCID: PMC8798051 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites regularly switch into new host species, representing a disease burden and conservation risk to the hosts. The distribution of these parasites also gives insight into characteristics of ecological networks and genetic mechanisms of host-parasite interactions. Some parasites are shared across many species, whereas others tend to be restricted to hosts from a single species. Understanding the mechanisms producing this distribution of host specificity can enable more effective interventions and potentially identify genetic targets for vaccines or therapies. As ecological connections between human and local animal populations increase, the risk to human and wildlife health from novel parasites also increases. Which of these parasites will fizzle out and which have the potential to become widespread in humans? We consider the case of primate malarias, caused by Plasmodium parasites, to investigate the interacting ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that put human and nonhuman primates at risk for infection. Plasmodium host switching from nonhuman primates to humans led to ancient introductions of the most common malaria-causing agents in humans today, and new parasite switching is a growing threat, especially in Asia and South America. Based on a wild host-Plasmodium occurrence database, we highlight geographic areas of concern and potential areas to target further sampling. We also discuss methodological developments that will facilitate clinical and field-based interventions to improve human and wildlife health based on this eco-evolutionary perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Voinson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Duke Global Health, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Amy Goldberg
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
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20
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Pfenning-Butterworth AC, Davies TJ, Cressler CE. Identifying co-phylogenetic hotspots for zoonotic disease. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200363. [PMID: 34538148 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of zoonotic diseases is increasing worldwide, which makes identifying parasites likely to become zoonotic and hosts likely to harbour zoonotic parasites a critical concern. Prior work indicates that there is a higher risk of zoonotic spillover accruing from closely related hosts and from hosts that are infected with a high phylogenetic diversity of parasites. This suggests that host and parasite evolutionary history may be important drivers of spillover, but identifying whether host-parasite associations are more strongly structured by the host, parasite or both requires co-phylogenetic analyses that combine host-parasite association data with host and parasite phylogenies. Here, we use host-parasite datasets containing associations between helminth taxa and free-range mammals in combination with phylogenetic models to explore whether host, parasite, or both host and parasite evolutionary history influences host-parasite associations. We find that host phylogenetic history is most important for driving patterns of helminth-mammal association, indicating that zoonoses are most likely to come from a host's close relatives. More broadly, our results suggest that co-phylogenetic analyses across broad taxonomic scales can provide a novel perspective for surveying potential emerging infectious diseases. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity and dynamics across the globe'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - T Jonathan Davies
- Departments of Botany, Forest, and Conservation Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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21
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Theodosopoulos AN, Grabenstein KC, Bensch S, Taylor SA. A highly invasive malaria parasite has expanded its range to non-migratory birds in North America. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210271. [PMID: 34493062 PMCID: PMC8424330 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasite range expansions are a direct consequence of globalization and are an increasing threat to biodiversity. Here, we report a recent range expansion of the SGS1 strain of a highly invasive parasite, Plasmodium relictum, to two non-migratory passerines in North America. Plasmodium relictum is considered one of the world's most invasive parasites and causes the disease avian malaria: this is the first reported case of SGS1 in wild non-migratory birds on the continent. Using a long-term database where researchers report avian malaria parasite infections, we summarized our current understanding of the geographical range of SGS1 and its known hosts. We also identified the most likely geographical region of this introduction event using the MSP1 allele. We hypothesize that this introduction resulted from movements of captive birds and subsequent spillover to native bird populations, via the presence of competent vectors and ecological fitting. Further work should be conducted to determine the extent to which SGS1 has spread following its introduction in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn C. Grabenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, MEEL, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Scott A. Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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22
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First records of prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidia in snipe species (genus Gallinago) of Japan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2021; 16:5-17. [PMID: 34377664 PMCID: PMC8326977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Migratory birds are important carriers of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Avian haemosporidia have been detected from many wild birds of Japan, but the infection status of migratory birds and transmission area are still largely unknown. Gallinago snipes are long-distance migratory shorebirds, and five species migrate to or through Japan, including Latham's snipe which is near threatened. Haemosporidian parasites in four snipe species were investigated to understand the role of migratory birds in the transmission of avian haemosporidia. Namely, this study aimed: i) to investigate differences in parasite prevalence and related factors explaining infection likelihood among these migratory species, ii) to explore the diversity in haemosporidian lineages and possible transmission areas, and iii) to assess the possibility of morphological effects of infection. Blood samples were collected from snipes caught in central and southwest Japan during migration. Parasites cytb gene DNA were detected via PCR-based testing, and detected lineages were phylogenetically analyzed. Additionally, factors related to prevalence and morphological effects of infection were statistically tested. 383 birds from four Gallinago snipe species were caught, showing higher overall prevalence of avian haemosporidia (17.8 %) than reported in other wader species in previous studies. This high infection rate is presumably due to increased contact with vector insects, resultant of environmental preferences. The prevalence of Plasmodium spp. Was higher in Swinhoe's snipes, while Haemoproteus spp. Was higher in Latham's snipes. These differences are thought to be related to ecological factors including habitat use, distribution and migratory route. Six lineages detected from juveniles indicate transmission between the breeding and sampling area. Contrary to expectations, a direct link between morphological features and haemosporidian parasite infection were not detected. These findings provide valuable information for conservation of this endangered migratory bird group. Further studies linking biological and parasitological research are anticipated to contribute to conservational actions.
