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Apoorva, Singh SK. A tale of endurance: bats, viruses and immune dynamics. Future Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38648093 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2023-0233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of highly zoonotic viral infections has propelled bat research forward. The viral outbreaks including Hendra virus, Nipah virus, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, Rabies virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, SARS-CoV and the latest SARS-CoV-2 have been epidemiologically linked to various bat species. Bats possess unique immunological characteristics that allow them to serve as a potential viral reservoir. Bats are also known to protect themselves against viruses and maintain their immunity. Therefore, there is a need for in-depth understanding into bat-virus biology to unravel the major factors contributing to the coexistence and spread of viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apoorva
- Molecular Biology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Sunit Kumar Singh
- Molecular Biology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
- Dr. B R Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi (North Campus), New Delhi, 110007, India
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Perdrizet UG, Hill JE, Sobchishin L, Singh B, Fernando C, Bollinger TK, Misra V. Tissue and cellular tropism of Eptesicus fuscus gammaherpesvirus in big brown bats, potential role of pulmonary intravascular macrophages. Vet Pathol 2024:3009858241244849. [PMID: 38619093 DOI: 10.1177/03009858241244849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Gammaherpesviruses (γHVs) are recognized as important pathogens in humans but their relationship with other animal hosts, especially wildlife species, is less well characterized. Our objectives were to examine natural Eptesicus fuscus gammaherpesvirus (EfHV) infections in their host, the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), and determine whether infection is associated with disease. In tissue samples from 132 individual big brown bats, EfHV DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 41 bats. Tissues from 59 of these cases, including 17 from bats with detectable EfHV genomes, were analyzed. An EfHV isolate was obtained from one of the cases, and electron micrographs and whole genome sequencing were used to confirm that this was a unique isolate of EfHV. Although several bats exhibited various lesions, we did not establish EfHV infection as a cause. Latent infection, defined as RNAScope probe binding to viral latency-associated nuclear antigen in the absence of viral envelope glycoprotein probe binding, was found within cells of the lymphoid tissues. These cells also had colocalization of the B-cell probe targeting CD20 mRNA. Probe binding for both latency-associated nuclear antigen and a viral glycoprotein was observed in individual cells dispersed throughout the alveolar capillaries of the lung, which had characteristics of pulmonary intravascular macrophages. Cells with a similar distribution in bat lungs expressed major histocompatibility class II, a marker for antigen presenting cells, and the existence of pulmonary intravascular macrophages in bats was confirmed with transmission electron microscopy. The importance of this cell type in γHVs infections warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janet E Hill
- University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Baljit Singh
- University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | | | - Vikram Misra
- University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Kovalchuk LA, Mishchenko VA, Chernaya LV, Bolshakov VN. Blood Serum Amino Acid Pool of European Migratory Chiroptera Vespertilio murinus Linnaeus, 1758 and Pipistrellus nathusii Keyserling et Blasius, 1839 of the Ural Fauna. Dokl Biol Sci 2024:10.1134/S0012496624700960. [PMID: 38619736 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496624700960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The pool of free amino acids (AAs) in the blood serum was studied in two European migratory bat species, Vespertilio murinus and Pipistrellus nathusii, of the Urals. Bats from this year's bloods were examined, and significant differences were observed in main metabolic groups of free AAs, including glycogenic (GGAAs), nonessential (NEAAs), essential (EAAs), and sulfur-containing (SCAAs) AAs (p < 0.05). Based on the percent content of the metabolic groups in the total AA pool, GGAAs (79.7%) and EAAs (49.4%) were found to predominate in P. nathusii, and GGAAs (74.9%) and NEAAs (58.4%), in V. murinus. No difference in AAA and BCAA contents was observed between V. murinus and P. nathusii (p > 0.05). The migratory species were shown to significantly differ in the metabolic groups of serum AAs from the resident species Myotis dasycneme (p < 0.05).
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Kovalchuk
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
| | - V A Mishchenko
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
- Virom Federal Research Institute of Viral Infections, Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - L V Chernaya
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - V N Bolshakov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
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Whiting-Fawcett F, Blomberg AS, Troitsky T, Meierhofer MB, Field KA, Puechmaille SJ, Lilley TM. A Palearctic view of a bat fungal disease. Conserv Biol 2024:e14265. [PMID: 38616727 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The fungal infection causing white-nose disease in hibernating bats in North America has resulted in dramatic population declines of affected species, since the introduction of the causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The fungus is native to the Palearctic, where it also infects several bat species, yet rarely causes severe pathology or the death of the host. Pseudogymnoascus destructans infects bats during hibernation by invading and digesting the skin tissue, resulting in the disruption of torpor patterns and consequent emaciation. Relations among pathogen, host, and environment are complex, and individuals, populations, and species respond to the fungal pathogen in different ways. For example, the Nearctic Myotis lucifugus responds to infection by mounting a robust immune response, leading to immunopathology often contributing to mortality. In contrast, the Palearctic M. myotis shows no significant immunological response to infection. This lack of a strong response, resulting from the long coevolution between the hosts and the pathogen in the pathogen's native range, likely contributes to survival in tolerant species. After more than 15 years since the initial introduction of the fungus to North America, some of the affected populations are showing signs of recovery, suggesting that the fungus, hosts, or both are undergoing processes that may eventually lead to coexistence. The suggested or implemented management methods of the disease in North America have encompassed, for example, the use of probiotics and fungicides, vaccinations, and modifying the environmental conditions of the hibernation sites to limit the growth of the pathogen, intensity of infection, or the hosts' responses to it. Based on current knowledge from Eurasia, policy makers and conservation managers should refrain from disrupting the ongoing evolutionary processes and adopt a holistic approach to managing the epizootic.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Whiting-Fawcett
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A S Blomberg
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Troitsky
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - M B Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K A Field
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - S J Puechmaille
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - T M Lilley
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Müller R. Bioinspiration from bats and new paradigms for autonomy in natural environments. Bioinspir Biomim 2024; 19:033001. [PMID: 38452384 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ad311e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Achieving autonomous operation in complex natural environment remains an unsolved challenge. Conventional engineering approaches to this problem have focused on collecting large amounts of sensory data that are used to create detailed digital models of the environment. However, this only postpones solving the challenge of identifying the relevant sensory information and linking it to action control to the domain of the digital world model. Furthermore, it imposes high demands in terms of computing power and introduces large processing latencies that hamper autonomous real-time performance. Certain species of bats that are able to navigate and hunt their prey in dense vegetation could be a biological model system for an alternative approach to addressing the fundamental issues associated with autonomy in complex natural environments. Bats navigating in dense vegetation rely on clutter echoes, i.e. signals that consist of unresolved contributions from many scatters. Yet, the animals are able to extract the relevant information from these input signals with brains that are often less than 1 g in mass. Pilot results indicate that information relevant to location identification and passageway finding can be directly obtained from clutter echoes, opening up the possibility that the bats' skill can be replicated in man-made autonomous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Müller
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States of America
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Zhang T, Jing H, Wang J, Zhao L, Liu Y, Rossiter SJ, Lu H, Li G. Evolution of olfactory receptor superfamily in bats based on high throughput molecular modelling. Mol Ecol Resour 2024:e13958. [PMID: 38567648 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The origin of flight and laryngeal echolocation in bats is likely to have been accompanied by evolutionary changes in other aspects of their sensory biology. Of all sensory modalities in bats, olfaction is perhaps the least well understood. Olfactory receptors (ORs) function in recognizing odour molecules, with crucial roles in evaluating food, as well as in processing social information. Here we compare OR repertoire sizes across taxa and apply a new pipeline that integrates comparative genome data with protein structure modelling and then we employ molecular docking techniques with small molecules to analyse OR functionality based on binding energies. Our results suggest a sharp contraction in odorant recognition of the functional OR repertoire during the origin of bats, consistent with a reduced dependence on olfaction. We also compared bat lineages with contrasting different ecological characteristics and found evidence of differences in OR gene expansion and contraction, and in the composition of ORs with different tuning breadths. The strongest binding energies of ORs in non-echolocating fruit-eating bats were seen to correspond to ester odorants, although we did not detect a quantitative advantage of functional OR repertoires in these bats compared with echolocating insectivorous species. Overall, our findings based on molecular modelling and computational docking suggest that bats have undergone olfactory evolution linked to dietary adaptation. Our results from extant and ancestral bats help to lay the groundwork for targeted experimental functional tests in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianmin Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Haohao Jing
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jinhong Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Le Zhao
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
| | - Huimeng Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Gang Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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Montoya-Giraldo M, Piper KR, Ikhimiukor OO, Park CJ, Caimi NA, Buecher DC, Valdez EW, Northup DE, Andam CP. Ecology shapes the genomic and biosynthetic diversification of Streptomyces bacteria from insectivorous bats. Microb Genom 2024; 10. [PMID: 38625724 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Streptomyces are prolific producers of secondary metabolites from which many clinically useful compounds have been derived. They inhabit diverse habitats but have rarely been reported in vertebrates. Here, we aim to determine to what extent the ecological source (bat host species and cave sites) influence the genomic and biosynthetic diversity of Streptomyces bacteria. We analysed draft genomes of 132 Streptomyces isolates sampled from 11 species of insectivorous bats from six cave sites in Arizona and New Mexico, USA. We delineated 55 species based on the genome-wide average nucleotide identity and core genome phylogenetic tree. Streptomyces isolates that colonize the same bat species or inhabit the same site exhibit greater overall genomic similarity than they do with Streptomyces from other bat species or sites. However, when considering biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) alone, BGC distribution is not structured by the ecological or geographical source of the Streptomyces that carry them. Each genome carried between 19-65 BGCs (median=42.5) and varied even among members of the same Streptomyces species. Nine major classes of BGCs were detected in ten of the 11 bat species and in all sites: terpene, non-ribosomal peptide synthetase, polyketide synthase, siderophore, RiPP-like, butyrolactone, lanthipeptide, ectoine, melanin. Finally, Streptomyces genomes carry multiple hybrid BGCs consisting of signature domains from two to seven distinct BGC classes. Taken together, our results bring critical insights to understanding Streptomyces-bat ecology and BGC diversity that may contribute to bat health and in augmenting current efforts in natural product discovery, especially from underexplored or overlooked environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Montoya-Giraldo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Kathryn R Piper
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Odion O Ikhimiukor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Cooper J Park
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Nicole A Caimi
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - Ernest W Valdez
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Diana E Northup
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Cheryl P Andam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA
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Matiz-González JM, Ballesteros-Ballesteros JA, Hernández M, Mejorano-Fonseca JA, Cuervo C, Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Hidalgo M, Pérez-Torres J, Silva-Ramos CR. Genetic diversity of P1/pathogenic Leptospira species hosted by bats worldwide. Zoonoses Public Health 2024. [PMID: 38509439 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bats are a diverse group of mammals that have unique features allowing them to act as reservoir hosts for several zoonotic pathogens such as Leptospira. Leptospires have been classified into pathogenic, intermediate, and saprophytic groups and more recently into clades P1, P2, S1, and S2, being all the most important pathogenic species related to leptospirosis included within the P1/pathogenic clade. Leptospira has been detected from bats in several regions worldwide; however, the diversity of leptospires harboured by bats is still unknown. AIM The aim of the present study was to determine the genetic diversity of Leptospira spp. harboured by bats worldwide. METHODS A systematic review was conducted on four databases to retrieve studies in which Leptospira was detected from bats. All studies were screened to retrieve all available Leptospira spp. 16S rRNA sequences from the GenBank database and data regarding their origin. Sequences obtained were compared with each other and reference sequences of Leptospira species and analysed through phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS A total of 418 Leptospira spp. 16S rRNA sequences isolated from 55 bat species from 14 countries were retrieved from 15 selected manuscripts. From these, 417 sequences clustered within the P1/pathogenic group, and only one sequence clustered within the P2/intermediate group. Six major clades of P1/pathogenic Leptospira spp. were identified, three of them composed exclusively of sequences obtained from bats. CONCLUSION We identified that bats harbour a great genetic diversity of Leptospira spp. that form part of the P1/pathogenic clade, some of which are closely related to leptospirosis-associated species. This finding contributes to the knowledge of the diversity of leptospires hosted by bats worldwide and reinforces the role of bats as reservoirs of P1/pathogenic Leptospira spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Manuel Matiz-González