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23
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Rodrigues RA, Felix GMF, Pichorim M, Moreira PA, Braga EM. Host migration and environmental temperature influence avian haemosporidians prevalence: a molecular survey in a Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11555. [PMID: 34221715 PMCID: PMC8231341 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian haemosporidians are parasites with great capacity to spread to new environments and new hosts, being considered a good model to host-parasite interactions studies. Here, we examine avian haemosporidian parasites in a protected area covered by Restinga vegetation in northeastern Brazil, to test the hypothesis that haemosporidian prevalence is related to individual-level traits (age and breeding season), species-specific traits (diet, foraging strata, period of activity, species body weight, migratory status, and nest shape), and climate factors (temperature and rainfall). We screened DNA from 1,466 birds of 70 species captured monthly from April 2013 to March 2015. We detected an overall prevalence (Plasmodium/Haemoproteus infection) of 22% (44 host species) and parasite’s lineages were identified by mitochondrial cyt b gene. Our results showed that migration can be an important factor predicting the prevalence of Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus), but not Plasmodium, in hosts. Besides, the temperature, but not rainfall, seems to predict the prevalence of Plasmodium in this bird community. Neither individual-level traits analyzed nor the other species-specific traits tested were related to the probability of a bird becoming infected by haemosporidians. Our results point the importance of conducting local studies in particular environments to understand the degree of generality of factors impacting parasite prevalence in bird communities. Despite our attempts to find patterns of infection in this bird community, we should be aware that an avian haemosporidian community organization is highly complex and this complexity can be attributed to an intricate net of factors, some of which were not observed in this study and should be evaluated in future studies. We evidence the importance of looking to host-parasite relationships in a more close scale, to assure that some effects may not be obfuscated by differences in host life-history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel A Rodrigues
- Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Mauro Pichorim
- Botany and Zoology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande no Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Patricia A Moreira
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Environment, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Erika M Braga
- Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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24
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Roth AM, Keiser CN, Williams JB, Gee JM. Prevalence and intensity of avian malaria in a quail hybrid zone. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8123-8135. [PMID: 34188875 PMCID: PMC8216944 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hybrid zones have been described as natural laboratories by researchers who study speciation and the various mechanisms that may affect gene flow. The evolutionary consequences of hybridization depend not only on reproductive compatibility between sympatric species, but also on factors like vulnerability to each other's predators and parasites. We examined infection patterns of the blood parasite Haemoproteus lophortyx, a causative agent of avian malaria, at a site in the contact zone between California quail (Callipepla californica) and Gambel's quail (C. gambelii). Controlling for the potential influence of sex and year, we tested whether species identity predicted infection status and intensity. We found that infection prevalence was lower in California and hybrid quail compared with Gambel's quail. However, infected California and hybrid quail had higher infection intensities than Gambel's quail. California and hybrid quail exhibited no significant differences in prevalence or intensity of infection. These findings suggest that infection by H. lophortyx has the potential to influence species barrier dynamics in this system; however, more work is necessary to determine the exact evolutionary consequences of this blood parasite on hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carl N. Keiser
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Judson B. Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Present address:
Department of SurgeryDuke UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Jennifer M. Gee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
- Present address:
James San Jacinto Mountains ReserveUniversity of California – RiversideUniversity of California Natural Reserve SystemIdyllwildCAUSA
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Doussang D, Sallaberry-Pincheira N, Cabanne GS, Lijtmaer DA, González-Acuña D, Vianna JA. Specialist versus generalist parasites: the interactions between host diversity, environment and geographic barriers in avian malaria. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:899-911. [PMID: 34044005 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The specialist versus generalist strategies of hemoparasites in relation to their avian host, as well as environmental factors, can influence their prevalence, diversity and distribution. In this paper we investigated the influence of avian host species, as well as the environmental and geographical factors, on the strategies of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium hemoparasites. We determined prevalence and diversity by targeting their cytochrome b (Cytb) in a total of 2,590 passerine samples from 138 localities of Central and South America, and analysed biogeographic patterns and host-parasite relationships. We found a total prevalence of 23.2%. Haemoproteus presented a higher prevalence (15.3%) than Plasmodium (4.3%), as well as a higher diversity and host specificity. We determined that Plasmodium and Haemoproteus prevalences correlated positively with host diversity (Shannon index) and were significantly influenced by bird diversity, demonstrating a possible "amplification effect". We found an effect of locality and the avian family for prevalences of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium. These results suggest that Haemoproteus is more specialist than Plasmodium and could be mostly influenced by its avian host and the Andes Mountains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Doussang
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile; Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Chile
| | | | - Gustavo S Cabanne
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Darío A Lijtmaer
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniel González-Acuña
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
| | - Juliana A Vianna
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Código Postal, 6904411, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile.
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Montoya V, McLaughlin A, Mordecai GJ, Miller RL, Joy JB. Variable routes to genomic and host adaptation among coronaviruses. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:924-936. [PMID: 33751699 PMCID: PMC8242483 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection operating on the genomes of viral pathogens in different host species strongly contributes to adaptation facilitating host colonization. Here, we analyse, quantify and compare viral adaptation in genomic sequence data derived from seven zoonotic events in the Coronaviridae family among primary, intermediate and human hosts. Rates of nonsynonymous (dN) and synonymous (dS) changes on specific amino acid positions were quantified for each open reading frame (ORF). Purifying selection accounted for 77% of all sites under selection. Diversifying selection was most frequently observed in viruses infecting the primary hosts of each virus and predominantly occurred in the orf1ab genomic region. Within all four intermediate hosts, diversifying selection on the spike gene was observed either solitarily or in combination with orf1ab and other genes. Consistent with previous evidence, pervasive diversifying selection on coronavirus spike genes corroborates the role this protein plays in host cellular entry, adaptation to new hosts and evasion of host cellular immune responses. Structural modelling of spike proteins identified a significantly higher proportion of sites for SARS‐CoV‐2 under positive selection in close proximity to sites of glycosylation relative to the other coronaviruses. Among human coronaviruses, there was a significant inverse correlation between the number of sites under positive selection and the estimated years since the virus was introduced into the human population. Abundant diversifying selection observed in SARS‐CoV‐2 suggests the virus remains in the adaptive phase of the host switch, typical of recent host switches. A mechanistic understanding of where, when and how genomic adaptation occurs in coronaviruses following a host shift is crucial for vaccine design, public health responses and predicting future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Montoya
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Angela McLaughlin
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Bioinformatics Programme, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Gideon J Mordecai
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rachel L Miller
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Bioinformatics Programme, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jeffrey B Joy
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Bioinformatics Programme, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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BLOOD PARASITE INFECTIONS IN STRIGIFORMES AND PSITTACIFORMES SPECIES IN CAPTIVITY WITH A NEW RECORD OF POTENTIAL FATAL BLOOD PARASITE TRANSMISSION TO PARROTS. J Zoo Wildl Med 2021; 51:799-813. [PMID: 33480560 DOI: 10.1638/2019-0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although parrot species are infrequently infected by hemoparasites in the wild, some fatal infections have been reported in captive individuals. Conversely birds of prey are frequently infected by hemoparasites. In this study, 193 captive birds from Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) centers in Madrid, Spain, belonging to orders Psittaciformes, Accipitriformes, Strigiformes, and Falconiformes, were blood-sampled in search of parasite infections. Molecular and microscopic analyses were conducted to detect parasites of the following genera: Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, Trypanosoma, Babesia, and Lankesterella. Infections by microfilariae and Coccidia were also searched in blood samples. Surprisingly, infections by Haemoproteus syrnii, a common parasite from owls, were detected in the cadavers of two species of parrots, Trichoglossus haematodus and Psittacula cyanocephala. The same haplotype was also detected in the cadavers of two owl species, Tyto alba and Strix rufipes. All these birds were housed and died in the same center. Infections by species of Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Trypanosoma were also found in different species of raptors. Nocturnal raptors (Strigiformes) show significantly higher prevalence of infection by blood parasites than diurnal raptors (Falconiformes and Accipitriformes). In conclusion, a potential fatal transmission of Haemoproteus syrnii, from Strigiformes to Psittaciformes species, is reported and several infections by different blood parasites were detected in birds of prey. These results emphasize the importance of increasing prevention measures to avoid or reduce the transmission of blood parasites among birds from different species housed in these types of centers.