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
- Molecular Genetics and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, Universidad El Bosque, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jesús A Ballesteros-Ballesteros
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - María Hernández
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Julián A Mejorano-Fonseca
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Claudia Cuervo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Álvaro A Faccini-Martínez
- Servicio de Infectología, Hospital Militar Central, Bogotá, Colombia
- Servicios y Asesorías en Infectología - SAI, Bogotá, Colombia
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marylin Hidalgo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jairo Pérez-Torres
- Unidad de Ecología y Sistemática (UNESIS), Laboratorio de Ecología Funcional, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Carlos Ramiro Silva-Ramos
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
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Cruz AVS, López-López P, Santos-Silva S, Rivero-Juárez A, Rebelo H, Mesquita JR. Molecular detection of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in bats from Portugal. Med Mycol 2024; 62:myae019. [PMID: 38414255 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myae019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a microsporidia commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and a wide range of other animals, constituting a major cause of microsporidiosis in humans. Although E. bieneusi has been detected in humans, domestic, and wild animals in Portugal, and its presence in bats has been linked to zoonotic characteristics, its occurrence in bats within the country has not been reported. In this study, we investigated the presence of E. bieneusi in 380 bat fecal samples collected in mainland Portugal through a nested PCR assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer region and the flanking small and large subunits of the ribosomal RNA. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in one bat sample (i.e., 0.26%; Pipistrellus pipistrellus). Additionally, another sample tested positive for Enterocytozoon sp. Phylogenetic analysis of the obtained ITS sequence of E. bieneusi revealed clustering within the potentially zoonotic Group 1. This study represents the first report of E. bieneusi in a bat from Europe. Findings presented here contribute to an enhanced understanding of E. bieneusi epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia V S Cruz
- Departamento de Clínicas Veterinárias, ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro López-López
- Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, Hospital Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sérgio Santos-Silva
- Departamento de Clínicas Veterinárias, ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Antonio Rivero-Juárez
- Grupo de Virología Clínica y Zoonosis, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, Hospital Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII - CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hugo Rebelo
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João R Mesquita
- Departamento de Clínicas Veterinárias, ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit), ISPUP - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Laboratório para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), ISPUP - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Zhu D, Liu Y, Gong L, Si M, Wang Q, Feng J, Jiang T. The Consumption and Diversity Variation Responses of Agricultural Pests and Their Dietary Niche Differentiation in Insectivorous Bats. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:815. [PMID: 38473199 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Insectivorous bats are generalist predators and can flexibly respond to fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of insect prey. To better understand the effects of bats on arthropod pests, the types of pests eaten by bats and the response of bats to insect prey need to be determined. In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats (Hipposideros armiger, Taphozous melanopogon, Aselliscus stoliczkanus, and Miniopterus fuliginosus). We evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. We found that the diets of these bats included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families, dominated by Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. The proportion of agricultural pests in the diet of each of the four species of bats exceeded 40% and comprised 713 agricultural pests, including those that caused severe economic losses. Bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. The dietary composition, diversity, and niches differed among species and were particularly significant between H. armiger and T. melanopogon; the dietary niche width was the greatest in A. stoliczkanus and the narrowest in H. armiger. The diet of bats was correlated with their morphological and echolocation traits. Larger bats preyed more on insects in the order Coleoptera, whereas the proportion of bats consuming insects in the order Lepidoptera increased as the body size decreased. Bats that emitted echolocation calls with a high peak frequency and duration preyed more on insects in the order Mantodea. Our results suggest that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Yingying Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Lixin Gong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Man Si
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
| | - Qiuya Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Tinglei Jiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of Education Ministry, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun 130117, China
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11
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Garcias-Bonet N, Roik A, Tierney B, García FC, Villela HDM, Dungan AM, Quigley KM, Sweet M, Berg G, Gram L, Bourne DG, Ushijima B, Sogin M, Hoj L, Duarte G, Hirt H, Smalla K, Rosado AS, Carvalho S, Thurber RV, Ziegler M, Mason CE, van Oppen MJH, Voolstra CR, Peixoto RS. Horizon scanning the application of probiotics for wildlife. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:252-269. [PMID: 37758552 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The provision of probiotics benefits the health of a wide range of organisms, from humans to animals and plants. Probiotics can enhance stress resilience of endangered organisms, many of which are critically threatened by anthropogenic impacts. The use of so-called 'probiotics for wildlife' is a nascent application, and the field needs to reflect on standards for its development, testing, validation, risk assessment, and deployment. Here, we identify the main challenges of this emerging intervention and provide a roadmap to validate the effectiveness of wildlife probiotics. We cover the essential use of inert negative controls in trials and the investigation of the probiotic mechanisms of action. We also suggest alternative microbial therapies that could be tested in parallel with the probiotic application. Our recommendations align approaches used for humans, aquaculture, and plants to the emerging concept and use of probiotics for wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neus Garcias-Bonet
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anna Roik
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), Oldenburg, Germany; Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Braden Tierney
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Francisca C García
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Helena D M Villela
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashley M Dungan
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kate M Quigley
- Minderoo Foundation, Perth, WA, Australia; James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Michael Sweet
- Aquatic Research Facility, Nature-based Solutions Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - Gabriele Berg
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria; University of Potsdam and Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Lone Gram
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs., Lyngby, Denmark
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | - Blake Ushijima
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA
| | - Maggie Sogin
- Molecular Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Lone Hoj
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | - Gustavo Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; IMPG, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Heribert Hirt
- Center for Desert Agriculture (CDA), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Alexandre S Rosado
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; WorldQuant Initiative on Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | | | - Raquel S Peixoto
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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12
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Zapata-Mesa N, Montoya-Bustamante S, Hoyos J, Peña D, Galindo-González J, Chacón-Pacheco JJ, Ballesteros-Correa J, Pastrana-Montiel MR, Graciolli G, Nogueira MR, Mello MAR. BatFly: A database of Neotropical bat-fly interactions. Ecology 2024; 105:e4249. [PMID: 38281377 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Global changes have increased the risk of emerging infectious diseases, which can be prevented or mitigated by studying host-parasite interactions, among other measures. Bats and their ectoparasitic flies of the families Streblidae and Nycteribiidae are an excellent study model but, so far, our knowledge has been restricted to fragmented records at a local scale. To help boost research, we assembled a data set of bat-fly interactions from 174 studies published between 1904 and 2022 plus three original data sets. Altogether, these studies were carried out at 650 sites in the Neotropics, mainly distributed in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, southern USA, and Colombia, among other countries. In total, our data set contains 3984 interaction records between 237 bat species and 255 fly species. The bat species with the largest number of recorded interactions were Carollia perspicillata (357), Artibeus jamaicensis (263), and Artibeus lituratus (228). The fly species with the largest number of recorded interactions were Trichobius joblingi (256), Megistopoda aranea (235), and Megistopoda proxima (215). The interaction data were extracted, filtered, taxonomically harmonized, and made available in a tidy format together with linked data on bat population, fly population, study reference, sampling methods and geographic information from the study sites. This interconnected structure enables the expansion of information for each interaction record, encompassing where and how each interaction occurred, as well as the number of bats and flies involved. We expect BatFly to open new avenues for research focused on different levels of ecological organization and spatial scales. It will help consolidate knowledge about ecological specialization, resource distribution, pathogen transmission, and the drivers of parasite prevalence over a broad spatial range. It may also help to answer key questions such as: Are there differences in fly prevalence or mean infestation across Neotropical ecoregions? What ecological drivers explain those differences? How do specialization patterns vary among fly species in the Neotropics? Furthermore, we expect BatFly to inspire research aimed at understanding how climate and land-use changes may impact host-parasite interactions and disease outbreaks. This kind of research may help us reach Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Wellbeing, outlined by the United Nations. The data are released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya Zapata-Mesa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sebastián Montoya-Bustamante
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Hoyos
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Julio J Chacón-Pacheco
- Departamento de Biología, Grupo Investigación Biodiversidad Unicórdoba, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| | - Jesús Ballesteros-Correa
- Departamento de Biología, Grupo Investigación Biodiversidad Unicórdoba, Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Colombia
| | | | - Gustavo Graciolli
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Marcelo R Nogueira
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Biologia, Seropédica, Brazil
| | - Marco A R Mello
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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Russo D, Mäenurm A, Martinoli A, Cistrone L. Dangerous neighbours: Birds and bird-eating bats sharing tree cavities. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11098. [PMID: 38469052 PMCID: PMC10926052 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates the non-consumptive effects of predators significantly impact prey physiology, ecology and behaviour. Passerine birds experience adverse effects on nesting and reproductive success when in proximity to predators. Fear of predators is context-dependent and influenced by hunting habitats and foraging strategies. While some bat species prey on birds, the greater noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus) stands out by specialising in avian prey, especially during peak bird migration. N. lasiopterus is thought to seize avian prey in flight, but direct evidence is lacking. If birds were taken from nests, they would likely avoid nesting near these bats. However, no observations support this view. This study documents the successful reproduction of Eurasian blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) nesting alongside a colony of approximately 25 greater noctules. This bird species is a prey species for greater noctules in Italy. Over about 1 month (April-May 2023), we observed parent birds provisioning food to chicks, with at least two chicks alive and fed outside the tree cavity by the end of the period. While acknowledging the limitations of a single observation, we propose that this previously unknown behaviour indirectly supports the idea that greater noctules only capture avian prey in flight, not within confined spaces. This observation challenges the perception that these bats pose a threat when sharing roosting spaces in trees, as evidenced in our observed case. We hope this novel observation inspires future research on variations in bird nesting behaviour and reproductive success in the presence of bird-eating bats, as well as an assessment of the long-term impact on population dynamics and reproductive success of nesting birds sharing such roosting spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Russo
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo), Dipartimento di AgrariaUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIPorticiNapoliItaly
| | - Anne Mäenurm
- AFNI Friuli‐Venezia GiuliaCordenonsPordenoneItaly
| | - Adriano Martinoli
- Unità di Analisi e Gestione delle Risorse Ambientali, Guido Tosi Research Group, Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche ed ApplicateUniversità degli Studi dell'InsubriaVareseItaly
| | - Luca Cistrone
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo), Dipartimento di AgrariaUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIPorticiNapoliItaly
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14