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Prevalence and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in wild bird species of the order Columbiformes. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:1405-1420. [PMID: 33521839 PMCID: PMC7940316 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07053-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Diseases can play a role in species decline. Among them, haemosporidian parasites, vector-transmitted protozoan parasites, are known to constitute a risk for different avian species. However, the magnitude of haemosporidian infection in wild columbiform birds, including strongly decreasing European turtle doves, is largely unknown. We examined the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and subgenera Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus in six species of the order Columbiformes during breeding season and migration by applying nested PCR, one-step multiplex PCR assay and microscopy. We detected infections in 109 of the 259 screened individuals (42%), including 15 distinct haemosporidian mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages, representing five H. (Haemoproteus), two H. (Parahaemoproteus), five Leucocytozoon and three Plasmodium lineages. Five of these lineages have never been described before. We discriminated between single and mixed infections and determined host species-specific prevalence for each parasite genus. Observed differences among sampled host species are discussed with reference to behavioural characteristics, including nesting and migration strategy. Our results support previous suggestions that migratory birds have a higher prevalence and diversity of blood parasites than resident or short-distance migratory species. A phylogenetic reconstruction provided evidence for H. (Haemoproteus) as well as H. (Parahaemoproteus) infections in columbiform birds. Based on microscopic examination, we quantified parasitemia, indicating the probability of negative effects on the host. This study provides a large-scale baseline description of haemosporidian infections of wild birds belonging to the order Columbiformes sampled in the northern hemisphere. The results enable the monitoring of future changes in parasite transmission areas, distribution and diversity associated with global change, posing a potential risk for declining avian species as the European turtle dove.
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Anjos CC, Chagas CRF, Fecchio A, Schunck F, Costa-Nascimento MJ, Monteiro EF, Mathias BS, Bell JA, Guimarães LO, Comiche KJM, Valkiūnas G, Kirchgatter K. Avian Malaria and Related Parasites from Resident and Migratory Birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with Description of a New Haemoproteus Species. Pathogens 2021; 10:103. [PMID: 33494428 PMCID: PMC7912314 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the prevalence and local transmission dynamics of parasitic organisms are necessary to understand the ability of parasites to persist in host populations and disperse across regions, yet local transmission dynamics, diversity, and distribution of haemosporidian parasites remain poorly understood. We studied the prevalence, diversity, and distributions of avian haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon among resident and migratory birds in Serra do Mar, Brazil. Using 399 blood samples from 66 Atlantic Forest bird species, we determined the prevalence and molecular diversity of these pathogens across avian host species and described a new species of Haemoproteus. Our molecular and morphological study also revealed that migratory species were infected more than residents. However, vector infective stages (gametocytes) of Leucocytozoon spp., the most prevalent parasites found in the most abundant migrating host species in Serra do Mar (Elaenia albiceps), were not seen in blood films of local birds suggesting that this long-distance Austral migrant can disperse Leucocytozoon parasite lineages from Patagonia to the Atlantic Forest, but lineage sharing among resident species and local transmission cannot occur in this part of Brazil. Our study demonstrates that migratory species may harbor a higher diversity and prevalence of parasites than resident species, but transportation of some parasites by migratory hosts may not always affect local transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina C. Anjos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
| | | | - Alan Fecchio
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá 78060-900, Brazil;
| | - Fabio Schunck
- Comitê Brasileiro de Registros Ornitológicos—CBRO, São Paulo 04785-040, SP, Brazil;
| | - Maria J. Costa-Nascimento
- Núcleo de Estudos em Malária, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil;
| | - Eliana F. Monteiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
| | - Bruno S. Mathias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
| | - Jeffrey A. Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA;
| | - Lilian O. Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo 01027-000, SP, Brazil;
| | - Kiba J. M. Comiche
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
| | | | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo 01027-000, SP, Brazil;
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Najer T, Papousek I, Sychra O, Sweet AD, Johnson KP. Combining Nuclear and Mitochondrial Loci Provides Phylogenetic Information in the Philopterus Complex of Lice (Psocodea: Ischnocera: Philopteridae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:252-260. [PMID: 32829404 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Philopterus Complex includes several lineages of lice that occur on birds. The complex includes the genera Philopterus (Nitzsch, 1818; Psocodea: Philopteridae), Philopteroides (Mey, 2004; Psocodea: Philopteridae), and many other lineages that have sometimes been regarded as separate genera. Only a few studies have investigated the phylogeny of this complex, all of which are based on morphological data. Here we evaluate the utility of nuclear and mitochondrial loci for recovering the phylogeny within this group. We obtained phylogenetic trees from 39 samples of the Philopterus Complex (Psocodea: Philopteridae), using sequences of two nuclear (hyp and TMEDE6) and one mitochondrial (COI) marker. We evaluated trees derived from these genes individually as well as from concatenated sequences. All trees show 20 clearly demarcated taxa (i.e., putative species) divided into five well-supported clades. Percent sequence divergence between putative species (~5-30%) for the COI gene tended to be much higher than those for the nuclear genes (~1-15%), as expected. In cases where species are described, the lineages identified based on molecular divergence correspond to morphologically defined species. In some cases, species that are host generalists exhibit additional underlying genetic variation and such cases need to be explored by further future taxonomic revisions of the Philopterus Complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Najer
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ivo Papousek
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackeho, Brno, Czechia
| | - Oldrich Sychra
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackeho, Brno, Czechia
| | - Andrew D Sweet
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | - Kevin P Johnson
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
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Morel AP, Webster A, Prusch F, Anicet M, Marsicano G, Trainini G, Stocker J, Giani D, Bandarra PM, da Rocha MIS, Zitelli LC, Umeno KA, Souza UA, Dall'Agnol B, Reck J. Molecular detection and phylogenetic relationship of Haemosporida parasites in free-ranging wild raptors from Brazil. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2020; 23:100521. [PMID: 33678376 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2020.100521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The order Haemosporida is widely distributed parasitizing members of the Aves class. In birds of prey, infection with Plasmodium spp. parasites varies from an apathogenic form to a clinical syndrome. However, studies on Haemosporida in raptors from the neotropical region are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate natural infection by Plasmodium spp., Haemoproteus spp. and Leucocytozoon spp. in free-ranging wild raptors from southern Brazil. For this, we sampled 206 individuals of 21 species: 94 live-trapped Southern Caracaras (Caracara plancus) and 112 raptors from other species that were brought to rehabilitation centers. The presence of infection was investigated using a nested-PCR for Haemosporida performed on blood samples. Overall, 56 out of 206 birds were positive for Plasmodium spp./Haemoproteus spp. Twenty-two percent (21/94) of the C. plancus samples were positive. Of the 112 wild raptors rescued, 31% (35/112) of those belonging to 15 other species tested positive. No sample was positive for Leucocytozoon spp. Herein, we demonstrated nine lineages of Haemosporidian parasites (eight Plasmodium sp. and one Haemoproteus sp.) in free-living species of Brazilian birds of prey, being six of them potential novel lineages. It suggests that information currently available on South-American haemosporidian from these birds greatly underestimate the potential lineage diversity in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Morel
- Centro de Pequisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000 Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Anelise Webster
- Centro de Pequisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000 Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Fabiane Prusch
- Clinica Veterinária Toca dos Bichos, Marechal José Inácio da Silva, 404 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Marina Anicet
- Clinica Veterinária Toca dos Bichos, Marechal José Inácio da Silva, 404 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Gleide Marsicano
- Clinica Veterinária Toca dos Bichos, Marechal José Inácio da Silva, 404 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Trainini
- Hayabusa Consultoria Ambiental, Estrada da Carapina, 1001 São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Julian Stocker
- Hayabusa Consultoria Ambiental, Estrada da Carapina, 1001 São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Denise Giani
- Hayabusa Consultoria Ambiental, Estrada da Carapina, 1001 São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Paulo Mota Bandarra
- Núcleo de Rabilitação de Fauna Silvestre-NURFS, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPEL), Campus Universitário, Capão do Leão, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Larissa Caló Zitelli
- Centro de Pequisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000 Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Karen Akemi Umeno
- Centro de Pequisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000 Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ugo Araújo Souza
- Centro de Pequisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000 Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Bruno Dall'Agnol
- Centro de Pequisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000 Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - José Reck
- Centro de Pequisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Estrada do Conde, 6000 Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
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Gutiérrez-López R, Bourret V, Loiseau C. Is Host Selection by Mosquitoes Driving Vector Specificity of Parasites? A Review on the Avian Malaria Model. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.569230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Harl J, Himmel T, Valkiūnas G, Ilgūnas M, Bakonyi T, Weissenböck H. Geographic and host distribution of haemosporidian parasite lineages from birds of the family Turdidae. Malar J 2020; 19:335. [PMID: 32933526 PMCID: PMC7491118 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03408-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Haemosporidians (Apicomplexa, Protista) are obligate heteroxenous parasites of vertebrates and blood-sucking dipteran insects. Avian haemosporidians comprise more than 250 species traditionally classified into four genera, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Fallisia. However, analyses of the mitochondrial CytB gene revealed a vast variety of lineages not yet linked to morphospecies. This study aimed to analyse and discuss the data of haemosporidian lineages isolated from birds of the family Turdidae, to visualise host and geographic distribution using DNA haplotype networks and to suggest directions for taxonomy research on parasite species. Methods Haemosporidian CytB sequence data from 350 thrushes were analysed for the present study and complemented with CytB data of avian haemosporidians gathered from Genbank and MalAvi database. Maximum Likelihood trees were calculated to identify clades featuring lineages isolated from Turdidae species. For each clade, DNA haplotype networks were calculated and provided with information on host and geographic distribution. Results In species of the Turdidae, this study identified 82 Plasmodium, 37 Haemoproteus, and 119 Leucocytozoon lineages, 68, 28, and 112 of which are mainly found in this host group. Most of these lineages cluster in the clades, which are shown as DNA haplotype networks. The lineages of the Leucocytozoon clades were almost exclusively isolated from thrushes and usually were restricted to one host genus, whereas the Plasmodium and Haemoproteus networks featured multiple lineages also recovered from other passeriform and non-passeriform birds. Conclusion This study represents the first attempt to summarise information on the haemosporidian parasite lineages of a whole bird family. The analyses allowed the identification of numerous groups of related lineages, which have not been linked to morphologically defined species yet, and they revealed several cases in which CytB lineages were probably assigned to the wrong morphospecies. These taxonomic issues are addressed by comparing distributional patterns of the CytB lineages with data from the original species descriptions and further literature. The authors also discuss the availability of sequence data and emphasise that MalAvi database should be considered an extremely valuable addition to GenBank, but not a replacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Harl
- Institute of Pathology, Department for Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Tanja Himmel
- Institute of Pathology, Department for Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Mikas Ilgūnas
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Támas Bakonyi
- Institute of Virology, Department for Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Weissenböck
- Institute of Pathology, Department for Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