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Clayton E, Atasoy MO, Naggar RFE, Franco AC, Rohaim MA, Munir M. Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 5 of black fruit bat ( Pteropus alecto) displays a broad inhibition of RNA viruses. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1284056. [PMID: 38440728 PMCID: PMC10909918 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1284056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Bats are natural host reservoirs and have adapted a unique innate immune system that permits them to host many viruses without exhibiting symptoms. Notably, bat interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) have been shown to play antiviral roles. Interferon induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 5 (IFIT5) is a well-characterised ISG in humans with antiviral activities against negative-sense RNA viruses via inhibiting viral transcription. Here, we aim to investigate if Pteropus alecto (pa) IFIT5 (paIFIT5) possess the ability to inhibit negative-sense RNA viruses. Initially, gene syntenic and comparative structural analyses of multiple animals highlighted a high level of similarity between Pteropus alecto and human IFIT5 proteins. Our results showed that paIFIT5 was significantly inducible by viral and dsRNA stimulation. Transient overexpression of paIFIT5 inhibited the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Using minireplicon and transcription reporter assays, we demonstrated the ability of paIFIT5 specifically to inhibit H17N10 polymerase activity. Mechanistically, we noticed that the antiviral potential of paIFIT5 against negative sense RNA viruses was retributed to its interaction with 5'ppp containing RNA. Taken together, these findings highlight the genetic and functional conservation of IFIT5 among mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Muhammad Munir
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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15
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He B, Hu T, Yan X, Pa Y, Liu Y, Liu Y, Li N, Yu J, Zhang H, Liu Y, Chai J, Sun Y, Mi S, Liu Y, Yi L, Tu Z, Wang Y, Sun S, Feng Y, Zhang W, Zhao H, Duan B, Gong W, Zhang F, Tu C. Isolation, characterization, and circulation sphere of a filovirus in fruit bats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313789121. [PMID: 38335257 PMCID: PMC10873641 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313789121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Bats are associated with the circulation of most mammalian filoviruses (FiVs), with pathogenic ones frequently causing deadly hemorrhagic fevers in Africa. Divergent FiVs have been uncovered in Chinese bats, raising concerns about their threat to public health. Here, we describe a long-term surveillance to track bat FiVs at orchards, eventually resulting in the identification and isolation of a FiV, Dehong virus (DEHV), from Rousettus leschenaultii bats. DEHV has a typical filovirus-like morphology with a wide spectrum of cell tropism. Its entry into cells depends on the engagement of Niemann-Pick C1, and its replication is inhibited by remdesivir. DEHV has the largest genome size of filoviruses, with phylogenetic analysis placing it between the genera Dianlovirus and Orthomarburgvirus, suggesting its classification as the prototype of a new genus within the family Filoviridae. The continuous detection of viral RNA in the serological survey, together with the wide host distribution, has revealed that the region covering southern Yunnan, China, and bordering areas is a natural circulation sphere for bat FiVs. These emphasize the need for a better understanding of the pathogenicity and potential risk of FiVs in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao He
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Tingsong Hu
- Southern Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province510630, China
| | - Xiaomin Yan
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Yanhui Pa
- Ruili Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Ruili, Yunnan Province678600, China
| | - Yuhang Liu
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Nan Li
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Jing Yu
- Southern Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province510630, China
| | - Hailin Zhang
- Yunnan Institute of Endemic Diseases Control and Prevention, Dali, Yunnan Province671000, China
| | - Yonghua Liu
- Ruili Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Ruili, Yunnan Province678600, China
| | - Jun Chai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan Province650201, China
| | - Yue Sun
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Shijiang Mi
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Le Yi
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Zhongzhong Tu
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Yiyin Wang
- Southern Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province510630, China
| | - Sheng Sun
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Ye Feng
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
| | - Wendong Zhang
- Center for Animal Diseases Control and Prevention of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province650051, China
| | - Huanyun Zhao
- Center for Animal Diseases Control and Prevention of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province650051, China
| | - Bofang Duan
- Center for Animal Diseases Control and Prevention of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province650051, China
| | - Wenjie Gong
- Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province130062, China
| | - Fuqiang Zhang
- Southern Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province510630, China
| | - Changchun Tu
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, Jilin Province130122, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province225009, China
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16
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Hoggatt ML, Starbuck CA, O'Keefe JM. Acoustic monitoring yields informative bat population density estimates. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11051. [PMID: 38389998 PMCID: PMC10883235 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Bat population estimates are typically made during winter, although this is only feasible for bats that aggregate in hibernacula. While it is essential to measure summer bat population sizes for management, we lack a reliable method. Acoustic surveys should be less expensive and more efficient than capture surveys, and acoustic activity data are already used as indices of population size. Although we currently cannot differentiate individual bats by their calls, we can enter call counts, information on signal and detection angles, and weather data into generalized random encounter models to estimate bat density. We assessed the utility of generalized random encounter models for estimating Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) population density with acoustic data collected at 51 total sites in six conservation areas in northeast Missouri, 2019-2021. We tested the effects of year, volancy period, conservation area, and their interactions on estimated density. Volancy period was the best predictor, with average predicted density increasing 60% from pre-volancy (46 bats/km2) to post-volancy (74 bats/km2); however, the magnitude of the effect differed by conservation area. We showed that passive acoustic surveys yield informative density estimates that are responsive to temporal changes in bat population size, which suggests this method may be useful for long-term monitoring. However, we need more information to choose the most appropriate values for the density estimation formula. Future work to refine this approach should include assessments of bat behavior and detection parameters and testing the method's efficacy in areas where population sizes are known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith L Hoggatt
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana Illinois USA
| | - Clarissa A Starbuck
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana Illinois USA
| | - Joy M O'Keefe
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana Illinois USA
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17
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Pinheiro A, Borges JR, Côrte-Real JV, Esteves PJ. Evolution of guanylate binding protein genes shows a remarkable variability within bats (Chiroptera). Front Immunol 2024; 15:1329098. [PMID: 38357541 PMCID: PMC10864436 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1329098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background GBPs (guanylate binding proteins), an evolutionary ancient protein family, play a key role in the host's innate immune response against bacterial, parasitic and viral infections. In Humans, seven GBP genes have been described (GBP1-7). Despite the interest these proteins have received over the last years, evolutionary studies have only been performed in primates, Tupaia and rodents. These have shown a pattern of gene gain and loss in each family, indicative of the birth-and-death evolution process. Results In this study, we analysed the evolution of this gene cluster in several bat species, belonging to the Yangochiroptera and Yinpterochiroptera sub-orders. Detailed analysis shows a conserved synteny and a gene expansion and loss history. Phylogenetic analysis showed that bats have GBPs 1,2 and 4-6. GBP2 has been lost in several bat families, being present only in Hipposideidae and Pteropodidae. GBPs1, 4 and 5 are present mostly as single-copy genes in all families but have suffered duplication events, particularly in Myotis myotis and Eptesicus fuscus. Most interestingly, we demonstrate that GBP6 duplicated in a Chiroptera ancestor species originating two genes, which we named GBP6a and GBP6b, with different subsequent evolutionary histories. GBP6a underwent several duplication events in all families while GBP6b is present as a single copy gene and has been lost in Pteropodidae, Miniopteridae and Desmodus rotundus, a Phyllostomidae. With 14 and 15 GBP genes, Myotis myotis and Eptesicus fuscus stand out as having far more copies than all other studied bat species. Antagonistically, Pteropodidae have the lowest number of GBP genes in bats. Conclusion Bats are important reservoirs of viruses, many of which have become zoonotic diseases in the last decades. Further functional studies on bats GBPs will help elucidate their function, evolutionary history, and the role of bats as virus reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pinheiro
- CIBIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBIO, Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | - J. Ricardo Borges
- CIBIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBIO, Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João Vasco Côrte-Real
- CIBIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBIO, Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) München, Munich, Germany
| | - Pedro J. Esteves
- CIBIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBIO, Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- CITS - Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias de Saúde, CESPU, Gandra, Portugal
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18
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Usui K, Yamamoto T, Khannoon ER, Tokita M. Musculoskeletal morphogenesis supports the convergent evolution of bat laryngeal echolocation. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232196. [PMID: 38290542 PMCID: PMC10827442 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The order Chiroptera (bats) is the second largest group of mammals. One of the essential adaptations that have allowed bats to dominate the night skies is laryngeal echolocation, where bats emit ultrasonic pulses and listen to the returned echo to produce high-resolution 'images' of their surroundings. There are two possible scenarios for the evolutionary origin of laryngeal echolocation in bats: (1) a single origin in a common ancestor followed by the secondary loss in Pteropodidae, or (2) two convergent origins in Rhinolophoidea and Yangochiroptera. Although data from palaeontological, anatomical, developmental and genomic studies of auditory apparatuses exist, they remain inconclusive concerning the evolutionary origin of bat laryngeal echolocation. Here we compared musculoskeletal morphogenesis of the larynx in several chiropteran lineages and found distinct laryngeal modifications in two echolocating lineages, rhinolophoids and yangochiropterans. Our findings support the second scenario that rhinolophoids and yangochiropterans convergently evolved advanced laryngeal echolocation through anatomical modifications of the larynx for ultrasonic sound generation and refinement of the auditory apparatuses for more detailed sound perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Usui
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
| | - Tomoki Yamamoto
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
| | - Eraqi R. Khannoon
- Biology Department, College of Science, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, PO Box 30002, Saudi Arabia
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt
| | - Masayoshi Tokita
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
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Couto RDS, Ramos EDSF, Abreu WU, Rodrigues LRR, Marinho LF, Morais VDS, Villanova F, Pandey RP, Deng X, Delwart E, da Costa AC, Leal E. Metagenomic of Liver Tissue Identified at Least Two Genera of Totivirus-like Viruses in Molossus molossus Bats. Microorganisms 2024; 12:206. [PMID: 38276191 PMCID: PMC10819564 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The Totiviridae family of viruses has a unique genome consisting of double-stranded RNA with two open reading frames that encode the capsid protein (Cap) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRpol). Most virions in this family are isometric in shape, approximately 40 nm in diameter, and lack an envelope. There are five genera within this family, including Totivirus, Victorivirus, Giardiavirus, Leishmaniavirus, and Trichomonasvirus. While Totivirus and Victorivirus primarily infect fungi, Giardiavirus, Leishmaniavirus, and Trichomonasvirus infect diverse hosts, including protists, insects, and vertebrates. Recently, new totivirus-like species have been discovered in fish and plant hosts, and through metagenomic analysis, a novel totivirus-like virus (named Tianjin totivirus) has been isolated from bat guano. Interestingly, Tianjin totivirus causes cytopathic effects in insect cells but cannot grow in mammalian cells, suggesting that it infects insects consumed by insectivorous bats. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing and identified totivirus-like viruses in liver tissue from Molossus molossus bats in the Amazon region of Brazil. Comparative phylogenetic analysis based on the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region revealed that the viruses identified in Molossus bats belong to two distinct phylogenetic clades, possibly comprising different genera within the Totiviridae family. Notably, the mean similarity between the Tianjin totivirus and the totiviruses identified in Molossus bats is less than 18%. These findings suggest that the diversity of totiviruses in bats is more extensive than previously recognized and highlight the potential for bats to serve as reservoirs for novel toti-like viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roseane da Silva Couto
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belem 66075-000, PA, Brazil; (R.d.S.C.); (E.d.S.F.R.); (F.V.)
| | - Endrya do Socorro Foro Ramos
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belem 66075-000, PA, Brazil; (R.d.S.C.); (E.d.S.F.R.); (F.V.)
| | - Wandercleyson Uchôa Abreu
- Programa de Pos-Graduação REDE Bionorte, Polo Pará, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém 68040-255, PA, Brazil;
| | - Luis Reginaldo Ribeiro Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Genetics & Biodiversity, Institute of Educational Sciences, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém 68040-255, PA, Brazil;
| | | | - Vanessa dos Santos Morais
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM 52), Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (V.d.S.M.); (A.C.d.C.)
| | - Fabiola Villanova
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belem 66075-000, PA, Brazil; (R.d.S.C.); (E.d.S.F.R.); (F.V.)
| | - Ramendra Pati Pandey
- School of Health Sciences and Technology (SoHST), UPES, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India;
| | - Xutao Deng
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
| | - Eric Delwart
- Department Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
| | - Antonio Charlys da Costa
- Laboratory of Virology (LIM 52), Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (V.d.S.M.); (A.C.d.C.)
| | - Elcio Leal
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belem 66075-000, PA, Brazil; (R.d.S.C.); (E.d.S.F.R.); (F.V.)