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Giorgiadis M, Guillot J, Duval L, Landau I, Quintard B. Haemosporidian parasites from captive Strigiformes in France. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:2975-2981. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06801-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Bell JA, González-Acuña D, Tkach VV. Haemosporidian Parasites of Chilean Ducks: The Importance of Biogeography and Nonpasserine Hosts. J Parasitol 2020; 106:211-220. [PMID: 32164026 DOI: 10.1645/19-130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biogeography is known to have shaped the diversity and evolutionary history of avian haemosporidian parasites across the Neotropics. However, a paucity of information exists for the temperate Neotropics and especially from nonpasserine hosts. To understand the effect of biogeography in the temperate Neotropics on haemosporidians of nonpasserine hosts we screened ducks (Anseriformes) from central Chile for the presence of these parasites. Forty-two individuals of 4 duck species (Anas flavirostris, Anas georgica, Mareca sibilatrix, Spatula cyanoptera cyanoptera) were collected and assessed for haemosporidian parasite infections by real-time polymerase chain reaction screening and subsequent sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Haemoproteus (subgenus Haemoproteus) and Plasmodium were detected in 2 host species, A. georgica and S. c. cyanoptera, with no Leucocytozoon found. Overall haemosporidian prevalence was low (14.2%), with the prevalence of Plasmodium (11.9%) being substantially greater than that of Haemoproteus (4.8%). Six haemosporidian cytochrome b lineages were recovered, 2 Haemoproteus and 4 Plasmodium, with all 6 lineages identified for the first time. In phylogenetic reconstruction, the Chilean Plasmodium lineages were more closely related to South American lineages from passerine birds than to known lineages from anseriforms. The subgenus Haemoproteus known from nonpasseriformes has never been identified from any anseriform host; however, we recovered 2 lineages from this subgenus, one from each A. georgica and S. c. cyanoptera. Further work is needed to determine if this presents true parasitism in ducks or only a spillover infection. The results of phylogenetic reconstruction demonstrate a unique evolutionary history of these Chilean parasites, differing from what is known for this host group. The unique geography of Chile, with a large part of the country being relatively isolated by the Atacama Desert in the north and the Andes in the east and south, would present opportunities for parasite diversification. Further work is needed to investigate how strongly the biogeographical isolation has shaped the haemosporidian parasites of this area. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that nonpasserine hosts support unique lineages of haemosporidian parasites, while also demonstrating the role of biogeography in haemosporidian parasite diversity in the temperate Neotropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street STOP 9019, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202
| | - Daniel González-Acuña
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Box 10 537, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - Vasyl V Tkach
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street STOP 9019, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202
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Huang X, Jönsson J, Bensch S. Persistence of avian haemosporidians in the wild: a case study to illustrate seasonal infection patterns in relation to host life stages. Int J Parasitol 2020; 50:611-619. [PMID: 32598873 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Infection patterns of avian haemosporidians result from the evolution of their associations with hosts, and can be shaped by multiple biotic factors. However, at the level of parasite species, few studies have investigated the details of the temporal dynamics of infection patterns in wild bird communities. We hereby studied a wild bird community in southern Sweden to investigate two generalist parasites (cyt b lineages PARUS1 and WW2) of the morphological species Haemoproteus majoris in their main host species (tits and warblers, respectively) to look for seasonal (spring to autumn) and age class related variation in infection patterns. For both lineages, we detected a similar temporal pattern in prevalence and infection intensity, with peak levels during the main nesting season in adults and a few weeks later in juveniles. Infections in juveniles were detected as soon as they started to be caught by mist nets, implying that they became infected when still in the nest or during the first weeks post-fledging. The initially high intensities in juveniles were followed by a significant decrease during the hatching year, emphasising the importance of studying haemosporidian infections in nestlings and fledglings. Both prevalence and infection intensity in adults increased from spring to early summer, either due to spring relapses or new infections. Both prevalence and infection intensity declined in adults at the time when independent juveniles of the respective species started to appear, suggesting that the rate of parasite withdrawal from blood exceeded the rates of new infections gained and relapses of previous infections. Prevalence in both juveniles and adults approached zero towards the end of the summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai St. 19, 100875 Beijing, China; Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Jane Jönsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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Inumaru M, Aratani S, Shimizu M, Yamamoto M, Sato Y, Murata K, Valkiūnas G. Penguins are competent hosts of Haemoproteus parasites: the first detection of gametocytes, with molecular characterization of Haemoproteus larae. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:307. [PMID: 32532316 PMCID: PMC7291633 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04176-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The majority of penguins (Sphenisciformes) have evolved in areas with weak or absent transmission of haemosporidian parasites and are usually naïve to avian haemosporidian infections. Plasmodium parasites are transmitted by mosquitoes, and lethal avian malaria has been often reported in captive penguins in many countries. The related haemosporidian parasites belonging to Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon have also been detected in penguins but less often than Plasmodium infections. The majority of Haemoproteus infection reports in penguins are based solely on PCR-based diagnostics. It remains unclear if haemoproteids can complete their life-cycle and produce infective stages (gametocytes) in penguins or whether these infections are abortive in penguins, and thus dead ends for transmission. In other words, it remains unknown if penguins are competent hosts for Haemoproteus parasites, which cause disease in non-adapted birds. Methods Two captive African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and two Magellanic penguins (S. magellanicus) were found to be positive for Haemoproteus infection in two open-air aquariums in Japan, and the parasites were investigated using both PCR-based testing and microscopical examination of blood films. Samples from a black-tailed gull (Larus crassirostris) and previously tested gulls were used for comparison. Results The lineage hSPMAG12 was detected, and gametocytes of Haemoproteus sp. were seen in the examined penguins and gull. Observed gametocytes were indistinguishable from those of Haemoproteus larae, which naturally parasitize birds of the genus Larus (Laridae). The detected sequence information and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis supported this conclusion. Additionally, morphologically similar gametocytes and closely related DNA sequences were also found in other gull species in Japan. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial cytb sequences placed the lineage hSPMAG12 of H. larae within the clade of avian haemoproteids which belong to the subgenus Parahaemoproteus, indicating that Culicoides biting midges likely transmit the parasites between penguins and gulls. Conclusions This study shows that some species of Haemoproteus parasites complete their development and produce gametocytes in penguins, which may be source of infection for biting midges transmitting haemoproteosis. To prevent haemosporidiosis in zoos, we call for control not only of mosquitoes, but also biting midges.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizue Inumaru
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Shiori Aratani
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Misa Shimizu
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Mineka Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Yukita Sato
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan.