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20
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Allegrini C, Korine C, Krasnov BR. Climatic gradients and forest composition shape bat communities in Eastern Mediterranean pine plantations. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38196112 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Biotic and abiotic factors can act as filters for determining the species composition of biological communities. We aimed to identify abiotic factors driving the assembly of bat communities in Eastern Mediterranean pine plantations along a north-south climatic gradient, as they are crucial forest habitats for the assessment and conservation of these communities. We expected that bat communities are predominantly shaped by environmental filtering. We conducted acoustic sampling in 35 pine plantations in Israel and analyzed recordings for species identification. We used the ESLTP analysis, an extension of the three-table ordination (RLQ analysis), to explore relationships between environmental characteristics, species occurrences, and functional traits of species while accounting for phylogenetic relationships between species and spatial distribution of the communities. Communities showed phylogenetic and trait clustering. Climatic conditions and forest vegetation composition shaped communities of bats, affecting the distribution of traits related to foraging behaviors, vegetation clutter, and the ability of bats to maneuver in it. Maneuverable species were associated with the northern Mediterranean climatic zone, with a scarce cover of drought-tolerant small shrubs and grassland. Fast flyers were associated with the center-south semi-arid area, with abundant drought-tolerant small shrubs and grassland. These forces might have a predominant role in the assembly of these communities, presumably due to the stressful climatic conditions of the study area. The ESLTP approach can be extended to other taxa and environments to predict species responses to disturbance and environmental changes and give insights into environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Allegrini
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute of Dryland, Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel
| | - Carmi Korine
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute of Dryland, Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel
| | - Boris R Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute of Dryland, Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel
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21
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Guito JC, Arnold CE, Schuh AJ, Amman BR, Sealy TK, Spengler JR, Harmon JR, Coleman-McCray JD, Sanchez-Lockhart M, Palacios GF, Towner JS, Prescott JB. Peripheral immune responses to filoviruses in a reservoir versus spillover hosts reveal transcriptional correlates of disease. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1306501. [PMID: 38259437 PMCID: PMC10800976 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1306501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Several filoviruses, including Marburg virus (MARV), cause severe disease in humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs). However, the Egyptian rousette bat (ERB, Rousettus aegyptiacus), the only known MARV reservoir, shows no overt illness upon natural or experimental infection, which, like other bat hosts of zoonoses, is due to well-adapted, likely species-specific immune features. Despite advances in understanding reservoir immune responses to filoviruses, ERB peripheral blood responses to MARV and how they compare to those of diseased filovirus-infected spillover hosts remain ill-defined. We thus conducted a longitudinal analysis of ERB blood gene responses during acute MARV infection. These data were then contrasted with a compilation of published primate blood response studies to elucidate gene correlates of filovirus protection versus disease. Our work expands on previous findings in MARV-infected ERBs by supporting both host resistance and disease tolerance mechanisms, offers insight into the peripheral immunocellular repertoire during infection, and provides the most direct known cross-examination between reservoir and spillover hosts of the most prevalently-regulated response genes, pathways and activities associated with differences in filovirus pathogenesis and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C. Guito
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Catherine E. Arnold
- Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, Frederick, MD, United States
- RD-CBR, Research and Development Directorate, Chemical and Biological Technologies Directorate, Research Center of Excellence, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA, United States
| | - Amy J. Schuh
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Brian R. Amman
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tara K. Sealy
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica R. Spengler
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica R. Harmon
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Joann D. Coleman-McCray
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Mariano Sanchez-Lockhart
- Center for Genome Sciences, Molecular Biology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, United States
| | - Gustavo F. Palacios
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jonathan S. Towner
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Joseph B. Prescott
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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Kirillova NY, Kirillov AA, Shchenkov SV, Knyazev AE, Vekhnik VA. Morphological and molecular characterization of plagiorchiid trematodes ( Plagiorchis: Plagiorchiidae, Digenea) from bats with redescription of Plagiorchis mordovii Shaldybin, 1958. J Helminthol 2024; 98:e2. [PMID: 38167587 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x23000913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Five Plagiorchis spp. parasitize bats in European Russia: Plagiorchis elegans, Plagiorchis koreanus, Plagiorchis mordovii, Plagiorchis muelleri, and Plagiorchis vespertilionis. Their identification is difficult due to a high morphological similarity. The morphological variability of these species is poorly studied. The taxonomic position of P. mordovii remains debatable. The purpose of our study was to analyse Plagiorchis spp. from European bats using a combination of morphological and molecular-phylogenetic approaches and to establish the taxonomic position of the problematic species P. mordovii.Plagiorchis spp. were shown to be variable morphologically and morphometrically both from various host species and from different specimens of the same species. We presented a new taxonomic key for identification of the Plagiorchis spp. from European bats, provided a complete description of Plagiorchis mordovii, and confirmed the validity and the generic affiliation of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Y Kirillova
- Laboratory for Biodiversity, Institute of Ecology of Volga River Basin RAS, Samara Federal Research Scientific Center RAS, Togliatti, 445003, Russia
| | - A A Kirillov
- Laboratory for Biodiversity, Institute of Ecology of Volga River Basin RAS, Samara Federal Research Scientific Center RAS, Togliatti, 445003, Russia
| | - S V Shchenkov
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Saint Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - A E Knyazev
- Laboratory for Biodiversity, Institute of Ecology of Volga River Basin RAS, Samara Federal Research Scientific Center RAS, Togliatti, 445003, Russia
| | - V A Vekhnik
- Laboratory for Biodiversity, Institute of Ecology of Volga River Basin RAS, Samara Federal Research Scientific Center RAS, Togliatti, 445003, Russia
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23
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Werber Y. Human-wildlife conflicts in the aerial habitat: Wind farms are just the beginning. Sci Prog 2024; 107:368504241231157. [PMID: 38373435 PMCID: PMC10878230 DOI: 10.1177/00368504241231157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The aerial habitat occupies an enormous three-dimensional space around Earth and is inhabited by trillions of animals. Humans have been encroaching on the aerial habitat since the time of the pyramids, but the last century ushered in unprecedented threats to aerial wildlife. Skyscrapers, jet-age transportation and recently huge wind turbines kill millions of flying animals annually and despite substantial efforts, our detection and mitigation capabilities are lagging far behind. Given the situation, our readiness to handle the impact of millions of drones buzzing through the sky carrying batteries, payloads and soon also people, is questionable at best. In radar aero-ecology, radars are used to document and analyse animal movement high above the ground, opening a hatch to ecological processes in the aerial habitat. Differentiating bats from birds, a simple task at ground level, was impossible aloft, which limited our ability to study and characterise high-altitude bat behaviour. Many high-altitude infrastructure developments around the world were thus planned and executed with no regard to possible impacts on bats and caused millions of bat fatalities. BATScan, the first automatic bat identifier for radar, demonstrates how artificial intelligence can be implemented together with ecological insight to solve basic scientific questions and minimise negative human impact on natural habitats. We demonstrate a facet of the complexity of bat aero-ecology using the Israeli BATScan database and substantiate the claim that activities taken by the wind energy industry to minimise bat mortality may prove limited and leave bats unprotected. We further discuss upcoming challenges in the face of a forthcoming transportation revolution that will change the human-aerial wildlife conflict from a conservation concern to a major human safety issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Werber
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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24
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Uren AM, Young MK. Field testing Australian bat lyssavirus risk communication resources. Health Promot J Austr 2024. [PMID: 38163672 DOI: 10.1002/hpja.837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
ISSUE ADDRESSED Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is a fatal zoonosis, which can be transmitted to humans through scratches or bites from infected bats. Currently, there is a lack of research evaluating risk communication resources about ABLV or the dangers from handling bats. The purpose of this study was to field test resources aimed at educating the public about risks to humans and bats from human-bat interaction, then update these resources based upon feedback to ensure they were relevant and appropriately targeted to the public. METHODS Thirteen semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of participants chosen for maximum variation of age and sex were conducted. Two investigators analysed the data independently using a deductive approach and then came to consensus by discussion. RESULTS The main themes were a wide-ranging level of knowledge and opinions about bats, the resources having an effect on people, and messaging in relation to children and pets being particularly important. CONCLUSION This study highlighted the complexities of risk communication to a broad audience with varied experience and knowledge about bats, and the importance of evaluation prior to implementation to ensure risk communication is relevant and appealing to the intended audience. SO WHAT?: Field testing of health education material prior to implementation is an effective way to ensure key messages are understood, and is important when communicating about fatal but preventable zoonoses such as ABLV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Uren
- Metro North Public Health Unit, Queensland Health, Windsor, Queensland, Australia
| | - Megan K Young
- Metro North Public Health Unit, Queensland Health, Windsor, Queensland, Australia
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
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25
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Al-Eitan L, Mihyar A, Zhang L, Bisht P, Jaenisch R. Genomic and biological variation in bat IFNs: An antiviral treatment approach. Rev Med Virol 2024; 34:e2488. [PMID: 37921610 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Bat-borne viruses have attracted considerable research, especially in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although bats can carry multiple zoonotic viruses that are lethal to many mammalian species, they appear to be asymptomatic to viral infection despite the high viral loads contained in their bodies. There are several differences between bats and other mammals. One of the major differences between bats and other mammals is the bats' ability to fly, which is believed to have induced evolutionary changes. It may have also favoured them as suitable hosts for viruses. This is related to their tolerance to viral infection. Innate immunity is the first line of defence against viral infection, but bats have metamorphosed the type of responses induced by innate immunity factors such as interferons. The expression patterns of interferons differ, as do those of interferon-related genes such as interferon regulatory factors and interferon-stimulated genes that contribute to the antiviral response of infected cells. In addition, the signalling pathways related to viral infection and immune responses have been subject to evolutionary changes, including mutations compared to their homologues in other mammals and gene selection. This article discusses the differences in the interferon-mediated antiviral response in bats compared to that of other mammals and how these differences are correlated to viral tolerance in bats. The effect of bat interferons related genes on human antiviral response against bat-borne viruses is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laith Al-Eitan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ahmad Mihyar
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Liguo Zhang
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Punam Bisht
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rudolf Jaenisch
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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26
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Roev GV, Borisova NI, Chistyakova NV, Vyhodtseva AV, Akimkin VG, Khafizov KF. Bastroviruses ( Astroviridae): genetic diversity and potential impact on human and animal health. Vopr Virusol 2023; 68:505-512. [PMID: 38156566 DOI: 10.36233/0507-4088-192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bastroviruses were discovered in the Netherlands in 2016 in human stool samples and show partial genetic similarities to astroviruses and hepatitis E viruses. Their association with disease onset has not yet been established. MATERIALS AND METHODS Metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples of Nyctalus noctula bats collected in the Russian Federation in 2023 was performed. Two almost complete genomes of bastroviruses were assembled. The zoonotic potential of these viruses was assessed using machine learning methods, their recombination was studied, and phylogenetic trees were constructed. RESULTS A nearly complete bastrovirus genome was de novo assembled in one of the samples, and it was used to assemble another genome in another sample. The zoonotic potential of the virus from one of these samples was estimated as high. The existence of recombination between structural and non-structural polyproteins was demonstrated. CONCLUSION Two bastrovirus genomes were assembled, phylogenetic and recombination analyses were performed, and the zoonotic potential was evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- G V Roev
- Central Research Institute for Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University)
| | - N I Borisova
- Central Research Institute for Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing
| | - N V Chistyakova
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - A V Vyhodtseva
- Central Research Institute for Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing
| | - V G Akimkin
- Central Research Institute for Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing
| | - K F Khafizov
- Central Research Institute for Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing
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27
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Forero-Muñoz NR, Muylaert RL, Seifert SN, Albery GF, Becker DJ, Carlson CJ, Poisot T. The coevolutionary mosaic of bat betacoronavirus emergence risk. Virus Evol 2023; 10:vead079. [PMID: 38361817 PMCID: PMC10868545 DOI: 10.1093/ve/vead079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogen evolution is one of the least predictable components of disease emergence, particularly in nature. Here, building on principles established by the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution, we develop a quantitative, spatially explicit framework for mapping the evolutionary risk of viral emergence. Driven by interest in diseases like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we examine the global biogeography of bat-origin betacoronaviruses, and find that coevolutionary principles suggest geographies of risk that are distinct from the hotspots and coldspots of host richness. Further, our framework helps explain patterns like a unique pool of merbecoviruses in the Neotropics, a recently discovered lineage of divergent nobecoviruses in Madagascar, and-most importantly-hotspots of diversification in southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East that correspond to the site of previous zoonotic emergence events. Our framework may help identify hotspots of future risk that have also been previously overlooked, like West Africa and the Indian subcontinent, and may more broadly help researchers understand how host ecology shapes the evolution and diversity of pandemic threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma R Forero-Muñoz
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal (Québec) H2V 0B3, Canada
- Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences
| | - Renata L Muylaert
- Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, New Zealand
| | - Stephanie N Seifert
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Colin J Carlson
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal (Québec) H2V 0B3, Canada
- Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences
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28
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Woodrow C, Celiker E, Montealegre-Z F. An Eocene insect could hear conspecific ultrasounds and bat echolocation. Curr Biol 2023; 33:5304-5315.e3. [PMID: 37963458 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Hearing has evolved independently many times in the animal kingdom and is prominent in various insects and vertebrates for conspecific communication and predator detection. Among insects, katydid (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) ears are unique, as they have evolved outer, middle, and inner ear components, analogous in their biophysical principles to the mammalian ear. The katydid ear consists of two paired tympana located in each foreleg. These tympana receive sound externally on the tympanum surface (usually via pinnae) or internally via an ear canal (EC). The EC functions to capture conspecific calls and low frequencies, while the pinnae passively amplify higher-frequency ultrasounds including bat echolocation. Together, these outer ear components provide enhanced hearing sensitivity across a dynamic range of over 100 kHz. However, despite a growing understanding of the biophysics and function of the katydid ear, its precise emergence and evolutionary history remains elusive. Here, using microcomputed tomography (μCT) scanning, we recovered geometries of the outer ear components and wings of an exceptionally well-preserved katydid fossilized in Baltic amber (∼44 million years [Ma]). Using numerical and theoretical modeling of the wings, we show that this species was communicating at a peak frequency of 31.62 (± 2.27) kHz, and we demonstrate that the ear was biophysically tuned to this signal and to providing hearing at higher-frequency ultrasounds (>80 kHz), likely for enhanced predator detection. The results indicate that the evolution of the unique ear of the katydid, with its broadband ultrasonic sensitivity and analogous biophysical properties to the ears of mammals, emerged in the Eocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Woodrow
- University of Lincoln, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK; Uppsala University, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Emine Celiker
- University of Dundee, Division of Mathematics, School of Science and Engineering, Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK; University of Leicester, School of Engineering, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Fernando Montealegre-Z
- University of Lincoln, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK.
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29
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Richdon S, Price E, Wormell D, Jones G, McCabe G. Predictors of dominance rank and agonistic interactions in captive Livingstone's fruit bats. Curr Zool 2023; 69:694-702. [PMID: 37876641 PMCID: PMC10591144 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Male dominance hierarchies have been studied in many animals but rarely in bats (Chiroptera). The dominance rank of social animals may dictate access to resources and mates; therefore, it has important implications for an individual's fitness and is crucial for successful captive management. Between January and December 2018, at both Bristol Zoo Gardens (Bristol, UK) and Jersey Zoo (Jersey, British Isles), we observed 19 male Livingstone's fruit bats Pteropus livingstonii using focal follows for 345 h overall, noting the outcome of all agonistic interactions. We recorded instigators of interactions, along with winners and losers, and analyzed these data using the R-package "EloRating" to create Elo-rating temporal plots of dominance ranks. We used generalized linear mixed models and multiple linear regression to analyze interaction data and test hypotheses regarding predictors of dominance rank, frequency of agonistic interaction, and choice of interaction partner. Age was positively correlated with dominance rank up to around year 9, when an asymptote was attained. Highly ranked bats instigated the most agonistic interactions, and largely directed these interactions at bats with much lower rankings than themselves. Hierarchies were extremely stable throughout the data collection period at both sites. We conclude that Livingstone's fruit bats have a stable linear dominance hierarchy, with high-ranking, typically older males instigating the most interactions with lowest ranking males to secure dominance rank. This study adds to the limited discourse on Pteropus social behaviors, indicating that some bat species may have social systems similar in complexity to some nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Richdon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Bristol Zoological Society, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3HA, UK
| | - Eluned Price
- Jersey Zoo, La Profonde Rue, Jersey, JE3 5BP, UK
| | | | - Gareth Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Grainne McCabe
- Bristol Zoological Society, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3HA, UK
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30
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Kovalchuk LA, Mishchenko VA, Chernaya LV, Snit'ko VP, Bolshakov VN. Functional Activity of the Blood System in Two Migratory Bat Species of the Urals. Dokl Biol Sci 2023; 513:S61-S64. [PMID: 38430296 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496623700898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Functional activity of the blood system was studied in two migratory Ural species, Vespertilio murinus Linnaeus, 1758 and Pipistrellus nathusii Keyserling et Blasius, 1839. A multivariate nonparametric ANOVA of red blood parameters showed significant interspecific differences (p < 0.05) between the migrating bats and the resident species pond bat. A certain genetically determined multidirectionality in the mobilization of emergency regulation mechanisms of the lymphoid blood system was observed in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Kovalchuk
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
| | - V A Mishchenko
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
- Virom Federal Institute of Viral Infections, Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - L V Chernaya
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - V P Snit'ko
- South Ural Federal Research Center of Mineralogy and Environmental Geology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ilmen Nature Reserve, Miass, Russia
| | - V N Bolshakov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
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31
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Malysheva MN, Ganyukova AI, Frolov AO, Chistyakov DV, Kostygov AY. The Mite Steatonyssus periblepharus Is a Novel Potential Vector of the Bat Parasite Trypanosoma dionisii. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2906. [PMID: 38138050 PMCID: PMC10745657 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma dionisii, for which only bat bugs (Cimicidae) had previously been demonstrated as vectors, was, for the first time, detected in the gamasine mite Steatonyssus periblepharus in Russia. The molecular phylogenetic analysis indicated that trypanosomes found in these mites belong to the "clade A" of T. dionisii, which, based on genetic distances, can be considered as a species separate from the sister clade B, and according to available data also has a distinct geographic distribution. The presence of developmental forms of T. dionisii resembling those previously described during the development of this trypanosome in cimicids suggests that S. periblepharus is a novel vector of the studied trypanosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina N. Malysheva
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (M.N.M.); (A.I.G.); (A.O.F.)
| | - Anna I. Ganyukova
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (M.N.M.); (A.I.G.); (A.O.F.)
| | - Alexander O. Frolov
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (M.N.M.); (A.I.G.); (A.O.F.)
| | - Dmitriy V. Chistyakov
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Alexei Yu. Kostygov
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; (M.N.M.); (A.I.G.); (A.O.F.)
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32
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Popov IV, Berezinskaia IS, Popov IV, Martiusheva IB, Tkacheva EV, Gorobets VE, Tikhmeneva IA, Aleshukina AV, Tverdokhlebova TI, Chikindas ML, Venema K, Ermakov AM. Cultivable Gut Microbiota in Synanthropic Bats: Shifts of Its Composition and Diversity Associated with Hibernation. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3658. [PMID: 38067008 PMCID: PMC10705225 DOI: 10.3390/ani13233658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The role of bats in the global microbial ecology no doubt is significant due to their unique immune responses, ability to fly, and long lifespan, all contributing to pathogen spread. Some of these animals hibernate during winter, which results in the altering of their physiology. However, gut microbiota shifts during hibernation is little studied. In this research, we studied cultivable gut microbiota composition and diversity of Nyctalus noctula before, during, and after hibernation in a bat rehabilitation center. Gut microorganisms were isolated on a broad spectrum of culture media, counted, and identified with mass spectrometry. Linear modeling was used to investigate associations between microorganism abundance and N. noctula physiological status, and alpha- and beta-diversity indexes were used to explore diversity changes. As a result, most notable changes were observed in Serratia liquefaciens, Hafnia alvei, Staphylococcus sciuri, and Staphylococcus xylosus, which were significantly more highly abundant in hibernating bats, while Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella oxytoca, Providencia rettgeri, Citrobacter braakii, and Pedicoccus pentosaceus were more abundant in active bats before hibernation. The alpha-diversity was the lowest in hibernating bats, while the beta-diversity differed significantly among all studied periods. Overall, this study shows that hibernation contributes to changes in bat cultivable gut microbiota composition and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V. Popov
- Faculty “Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine” and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (E.V.T.); (V.E.G.); (I.A.T.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
- Division of Immunobiology and Biomedicine, Center of Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Federal Territory Sirius, Russia
- Centre for Healthy Eating & Food Innovation (HEFI), Maastricht University—Campus Venlo, 5928 SZ Venlo, The Netherlands;
| | - Iraida S. Berezinskaia
- Rostov Research Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, 344010 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.S.B.); (I.B.M.); (A.V.A.)
| | - Ilia V. Popov
- Faculty “Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine” and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (E.V.T.); (V.E.G.); (I.A.T.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
| | - Irina B. Martiusheva
- Rostov Research Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, 344010 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.S.B.); (I.B.M.); (A.V.A.)
| | - Elizaveta V. Tkacheva
- Faculty “Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine” and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (E.V.T.); (V.E.G.); (I.A.T.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
| | - Vladislav E. Gorobets
- Faculty “Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine” and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (E.V.T.); (V.E.G.); (I.A.T.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
| | - Iuliia A. Tikhmeneva
- Faculty “Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine” and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (E.V.T.); (V.E.G.); (I.A.T.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
| | - Anna V. Aleshukina
- Rostov Research Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, 344010 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.S.B.); (I.B.M.); (A.V.A.)
| | - Tatiana I. Tverdokhlebova
- Rostov Research Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, 344010 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.S.B.); (I.B.M.); (A.V.A.)
| | - Michael L. Chikindas
- Faculty “Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine” and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (E.V.T.); (V.E.G.); (I.A.T.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
- Health Promoting Naturals Laboratory, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers State University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of General Hygiene, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
| | - Koen Venema
- Centre for Healthy Eating & Food Innovation (HEFI), Maastricht University—Campus Venlo, 5928 SZ Venlo, The Netherlands;
| | - Alexey M. Ermakov
- Faculty “Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine” and Center for Agrobiotechnology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia; (I.V.P.); (E.V.T.); (V.E.G.); (I.A.T.); (M.L.C.); (A.M.E.)