| | - Koichi Murata
- Laboratory of Wildlife Science, Department of Animal Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan
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Bodawatta KH, Synek P, Bos N, Garcia-Del-Rey E, Koane B, Marki PZ, Albrecht T, Lifjeld J, Poulsen M, Munclinger P, Sam K, Jønsson KA. Spatiotemporal patterns of avian host-parasite interactions in the face of biogeographical range expansions. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2431-2448. [PMID: 32470165 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Exploration of interactions between hosts and parasitic symbionts is important for our understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of organisms. For example, host colonization of new geographical regions may alter levels of infections and parasite specificity, and even allow hosts to escape from co-evolved parasites, consequently shaping spatial distributions and community structure of both host and parasite. Here we investigate the effect of host colonization of new regions and the elevational distribution of host-parasite associations between birds and their vector-transmitted haemosporidian blood parasites in two geological and geographical settings: mountains of New Guinea and the Canary Islands. Our results demonstrate that bird communities in younger regions have significantly lower levels of parasitism compared to those of older regions. Furthermore, host-parasite network analyses demonstrate that blood parasites may respond differently after arriving to a new region, through adaptations that allow for either expanding (Canary Islands) or retaining (New Guinea) their host niches. The spatial prevalence patterns along elevational gradients differed in the two regions, suggesting that region-specific biotic (e.g., host community) and abiotic factors (e.g., temperature) govern prevalence patterns. Our findings suggest that the spatiotemporal range dynamics in host-parasite systems are driven by multiple factors, but that host and parasite community compositions and colonization histories are of particular importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasun H Bodawatta
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Petr Synek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nick Bos
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eduardo Garcia-Del-Rey
- Macaronesian Institute of Field Ornithology, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Bonny Koane
- The New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Petter Z Marki
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Lifjeld
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael Poulsen
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pavel Munclinger
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Sam
- Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Knud A Jønsson
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Greenwold MJ, Cunningham BR, Lachenmyer EM, Pullman JM, Richardson TL, Dudycha JL. Diversification of light capture ability was accompanied by the evolution of phycobiliproteins in cryptophyte algae. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20190655. [PMID: 31088271 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary biologists have long sought to identify phenotypic traits whose evolution enhances an organism's performance in its environment. Diversification of traits related to resource acquisition can occur owing to spatial or temporal resource heterogeneity. We examined the ability to capture light in the Cryptophyta, a phylum of single-celled eukaryotic algae with diverse photosynthetic pigments, to better understand how acquisition of an abiotic resource may be associated with diversification. Cryptophytes originated through secondary endosymbiosis between an unknown eukaryotic host and a red algal symbiont. This merger resulted in distinctive pigment-protein complexes, the cryptophyte phycobiliproteins, which are the products of genes from both ancestors. These novel complexes may have facilitated diversification across environments where the spectrum of light available for photosynthesis varies widely. We measured light capture and pigments under controlled conditions in a phenotypically and phylogenetically diverse collection of cryptophytes. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we found that phycobiliprotein characteristics were evolutionarily associated with diversification of light capture in cryptophytes, while non-phycobiliprotein pigments were not. Furthermore, phycobiliproteins were evolutionarily labile with repeated transitions and reversals. Thus, the endosymbiotic origin of cryptophyte phycobiliproteins provided an evolutionary spark that drove diversification of light capture, the resource that is the foundation of photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Greenwold
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - Brady R Cunningham
- 2 School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - Eric M Lachenmyer
- 2 School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - John Michael Pullman
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - Tammi L Richardson
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA.,2 School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
| | - Jeffry L Dudycha
- 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina , Columbia, SC 29208 , USA
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40
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Dynamics of prevalence and distribution pattern of avian Plasmodium species and its vectors in diverse zoogeographical areas - A review. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 81:104244. [PMID: 32087345 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Avian Plasmodium is of special interest to health care scientists and veterinarians due to the potency of causing avian malaria in non-adapted birds and their evolutionary phylogenetic relationship with human malaria species. This article aimed to provide a comprehensive list of the common avian Plasmodium parasites in the birds and mosquitoes, to specify the common Plasmodium species and lineages in the selected regions of West of Asia, East of Europe, and North of Africa/Middle East, and to determine the contribution of generalist and host-specific Plasmodium species and lineages. The final list of published infected birds includes 146 species, among which Passer domesticus was the most prevalent in the studied areas. The species of Acrocephalus arundinaceus and Sylvia atricapilla were reported as common infected hosts in the examined regions of three continents. The highest numbers of common species of infected birds between continent pairs were from Asia and Europe, and no common record was found from Europe and Africa. The species of Milvus migrans and Upupa epops were recorded as common species from Asia and Africa. The lineage of GRW11 and species of P. relictum were the most prevalent parasites among all the infection records in birds. The most prevalent genus of vectors of avian malaria belonged to Culex and species of Cx. pipiens. The lineage SGS1 with the highest number of occurrence has been found in various vectors comprising Cx. pipiens, Cx. modestus, Cx. theileri, Cx. sasai, Cx. perexiguus, Lutzia vorax, and Culicoides alazanicus. A total of 31 Plasmodium species and 59 Plasmodium lineages were recorded from these regions. SGS1, GRW04, and GRW11, and P. relictum and P. vaughani are specified as common generalist avian malaria parasites from these three geographic areas. The presence of avian Plasmodium parasites in distant geographic areas and various hosts may be explained by the movement of the infected birds through the migration routes. Although most recorded lineages were from Asia, investigating the distribution of lineages in some of the countries has not been done. Thus, the most important outcome of this review is the determination of the distribution pattern of parasite and vector species that shed light on gaps requiring further studies on the monitoring of avian Plasmodium and common vectors extension. This task could be achieved through scientific field and laboratory networking, performing active surveillance and designing regional/continental control programs of birds' malaria and other zoonotic diseases.
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Host dispersal and landscape conversion are associated with the composition of haemosporidian parasites of the golden-winged warbler. Parasitology 2019; 147:96-107. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182019001240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding factors that influence the spatial and temporal distributions of blood parasites is important to help predict how host species and their parasites may respond to global change. Factors that may influence parasite distributions are land cover and host dispersal patterns, which may result in exposure of a host to novel parasites, or escape from parasites of their origin. We screened golden-winged warblers from across the United States and Canada for blood parasites, and investigated whether land-use patterns or host dispersal affected the prevalence and composition of haemosporidian assemblages. Parasite prevalence varied strongly with study area, and areas with high agricultural cover had a significantly higher prevalence of Leucocytozoon and Parahaemoproteus parasites. Lineages of Parahaemoproteus and Leucocytozoon were genetically differentiated among study areas, and prevalence and composition of parasite assemblages indicated an increase in parasite prevalence and accumulation of unique parasite lineages from the southeast to the northwest. This matches the historical range expansion and natal dispersal patterns of golden-winged warblers, and suggests that golden-winged warblers may have been sensitive to novel parasites as they dispersed. The high prevalence and diversity of parasite lineages in the north-west extent of their breeding range (Manitoba) indicates that this population may face unique pressures.
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Groff TC, Lorenz TJ, Crespo R, Iezhova T, Valkiūnas G, Sehgal RNM. Haemoproteosis lethality in a woodpecker, with molecular and morphological characterization of Haemoproteus velans (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 10:93-100. [PMID: 31417845 PMCID: PMC6690637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A juvenile White-headed woodpecker (Dryobates albolarvatus) fitted with a radio tag was located dead at approximately 22-days post-fledging in Yakima county in central Washington in July 2015. Postmortem examination revealed an enlarged liver and spleen plus evidence of iron sequestration. Microscopic examination observed young gametocytes within the cytoplasm of erythrocytes, and exo-erythrocytic meronts within the cytoplasm of capillary endothelial cells, hepatocytes, and myocytes, and free in the tissues. These attributes implicated a haemosporidian infection that likely resulted in mortality. Subsequent sampling results of local woodpecker species in the same area during the breeding season in June-July 2016 and May-July 2017 showed other individuals infected with Haemoproteus parasites. Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), sequencing, and microscopic analyses for avian haemosporidians revealed infections with Haemoproteus velans (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae). This parasite was characterized molecularly and morphologically. This is the first report of a haemosporidian infection in a White-headed woodpecker anywhere in its range, and the first reported suspected mortality from haemoproteosis for a woodpecker (Piciformes, Picidae). The use of radio-tagged birds is an asset in wildlife haemosporidian studies because the effect of the pathogen can be monitored in real time. Additionally, this methodology provides opportunities to collect fresh material for microscopic and histological examination from wild birds that have died from natural causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tierra C Groff
- San Francisco State University, Biology Department, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94312, USA
| | - Teresa J Lorenz
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Ave SW, Olympia, WA, 98512, USA
| | - Rocio Crespo
- North Carolina State, College of Veterinary Medicine, 1060 William Moore Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA
| | - Tatjana Iezhova
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Gediminas Valkiūnas
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ravinder N M Sehgal
- San Francisco State University, Biology Department, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94312, USA
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Stephens PR, Altizer S, Ezenwa VO, Gittleman JL, Moan E, Han B, Huang S, Pappalardo P. Parasite sharing in wild ungulates and their predators: Effects of phylogeny, range overlap, and trophic links. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1017-1028. [PMID: 30921468 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding factors that facilitate interspecific pathogen transmission is a central issue for conservation, agriculture, and human health. Past work showed that host phylogenetic relatedness and geographical proximity can increase cross-species transmission, but further work is needed to examine the importance of host traits, and species interactions such as predation, in determining the degree to which parasites are shared between hosts. Here we consider the factors that predict patterns of parasite sharing across a diverse assemblage of 116 wild ungulates (i.e., hoofed mammals in the Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla) and nearly 900 species of micro- and macroparasites, controlling for differences in total parasite richness and host sampling effort. We also consider the effects of trophic links on parasite sharing between ungulates and carnivores. We tested for the relative influence of range overlap, phylogenetic distance, body mass, and ecological dissimilarity (i.e., the distance separating species in a Euclidean distance matrix based on standardized traits) on parasite sharing. We also tested for the effects of variation in study effort as a potential source of bias in our data, and tested whether carnivores reported to feed on ungulates have more ungulate parasites than those that use other resources. As in other groups, geographical range overlap and phylogenetic similarity predicted greater parasite community similarity in ungulates. Ecological dissimilarity showed a weak negative relationship with parasite sharing. Counter to our expectations, differences, not similarity, in host body mass predicted greater parasite sharing between pairs of ungulate hosts. Pairs of well-studied host species showed higher overlap than poorly studied species, although including sampling effort did not reduce the importance of biological traits in our models. Finally, carnivores that feed on ungulates harboured a greater richness of ungulate helminths. Overall, we show that the factors that predict parasite sharing in wild ungulates are similar to those known for other mammal groups, and demonstrate the importance of controlling for heterogeneity in host sampling effort in future analyses of parasite sharing. We also show that ecological interactions, in this case trophic links via predation, can allow sharing of some parasite species among distantly related host species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia Altizer
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Vanessa O Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | | | - Emili Moan
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Barbara Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - Shan Huang
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt (Main), Germany
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Murakami Y, Hayashi F. Molecular discrimination and phylogeographic patterns of clones of the parthenogenetic gecko
Lepidodactylus lugubris
in the Japanese Archipelago. POPUL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.1030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Murakami
- Department of BiologyTokyo Metropolitan University Tokyo Japan
| | - Fumio Hayashi
- Department of BiologyTokyo Metropolitan University Tokyo Japan
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45
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Schumm YR, Wecker C, Marek C, Wassmuth M, Bentele A, Willems H, Reiner G, Quillfeldt P. Blood parasites in Passeriformes in central Germany: prevalence and lineage diversity of Haemosporida ( Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon) in six common songbirds. PeerJ 2019; 6:e6259. [PMID: 30723612 PMCID: PMC6360073 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Avian Haemosporida are vector-borne parasites that commonly infect Passeriformes. Molecular analyses revealed a high number of different lineages and lineage specific traits like prevalence and host-specificity, but knowledge of parasite prevalence and lineage diversity in wild birds in Central Germany is still lacking. Results Blood samples from a total of 238 adult and 122 nestling songbirds belonging to six species were investigated for infections with avian haemosporidian genera and lineages (Haemoproteus spp., Plasmodium spp., Leucocytozoon spp.) and Trypanosoma avium using PCR, targeting the parasite mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and 18S ribosomal RNA. In total, the prevalence in adult birds was 31.3% infected with Haemoproteus, 12.5% with Plasmodium and 71.0% with Leucocytozoon (nestlings excluded). None of the tested birds was infected with Trypanosoma avium. Only in two nestling birds, aged 12–17 days, a Leucocytozoon spp. infection was proven. Among 225 successfully sequenced samples, we found four Haemoproteus, three Plasmodium and 19 Leucocytozoon lineages, including two new Leucocytozoon lineages. Furthermore, we report two new host-lineage associations. Conclusions As first study investigating avian haemosporidian parasites in Central Germany, we provide new information on genetic diversity of Haemosporida infecting Passeriformes. We show that even with a small sample size new lineages as well as previously unknown linkages between certain lineages and host species can be detected. This may help to elucidate the diversity of lineages as well as lineage-host-connections of avian Haemosporida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne R Schumm
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christine Wecker
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Carina Marek
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Mareike Wassmuth
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anna Bentele
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Hermann Willems
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gerald Reiner
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
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Park AW, Farrell MJ, Schmidt JP, Huang S, Dallas TA, Pappalardo P, Drake JM, Stephens PR, Poulin R, Nunn CL, Davies TJ. Characterizing the phylogenetic specialism-generalism spectrum of mammal parasites. Proc Biol Sci 2019. [PMID: 29514973 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The distribution of parasites across mammalian hosts is complex and represents a differential ability or opportunity to infect different host species. Here, we take a macroecological approach to investigate factors influencing why some parasites show a tendency to infect species widely distributed in the host phylogeny (phylogenetic generalism) while others infect only closely related hosts. Using a database on over 1400 parasite species that have been documented to infect up to 69 terrestrial mammal host species, we characterize the phylogenetic generalism of parasites using standard effect sizes for three metrics: mean pairwise phylogenetic distance (PD), maximum PD and phylogenetic aggregation. We identify a trend towards phylogenetic specialism, though statistically host relatedness is most often equivalent to that expected from a random sample of host species. Bacteria and arthropod parasites are typically the most generalist, viruses and helminths exhibit intermediate generalism, and protozoa are on average the most specialist. While viruses and helminths have similar mean pairwise PD on average, the viruses exhibit higher variation as a group. Close-contact transmission is the transmission mode most associated with specialism. Most parasites exhibiting phylogenetic aggregation (associating with discrete groups of species dispersed across the host phylogeny) are helminths and viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- A W Park