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Anthwal N, Hall RP, de la Rosa Hernandez FA, Koger M, Yohe LR, Hedrick BP, Davies KTJ, Mutumi GL, Roseman CC, Dumont ER, Dávalos LM, Rossiter SJ, Sadier A, Sears KE. Cochlea development shapes bat sensory system evolution. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023. [PMID: 37994725 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Sensory organs must develop alongside the skull within which they are largely encased, and this relationship can manifest as the skull constraining the organs, organs constraining the skull, or organs constraining one another in relative size. How this interplay between sensory organs and the developing skull plays out during the evolution of sensory diversity; however, remains unknown. Here, we examine the developmental sequence of the cochlea, the organ responsible for hearing and echolocation, in species with distinct diet and echolocation types within the ecologically diverse bat super-family Noctilionoidea. We found the size and shape of the cochlea largely correlates with skull size, with exceptions of Pteronotus parnellii, whose high duty cycle echolocation (nearly constant emission of sound pulses during their echolocation process allowing for detailed information gathering, also called constant frequency echolocation) corresponds to a larger cochlear and basal turn, and Monophyllus redmani, a small-bodied nectarivorous bat, for which interactions with other sensory organs restrict cochlea size. Our findings support the existence of developmental constraints, suggesting that both developmental and anatomical factors may act synergistically during the development of sensory systems in noctilionoid bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal Anthwal
- King's College London, Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, London, UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ronald P Hall
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, California, USA
| | | | - Michael Koger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Laurel R Yohe
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brandon P Hedrick
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Kalina T J Davies
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Gregory L Mutumi
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, California, USA
| | - Charles C Roseman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Dumont
- Department of Life and Environment Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, California, USA
| | - Liliana M Dávalos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution and Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Alexa Sadier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Karen E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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34
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Schneider WT, Holland RA, Keišs O, Lindecke O. Migratory bats are sensitive to magnetic inclination changes during the compass calibration period. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230181. [PMID: 38016643 PMCID: PMC10684344 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Earth's magnetic field is used as a navigational cue by many animals. For mammals, however, there are few data to show that navigation ability relies on sensing the natural magnetic field. In night-time migrating bats, experiments demonstrating a role for the solar azimuth at sunset in the calibration of the orientation system suggest that the magnetic field is a candidate for their compass. Here, we investigated how an altered magnetic field at sunset changes the nocturnal orientation of the bat Pipistrellus pygmaeus. We exposed bats to either the natural magnetic field, a horizontally shifted field (120°), or the same shifted field combined with a reversal of the natural value of inclination (70° to -70°). We later released the bats and found that the take-off orientation differed among all treatments. Bats that were exposed to the 120° shift were unimodally oriented northwards in contrast to controls which exhibited a bimodal north-south distribution. Surprisingly, the orientation of bats exposed to both a 120° shift and reverse inclination was indistinguishable from a uniform distribution. These results suggest that these migratory bats calibrate the magnetic field at sunset, and for the first time, they show that bats are sensitive to the angle of magnetic inclination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard A. Holland
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Oskars Keišs
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga LV–1004, Latvia
| | - Oliver Lindecke
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
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35
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Amman BR, Schuh AJ, Akurut G, Kamugisha K, Namanya D, Sealy TK, Graziano JC, Enyel E, Wright EA, Balinandi S, Lutwama JJ, Kading RC, Atimnedi P, Towner JS. Micro‒Global Positioning Systems for Identifying Nightly Opportunities for Marburg Virus Spillover to Humans by Egyptian Rousette Bats. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:2238-2245. [PMID: 37877537 PMCID: PMC10617345 DOI: 10.3201/eid2911.230362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Marburg virus disease, caused by Marburg and Ravn orthomarburgviruses, emerges sporadically in sub-Saharan Africa and is often fatal in humans. The natural reservoir is the Egyptian rousette bat (ERB), which sheds virus in saliva, urine, and feces. Frugivorous ERBs discard test-bitten and partially eaten fruit, potentially leaving infectious virus behind that could be consumed by other susceptible animals or humans. Historically, 8 of 17 known Marburg virus disease outbreaks have been linked to human encroachment on ERB habitats, but no linkage exists for the other 9 outbreaks, raising the question of how bats and humans might intersect, leading to virus spillover. We used micro‒global positioning systems to identify nightly ERB foraging locations. ERBs from a known Marburg virus‒infected population traveled long distances to feed in cultivated fruit trees near homes. Our results show that ERB foraging behavior represents a Marburg virus spillover risk to humans and plausibly explains the origins of some past outbreaks.
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36
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Maugoust J, Orliac MJ. Anatomical correlates and nomenclature of the chiropteran endocranial cast. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2791-2829. [PMID: 37018745 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Bats form a diverse group of mammals that are highly specialized in active flight and ultrasound echolocation. These specializations rely on adaptations that reflect on their morphoanatomy and have been tentatively linked to brain morphology and volumetry. Despite their small size and fragility, bat crania and natural braincase casts ("endocasts") have been preserved in the fossil record, which allows for investigating brain evolution and inferring paleobiology. Advances in imaging techniques have allowed virtual extraction of internal structures, assuming that the shape of the endocast reflects soft organ morphology. However, there is no direct correspondence between the endocast and internal structures because meninges and vascular tissues mark the inner braincase together with the brain they surround, resulting in a mosaic morphology of the endocast. The hypothesis suggesting that the endocast reflects the brain in terms of both external shape and volume has drastic implications when addressing brain evolution, but it has been rarely discussed. To date, only a single study addressed the correspondence between the brain and braincase in bats. Taking advantage of the advent of imaging techniques, we reviewed the anatomical, neuroanatomical, and angiological literature and compare this knowledge available on bat's braincase anatomy with anatomical observations using a sample of endocranial casts representing most modern bat families. Such comparison allows to propose a Chiroptera-scale nomenclature for future descriptions and comparisons among bat endocasts. Describing the imprints of the tissues surrounding the brain also allows to address to what extent brain features can be blurred or hidden (e.g., hypophysis, epiphysis, colliculi, flocculus). Furthermore, this approach encourages further study to formally test the proposed hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Maugoust
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, département CHANGE, équipe Paléontologie, UMR 5554 Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34095, France
| | - Maeva Judith Orliac
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, département CHANGE, équipe Paléontologie, UMR 5554 Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34095, France
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37
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Liang BP, Wingett K, Bosward KL, Taylor MR. Communicating the risks of handling bats: analysing approaches used by Australian stakeholders in the context of Australian bat lyssavirus. Aust Vet J 2023; 101:430-439. [PMID: 37661860 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is a member of the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family and is found in Australian bat species. It is of public health concern because of the rabies-like syndrome it causes in humans, resulting in government health and wildlife agencies using varied communication approaches to inform targeted audiences about zoonotic risks associated with handling bats. Despite these warnings, the number of reports of human-bat interactions remains high. This paper details a survey conducted to analyse the approaches utilised by a range of stakeholders to educate and communicate warnings to their target audiences. The survey focused on identifying the target audiences, communication methods used, along with the message frequency, content, and perceived effectiveness. Analysis of the top three messages delivered by stakeholders revealed that over half were information-focused messages and over a third, instruction-focused. Stakeholders identified the need to balance messaging about bat handling risks with information regarding the vulnerable status of bats and their environmental significance. Whilst the most common and (perceived) effective method of communication was one-on-one discussions, it was also identified to be ineffective for targeting mass audiences leading stakeholders to recognise the need to adapt to more efficient means of communication. The outcomes of this study may be useful to improve risk communication strategies regarding ABLV in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- B P Liang
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Wingett
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K L Bosward
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M R Taylor
- The Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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38
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Yohe LR, Krell NT. An updated synthesis of and outstanding questions in the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in bats: Genetics asks questions only anatomy can answer. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2765-2780. [PMID: 37523493 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The extensive diversity observed in bat nasal chemosensory systems has been well-documented at the histological level. Understanding how this diversity evolved and developing hypotheses as to why particular patterns exist require a phylogenetic perspective, which was first outlined in the work of anatomist Kunwar Bhatnagar. With the onset of genetics and genomics, it might be assumed that the puzzling patterns observed in the morphological data have been clarified. However, there is still a widespread mismatch of genetic and morphological correlations among bat chemosensory systems. Novel genomic evidence has set up new avenues to explore that demand more evidence from anatomical structures. Here, we outline the progress that has been made in both morphological and molecular studies on the olfactory and vomeronasal systems in bats since the work of Bhatnagar. Genomic data of olfactory and vomeronasal receptors demonstrate the strong need for further morphological sampling, with a particular focus on receiving brain regions, glands, and ducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel R Yohe
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
- North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nicholas T Krell
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
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39
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Smith TD. Vespers and vampires: A lifelong microscopic search for the smallest of things. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2670-2680. [PMID: 35202504 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Smith
- School of Physical Therapy, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, USA
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40
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Chen YM, Hu SJ, Lin XD, Tian JH, Lv JX, Wang MR, Luo XQ, Pei YY, Hu RX, Song ZG, Holmes EC, Zhang YZ. Host traits shape virome composition and virus transmission in wild small mammals. Cell 2023; 186:4662-4675.e12. [PMID: 37734372 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Bats, rodents, and shrews are the most important animal sources of human infectious diseases. However, the evolution and transmission of viruses among them remain largely unexplored. Through the meta-transcriptomic sequencing of internal organ and fecal samples from 2,443 wild bats, rodents, and shrews sampled from four Chinese habitats, we identified 669 viruses, including 534 novel viruses, thereby greatly expanding the mammalian virome. Our analysis revealed high levels of phylogenetic diversity, identified cross-species virus transmission events, elucidated virus origins, and identified cases of invertebrate viruses in mammalian hosts. Host order and sample size were the most important factors impacting virome composition and patterns of virus spillover. Shrews harbored a high richness of viruses, including many invertebrate-associated viruses with multi-organ distributions, whereas rodents carried viruses with a greater capacity for host jumping. These data highlight the remarkable diversity of mammalian viruses in local habitats and their ability to emerge in new hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Mei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Shu-Jian Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xian-Dan Lin
- Wenzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325002, China
| | - Jun-Hua Tian
- Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China
| | - Jia-Xin Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Miao-Ruo Wang
- Longquan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Longquan, Zhejiang 323799, China
| | - Xiu-Qi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Rui-Xue Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhi-Gang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yong-Zhen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Greater Bay Area Institute of Precision Medicine (Guangzhou), School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
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Roev GV, Borisova NI, Chistyakova NV, Agletdinov MR, Akimkin VG, Khafizov K. Unlocking the Viral Universe: Metagenomic Analysis of Bat Samples Using Next-Generation Sequencing. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2532. [PMID: 37894190 PMCID: PMC10608967 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized the field of virology by enabling the reading of complete viral genomes, extensive metagenomic studies, and the identification of novel viral pathogens. Although metagenomic sequencing has the advantage of not requiring specific probes or primers, it faces significant challenges in analyzing data and identifying novel viruses. Traditional bioinformatics tools for sequence identification mainly depend on homology-based strategies, which may not allow the detection of a virus significantly different from known variants due to the extensive genetic diversity and rapid evolution of viruses. In this work, we performed metagenomic analysis of bat feces from different Russian cities and identified a wide range of viral pathogens. We then selected sequences with minimal homology to a known picornavirus and used "Switching Mechanism at the 5' end of RNA Template" technology to obtain a longer genome fragment, allowing for more reliable identification. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating advanced computational methods with experimental strategies for identifying unknown viruses to better understand the viral universe.