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA .,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - M J Farrell
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 0B1
| | - J P Schmidt
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - S Huang
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - T A Dallas
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - P Pappalardo
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - J M Drake
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - P R Stephens
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - R Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - C L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology and Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - T J Davies
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.,Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
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47
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Harvey JA, Voelker G. Host associations and climate influence avian haemosporidian distributions in Benin. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:27-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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48
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Ciloglu A, Ellis VA, Bernotienė R, Valkiūnas G, Bensch S. A new one-step multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection and identification of avian haemosporidian parasites. Parasitol Res 2018; 118:191-201. [PMID: 30536121 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6153-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Accurate detection and identification are essential components for epidemiological, ecological, and evolutionary surveys of avian haemosporidian parasites. Microscopy has been used for more than 100 years to detect and identify these parasites; however, this technique requires considerable training and high-level expertise. Several PCR methods with highly sensitive and specific detection capabilities have now been developed in addition to microscopic examination. However, recent studies have shown that these molecular protocols are insufficient at detecting mixed infections of different haemosporidian parasite species and genetic lineages. In this study, we developed a simple, sensitive, and specific multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection and discrimination of parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon in single and mixed infections. Relative quantification of parasite DNA using qPCR showed that the multiplex PCR can amplify parasite DNA ranging in concentration over several orders of magnitude. The detection specificity and sensitivity of this new multiplex PCR assay were also tested in two different laboratories using previously screened natural single and mixed infections. These findings show that the multiplex PCR designed here is highly effective at identifying both single and mixed infections from all three genera of avian haemosporidian parasites. We predict that this one-step multiplex PCR assay, being convenient and inexpensive, will become a widely used method for molecular screening of avian haemosporidian parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arif Ciloglu
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey. .,Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden. .,Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases Implementation and Research Center, Erciyes University, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey.
| | - Vincenzo A Ellis
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rasa Bernotienė
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Staffan Bensch
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
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49
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Toscani Field J, Weinberg J, Bensch S, Matta NE, Valkiūnas G, Sehgal RNM. Delineation of the Genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium Using RNA-Seq and Multi-gene Phylogenetics. J Mol Evol 2018; 86:646-654. [PMID: 30426144 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-018-9875-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Members of the order Haemosporida are protist parasites that infect mammals, reptiles and birds. This group includes the causal agents of malaria, Plasmodium parasites, the genera Leucocytozoon and Fallisia, as well as the species rich genus Haemoproteus with its two subgenera Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus. Some species of Haemoproteus cause severe disease in avian hosts, and these parasites display high levels of diversity worldwide. This diversity emphasizes the need for accurate evolutionary information. Most molecular studies of wildlife haemosporidians use a bar coding approach by sequencing a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. This method is efficient at differentiating parasite lineages but insufficient for accurate phylogenetic inferences in highly diverse taxa such as haemosporidians. Recent studies have utilized multiple mitochondrial genes (cyt b, cox1 and cox3), sometimes combined with a few apicoplast and nuclear genes. These studies have been highly successful with one notable exception: the evolutionary relationships of the genus Haemoproteus remain unresolved. Here we describe the transcriptome of Haemoproteus columbae and investigate its phylogenetic position recovered from a multi-gene dataset (600 genes). This genomic approach restricts the taxon sampling to 18 species of apicomplexan parasites. We employed Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods of phylogenetic analyses and found H. columbae and a representative from the subgenus Parahaemoproteus to be sister taxa. This result strengthens the hypothesis of genus Haemoproteus being monophyletic; however, resolving this question will require sequences of orthologs from, in particular, representatives of Leucocytozoon species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Toscani Field
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1700 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA.
| | - Josh Weinberg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1700 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Nubia E Matta
- Sede Bogotá, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigación Caracterización genética e inmunología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
| | | | - Ravinder N M Sehgal
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1700 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
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50
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Nourani L, Aliabadian M, Mirshamsi O, Dinparast Djadid N. Molecular detection and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in Iran. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206638. [PMID: 30412593 PMCID: PMC6226148 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The mobility of birds across or between continents exposes them to numerous vectors that have the potential to transmit pathogens and spread them into new regions. A combination of rich species diversity of birds along with the small amount of molecular studies in Iran makes observing the blood parasite distribution in wild avian populations indispensable for further estimation and administration of blood parasites. Methodology/Principal findings In order to evaluate the infection rate and molecular context of avian blood parasites, bird samples were collected (passerine = 316 and non-passerine = 14) in eight provinces of northern Iran between June to September 2015 and 2016. All bird samples were examined for haematoprotozoan infections by morphological screening using light microscope and mtDNA cytb gene amplification. A total of 115 birds were positive for blood parasites by molecular approach (34.84% overall infection). The infection rate of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon were 33.03%, 1.21%, and 0.6%, respectively. Sequences analysis has detected 43 lineages in Iranian birds’ hosts. Lineages were attributed to three genera Haemoproteus (n = 37), Plasmodium (n = 4), and Leucocytozoon (n = 2), of which 23 lineages fully matched previously recorded sequences in GenBank and MalAvi data reciprocities. Five lineages of ACDUM1, ACDUM2, PARUS1, PYERY01, and SISKIN1 were detected in multiple hosts’ species from dissimilar families. In Bayesian tree, all sequences were clustered in three main monophyletic clades as Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon genera. Conclusions/Significance As the first study outlining the molecular detection of hematozoa of passerines from Iran, the current study has recorded 20 new lineages for three genera of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon. Additional investigations into these taxa in the avifauna for the other parts of Iran may provide extra information on blood parasites, hosts relationships and distribution patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nourani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- * E-mail: (MA); (LN)
| | - Mansour Aliabadian
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Research Department of Zoological Innovations, Institute of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- * E-mail: (MA); (LN)
| | - Omid Mirshamsi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Research Department of Zoological Innovations, Institute of Applied Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Navid Dinparast Djadid
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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