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Affiliation(s)
- German V. Roev
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, 111123 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University, 115184 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | | | - Nadezhda V. Chistyakova
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Matvey R. Agletdinov
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, 111123 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University, 115184 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | | | - Kamil Khafizov
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, 111123 Moscow, Russia
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42
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Agrawal V, Khulbe Y, Jaiswal V, Paudel K. The abstraction of potentially zoonotic SARS-like coronavirus (BtSY2): A threat to global health. Health Sci Rep 2023; 6:e1590. [PMID: 37779662 PMCID: PMC10539676 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This article highlights the discovery of a new virus lurking in bats in Yunnan province of China. The virus shows phylogenetic and genomic similarity to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which was the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus, named Bat SARS-like virus BtSY2, along with four other viruses, has been named a "virus of concern." Recombination events in the viral genome due to coinfection by multiple viruses in related animal hosts can lead to disease emergence, a process that has repeated itself innumerable times throughout history and has given rise to some major viral pandemics. Zoonotic infections, if not contained at the right time, can cause significant harm to the public health sector as well as the global economy. Studies like this are required to acquire a good understanding of the phylogeny of the virus, mechanisms of its transmission, carriers, probable clinical picture, and similarity to previous outbreaks. This will help to devise preventive strategies and, in case of higher probability and hazardous potential of the disease, develop prototype vaccines and drugs to face the outbreak with adequate preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhor Agrawal
- King George's Medical UniversityLucknowUttar PradeshIndia
| | - Yashita Khulbe
- King George's Medical UniversityLucknowUttar PradeshIndia
| | - Vikash Jaiswal
- Department of Cardiovascular ResearchLarkin Community HospitalSouth MiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Kusum Paudel
- Institute of MedicineTribhuvan University Teaching HospitalKathmanduNepal
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da Cunha TCADS, da Silva FS, da Silva SP, Ribeiro Cruz AC, Paiva FADS, Casseb LMN, do Nascimento ADNS, de Oliveira IAS, Branco MDAC, de Oliveira RAB, Durans DDBS, da Paz TYB, Coelho TFSB. Phylogenetic analysis of rabies surveillance samples from north and northeast Brazil. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1257558. [PMID: 37841469 PMCID: PMC10570608 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1257558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses of the Lyssavirus genus are classified into several genotypes (GT1 to GT7), of which only GT1 (classic rabies virus-RABV) has a cosmopolitan distribution and circulates in Brazil. GT1 is subdivided into several antigenic variants (AgV) maintained in independent cycles with a narrow host range and distinct geographic distributions, namely, AgV1 and AgV2 found in dogs, AgV3 in the vampire bats Desmodus rotundus, and AgV4 and AgV6 in bats non-hematophagous Tadarida brasiliensis and Lasiurus cinereus, a common variant of marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), and crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous). In this study, we performed phylogenetic analysis to identify at the antigenic variant level; six RABV genomes derived from the Rabies Surveillance in the north and northeast regions of Brazil. The analysis resulted in the formation of 11 monophyletic clusters, each corresponding to a particular variant, with high bootstrap support values. The samples were positioned inside the AgV3, AgV6, and Callithrix variant clades. This is the first report of the AgV6 variant found in northern Brazil, which provides valuable information for rabies surveillance in the country. The possibility of viral spillover has been much debated, as it deals with the risk of shifting transmission from a primary to a secondary host. However, more genomic surveillance studies should be performed, with a greater number and diversity of samples to better understand the transmission dynamics of each variant to detect changes in its geographic distribution and spillover events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fábio Silva da Silva
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil
| | - Sandro Patroca da Silva
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil
| | - Ana Cecília Ribeiro Cruz
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Thito Yan Bezerra da Paz
- Department of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers, Evandro Chagas Institute, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil
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Mundinger C, Wolf JM, Gogarten JF, Fierz M, Scheuerlein A, Kerth G. Artificially raised roost temperatures lead to larger body sizes in wild bats. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3977-3984.e4. [PMID: 37633280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming has major consequences for animal populations, as ambient temperature profoundly influences all organisms' physiology, behavior, or both.1 Body size in many organisms has been found to change with increased ambient temperatures due to influences on metabolism and/or access to resources.2,3,4,5,6 Changes in body size, in turn, can affect the dynamics and persistence of populations.7 Notably, in some species, body size has increased over the last decades in response to warmer temperatures.3,8 This has primarily been attributed to higher food availability,3 but might also result from metabolic savings in warmer environments.9,10 Bechstein's bats (Myotis bechsteinii) grow to larger body sizes in warmer summers,11 which affects their demography as larger females reproduce earlier at the expense of a shorter life expectancy.12,13 However, it remains unclear whether larger body sizes in warmer summers were due to thermoregulatory benefits or due to increased food availability. To disentangle these effects, we artificially heated communal day roosts of wild maternity colonies over four reproductive seasons. We used generalized mixed models to analyze these experimental results along with 25 years of long-term data comprising a total of 741 juveniles. We found that individuals raised in heated roosts grew significantly larger than those raised in unheated conditions. This suggests that metabolic savings in warmer conditions lead to increased body size, potentially resulting in the decoupling of body growth from prey availability. Our study highlights a direct mechanism by which climate change may alter fitness-relevant traits, with potentially dire consequences for population persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Mundinger
- Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Janis M Wolf
- Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Jan F Gogarten
- Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany; Department of Pathogen Evolution, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Greifswald, Fleischmannstraße 42, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Marcel Fierz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Scheuerlein
- Institute for Data Science, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Straße 18, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gerald Kerth
- Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
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45
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Sodré DNA, Rossi GAM, Mathias LA, de Andrade Belo MA. Epidemiology and Control of Rabies in Cattle and Equines in Rondônia State, a Brazilian's Legal Amazon Area. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2974. [PMID: 37760375 PMCID: PMC10526067 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Rabies is a fatal neglected tropical zoonosis, and its significance for domestic herbivores in the rural cycle is probably associated with rainforest deforestation, livestock, and agricultural expansion. This epidemiological survey aimed to study the occurrence of rabies in bovines and equines in the state of Rondônia, located in the Brazilian's Legal Amazon, between the years 2002 and 2021, correlating these findings with the prophylactic strategies adopted by the local sanitary agency for rabies control. During this period, 201 cases were observed in bovines and 23 in equines. A downward trend in rabies incidence was observed for both domestic herbivores. Rabies did not show a higher occurrence in any specific time of the year, and epidemic periods varied during some years for bovines and equines. Using the Generalized estimating equations (GEE) method, a multiple model approach was obtained with the explanatory variables significantly associated with the decrease in rabies incidence in cattle and horses during the study period: the ratio of treated bats and ratio of vaccine doses sold. Furthermore, the ratio of printed educative material was positively associated with rabies incidence. Despite a decreasing trend in rabies occurrences in this Amazon rainforest area, likely due to the actions taken by the animal sanitary agency, rabies remains endemic and requires monitoring, as well as prophylactic strategies to control this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora Naihane Alves Sodré
- IDARON—Agency of Agrosilvopastoral Sanitary Defense of Rondônia State, Cacoal 76964-062, RO, Brazil
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Brazil University (UB), Descalvado 13690-000, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Luis Antonio Mathias
- Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil
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Ramírez-Chaves HE, Cardona-Giraldo A, Ossa-López PA, Arias Monsalve HF, Rivera-Páez FA, Morales-Martínez DM. Confirming the presence of Lasiurusfrantzii (Peters, 1870) (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in South America: more questions than answers. Zookeys 2023; 1180:145-157. [PMID: 38318424 PMCID: PMC10843333 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1180.105497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The western or desert red bat, Lasiurusfrantzii, is a cryptic insectivore species distributed in the Neotropics from Mexico south through Central America to Panama. L.frantzii was long considered a subspecies of the red bat, Lasiurusblossevillii, but recently it was elevated to full-species status based on genetic information. Here we present evidence of the presence of L.frantzii in the Andean Region of Colombia, confirming the species' presence in South America; the new record, from 3836 m a.s.l., is also the highest elevation known for the species. We suggest that L.frantzii might be widely distributed in trans-Andean areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and perhaps Peru and Bolivia. However, a review and exploration of additional morphological traits to identify the species are necessary because of the uncertainty of the distribution of L.frantzii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales, Caldas 170004, Colombia
| | - Alexandra Cardona-Giraldo
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales, Caldas 170004, Colombia
| | - Paula A. Ossa-López
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales, Caldas 170004, Colombia
| | - Héctor Fabio Arias Monsalve
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales, Caldas 170004, Colombia
- Centro de Museos, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No 26-10, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Fredy A. Rivera-Páez
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales, Caldas 170004, Colombia
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Peeters M, Champagne M, Ndong Bass I, Goumou S, Ndimbo Kumugo SP, Lacroix A, Esteban A, Meta Djomsi D, Soumah AK, Mbala Kingebeni P, Mba Djonzo FA, Lempu G, Thaurignac G, Mpoudi Ngole E, Kouanfack C, Mukadi Bamuleka D, Likofata J, Muyembe Tamfum JJ, De Nys H, Capelle J, Toure A, Delaporte E, Keita AK, Ahuka Mundeke S, Ayouba A. Extensive Survey and Analysis of Factors Associated with Presence of Antibodies to Orthoebolaviruses in Bats from West and Central Africa. Viruses 2023; 15:1927. [PMID: 37766333 PMCID: PMC10536003 DOI: 10.3390/v15091927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The seroprevalence to orthoebolaviruses was studied in 9594 bats (5972 frugivorous and 3622 insectivorous) from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Guinea, with a Luminex-based serological assay including recombinant antigens of four orthoebolavirus species. Seroprevalence is expressed as a range according to different cut-off calculations. Between 6.1% and 18.9% bat samples reacted with at least one orthoebolavirus antigen; the highest reactivity was seen with Glycoprotein (GP) antigens. Seroprevalence varied per species and was higher in frugivorous than insectivorous bats; 9.1-27.5% versus 1.3-4.6%, respectively. Seroprevalence in male (13.5%) and female (14.4%) bats was only slightly different and was higher in adults (14.9%) versus juveniles (9.4%) (p < 0.001). Moreover, seroprevalence was highest in subadults (45.4%) when compared to mature adults (19.2%), (p < 0.001). Our data suggest orthoebolavirus circulation is highest in young bats. More long-term studies are needed to identify birthing pulses for the different bat species in diverse geographic regions and to increase the chances of detecting viral RNA in order to document the genetic diversity of filoviruses in bats and their pathogenic potential for humans. Frugivorous bats seem more likely to be reservoirs of orthoebolaviruses, but the role of insectivorous bats has also to be further examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Peeters
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (M.C.); (A.L.); (A.E.); (G.T.); (E.D.)
| | - Maëliss Champagne
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (M.C.); (A.L.); (A.E.); (G.T.); (E.D.)
| | - Innocent Ndong Bass
- Centre de Recherche sur les Maladies Emergentes et Réémergentes (CREMER), Yaounde P.O. Box 1857, Cameroon; (I.N.B.); (D.M.D.); (F.A.M.D.); (C.K.)
| | - Souana Goumou
- Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Infectiologie de Guinée (CERFIG), Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Conakry BP6629, Guinea; (S.G.); (A.K.S.); (A.T.); (A.K.K.)
| | - Simon-Pierre Ndimbo Kumugo
- National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (S.-P.N.K.); (P.M.K.); (G.L.); (D.M.B.); (J.-J.M.T.); (S.A.M.)
| | - Audrey Lacroix
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (M.C.); (A.L.); (A.E.); (G.T.); (E.D.)
| | - Amandine Esteban
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (M.C.); (A.L.); (A.E.); (G.T.); (E.D.)
| | - Dowbiss Meta Djomsi
- Centre de Recherche sur les Maladies Emergentes et Réémergentes (CREMER), Yaounde P.O. Box 1857, Cameroon; (I.N.B.); (D.M.D.); (F.A.M.D.); (C.K.)
| | - Abdoul Karim Soumah
- Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Infectiologie de Guinée (CERFIG), Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Conakry BP6629, Guinea; (S.G.); (A.K.S.); (A.T.); (A.K.K.)
| | - Placide Mbala Kingebeni
- National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (S.-P.N.K.); (P.M.K.); (G.L.); (D.M.B.); (J.-J.M.T.); (S.A.M.)
- Service de Microbiologie, Cliniques Universitaires de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Flaubert Auguste Mba Djonzo
- Centre de Recherche sur les Maladies Emergentes et Réémergentes (CREMER), Yaounde P.O. Box 1857, Cameroon; (I.N.B.); (D.M.D.); (F.A.M.D.); (C.K.)
| | - Guy Lempu
- National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (S.-P.N.K.); (P.M.K.); (G.L.); (D.M.B.); (J.-J.M.T.); (S.A.M.)
| | - Guillaume Thaurignac
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (M.C.); (A.L.); (A.E.); (G.T.); (E.D.)
| | - Eitel Mpoudi Ngole
- Centre de Recherche sur les Maladies Emergentes et Réémergentes (CREMER), Yaounde P.O. Box 1857, Cameroon; (I.N.B.); (D.M.D.); (F.A.M.D.); (C.K.)
| | - Charles Kouanfack
- Centre de Recherche sur les Maladies Emergentes et Réémergentes (CREMER), Yaounde P.O. Box 1857, Cameroon; (I.N.B.); (D.M.D.); (F.A.M.D.); (C.K.)
| | - Daniel Mukadi Bamuleka
- National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (S.-P.N.K.); (P.M.K.); (G.L.); (D.M.B.); (J.-J.M.T.); (S.A.M.)
- Service de Microbiologie, Cliniques Universitaires de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jacques Likofata
- Laboratoire Provincial de Mbandaka, Equateur, Democratic Republic of the Congo;
| | - Jean-Jacques Muyembe Tamfum
- National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (S.-P.N.K.); (P.M.K.); (G.L.); (D.M.B.); (J.-J.M.T.); (S.A.M.)
- Service de Microbiologie, Cliniques Universitaires de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Helene De Nys
- Astre, CIRAD, INRAE, University of Montpellier, 34398 Montpellier, France; (H.D.N.); (J.C.)
- Astre, CIRAD, 6 Lanark Road, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Julien Capelle
- Astre, CIRAD, INRAE, University of Montpellier, 34398 Montpellier, France; (H.D.N.); (J.C.)
| | - Abdoulaye Toure
- Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Infectiologie de Guinée (CERFIG), Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Conakry BP6629, Guinea; (S.G.); (A.K.S.); (A.T.); (A.K.K.)
| | - Eric Delaporte
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (M.C.); (A.L.); (A.E.); (G.T.); (E.D.)
| | - Alpha Kabinet Keita
- Centre de Recherche et de Formation en Infectiologie de Guinée (CERFIG), Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Conakry BP6629, Guinea; (S.G.); (A.K.S.); (A.T.); (A.K.K.)
| | - Steve Ahuka Mundeke
- National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo; (S.-P.N.K.); (P.M.K.); (G.L.); (D.M.B.); (J.-J.M.T.); (S.A.M.)
- Service de Microbiologie, Cliniques Universitaires de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 1197, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Ahidjo Ayouba
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (M.C.); (A.L.); (A.E.); (G.T.); (E.D.)
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Cerri A, Bolatti EM, Zorec TM, Montani ME, Rimondi A, Hosnjak L, Casal PE, Di Domenica V, Barquez RM, Poljak M, Giri AA. Identification and characterization of novel alphacoronaviruses in Tadarida brasiliensis (Chiroptera, Molossidae) from Argentina: insights into recombination as a mechanism favoring bat coronavirus cross-species transmission. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0204723. [PMID: 37695063 PMCID: PMC10581097 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02047-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Bats are reservoirs of various coronaviruses that can jump between bat species or other mammalian hosts, including humans. This article explores coronavirus infection in three bat species (Tadarida brasiliensis, Eumops bonariensis, and Molossus molossus) of the family Molossidae from Argentina using whole viral metagenome analysis. Fecal samples of 47 bats from three semiurban or highly urbanized areas of the province of Santa Fe were investigated. After viral particle enrichment, total RNA was sequenced using the Illumina NextSeq 550 instrument; the reads were assembled into contigs and taxonomically and phylogenetically analyzed. Three novel complete Alphacoronavirus (AlphaCoV) genomes (Tb1-3) and two partial sequences were identified in T. brasiliensis (Tb4-5), and an additional four partial sequences were identified in M. molossus (Mm1-4). Phylogenomic analysis showed that the novel AlphaCoV clustered in two different lineages distinct from the 15 officially recognized AlphaCoV subgenera. Tb2 and Tb3 isolates appeared to be variants of the same virus, probably involved in a persistent infectious cycle within the T. brasiliensis colony. Using recombination analysis, we detected a statistically significant event in Spike gene, which was reinforced by phylogenetic tree incongruence analysis, involving novel Tb1 and AlphaCoVs identified in Eptesicus fuscus (family Vespertilionidae) from the U.S. The putative recombinant region is in the S1 subdomain of the Spike gene, encompassing the potential receptor-binding domain of AlphaCoVs. This study reports the first AlphaCoV genomes in molossids from the Americas and provides new insights into recombination as an important mode of evolution of coronaviruses involved in cross-species transmission. IMPORTANCE This study generated three novel complete AlphaCoV genomes (Tb1, Tb2, and Tb3 isolates) identified in individuals of Tadarida brasiliensis from Argentina, which showed two different evolutionary patterns and are the first to be reported in the family Molossidae in the Americas. The novel Tb1 isolate was found to be involved in a putative recombination event with alphacoronaviruses identified in bats of the genus Eptesicus from the U.S., whereas isolates Tb2 and Tb3 were found in different collection seasons and might be involved in persistent viral infections in the bat colony. These findings contribute to our knowledge of the global diversity of bat coronaviruses in poorly studied species and highlight the different evolutionary aspects of AlphaCoVs circulating in bat populations in Argentina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Cerri
- Human Virology Group, Rosario Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBR-CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Elisa M. Bolatti
- Human Virology Group, Rosario Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBR-CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Virology Area, Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, National University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
- Bat Conservation Program of Argentina, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Tomaz M. Zorec
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maria E. Montani
- Bat Conservation Program of Argentina, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
- Dr. Ángel Gallardo Provincial Museum of Natural Sciences, Rosario, Argentina
- Argentine Biodiversity Research Institute (PIDBA), Faculty of Natural Sciences, National University of Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Agustina Rimondi
- Institute of Virology and Technological Innovations (INTA/CONICET), Castelar, Argentina
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lea Hosnjak
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Pablo E. Casal
- DETx MOL S.A. La Segunda Núcleo Corporate Building, Alvear, Argentina
| | - Violeta Di Domenica
- Human Virology Group, Rosario Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBR-CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Bat Conservation Program of Argentina, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Ruben M. Barquez
- Bat Conservation Program of Argentina, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
- Argentine Biodiversity Research Institute (PIDBA), Faculty of Natural Sciences, National University of Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Mario Poljak
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Adriana A. Giri
- Human Virology Group, Rosario Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBR-CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Virology Area, Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, National University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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49
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Mursel S, Conus D, Huang W, Buceta J, Bocchini P. Random field calibration with data on irregular grid for regional analyses: A case study on the bare carrying capacity of bats in Africa. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10489. [PMID: 37701021 PMCID: PMC10493194 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Many applications in science and engineering involve data defined at specific geospatial locations, which are often modeled as random fields. The modeling of a proper correlation function is essential for the probabilistic calibration of the random fields, but traditional methods were developed with the assumption to have observations with evenly spaced data. Available methods dealing with irregularly spaced data generally require either interpolation or computationally expensive solutions. Instead, we propose a simple approach based on least square regression to estimate the autocorrelation function. We first tested our methodology on an artificially produced dataset to assess the performance of our method. The accuracy of the method and its robustness to the level of noise in the data indicate that it is suitable for use in realistic problems. In addition, the methodology was used on a major application, the modeling of animal species connected with zoonotic diseases. Understanding the population dynamics of reservoirs of zoonotic diseases, such as bats, is a crucial first step to predict and prevent potential spillover of deadly viruses like Ebola. Due to the limited data on bats across Africa, their density and migrations can only be studied with probabilistic numerical models based on samples of the ecological bare carrying capacity (K 0 ). For this purpose, the bare carrying capacity was modeled as a random field and its statistics calibrated with the available data. The bare carrying capacity of bats was found to be denser in central Africa. This is because climatic and environmental conditions are more suitable for the survival of bats. The proposed methodology for random field calibration was shown to be a promising approach, which can cope with large gaps in data and with complex applications involving large geographical areas and high resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sena Mursel
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringLehigh UniversityBethlehemPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Daniel Conus
- Department of MathematicsLehigh UniversityBethlehemPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Wei‐Min Huang
- Department of MathematicsLehigh UniversityBethlehemPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Javier Buceta
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC‐UVPaternaSpain
| | - Paolo Bocchini
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringLehigh UniversityBethlehemPennsylvaniaUSA
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50
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Sinnott JT, Kim K, Somboonwit C, Cosnett C, Segal D, Shapshak P. Emergent Risk Group-4 (RG-4) Filoviruses: A paradox in progress. Bioinformation 2023; 19:829-832. [PMID: 37908613 PMCID: PMC10613816 DOI: 10.6026/97320630019829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Filoviruses, categorized as World Health Organization (WHO) Risk Group 4 (RG-4) pathogens, represent significant global health risks due to their extraordinary virulence. The Filoviridae family encompasses Ebola strains such as Sudan, Zaire, Bundibugyo, Tai Forest (formerly known as Ivory Coast), Reston, and Bombali, in addition to the closely related Marburg and Ravn virus strains. Filoviruses originated from a common ancestor about 10,000 years ago and displayed remarkable consistency in genetic heterogeneity until the 20th century. However, they overcame a genetic bottleneck by mid-century. Paradoxically, this resulted in the emergence of boosted virulent strains from the 1970's onward. Filovirus research is included in the NIAID Biodefense Program and utilizes the highest level specialized protective laboratories, Biosafety Laboratory (BSL)-4. The spread of Filoviruses as well as other RG-4 pathogens within Africa poses a significant health threat increasingly both in Africa and out of Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Sinnott
- />Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida 33606. USA
| | - Kami Kim
- />Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida 33606. USA
| | - Charurut Somboonwit
- />Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida 33606. USA
| | - Conor Cosnett
- />Wolfram Research Inc., Champaigne, Illinois 61820 USA
| | - David Segal
- />College of Health Sciences and Public Policy, Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 USA
| | - Paul Shapshak
- />Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida 33606. USA
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