International journal for parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Challenging the phylogenetic relationships among Echinococcus multilocularis isolates from main endemic areas","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a rare but severe disease that affects more than 18,000 people worldwide per year. The complete sequencing of the mitochondrial genome of <em>Echinococcus multilocularis</em> has made it possible to study the genetic diversity of the parasite and its spatial and temporal evolution. We amplified the whole mitochondrial genome by PCR, using one uniplex and two multiplex reactions to cover the 13,738 bp of the mitogenome, and then sequenced the amplicons with Illumina technology. In total, 113 samples from Europe, Asia, the Arctic and North America were analyzed. Three major haplogroups were found: HG1, which clustered samples from Alaska (including Saint-Lawrence Island), Yakutia (Russia) and Svalbard; HG2, with samples from Asia, North America and Europe; and HG3, subdivided into three micro-haplogroups. HG3a included samples from North America and Europe, whereas HG3b and HG3c only include samples from Europe. In France, HG3a included samples from patients more recently diagnosed in a region outside the historical endemic area. A fourth putative haplogroup, HG4, was represented by only one isolate from Olkhon Island (Russia). The increased discriminatory power of the complete sequencing of the <em>E. multilocularis</em> mitogenome has made it possible to highlight four distinct geographical clusters, one being divided into three micro-haplogroups in France.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924001103/pdfft?md5=c44d4ca1242fced2990e0efdff091bef&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924001103-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141179468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring dietary differences among developmental stages of triatomines infected with Trypanosoma cruzi in different habitats","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Chagas disease affects millions of people in Colombia and worldwide, with its transmission influenced by ecological, environmental, and anthropogenic factors. There is a notable correlation between vector transmission cycles and the habitats of insect vectors of the parasite. However, the scale at which these cycles operate remains uncertain. While individual triatomine ecotopes such as palms provide conditions for isolated transmission cycles, recent studies examining triatomine blood sources in various habitats suggest a more intricate network of transmission cycles, linking wild ecotopes with human dwellings. This study aims to provide further evidence on the complexity of the scale of <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em> transmission cycles, by exploring the different blood sources among developmental stages of infected triatomines in different habitats. We evaluated infection rates, parasite loads, feeding sources, and the distribution of <em>Rhodnius prolixus</em> insects in <em>Attalea butyracea</em> palms across three distinct habitats in Casanare, Colombia: peridomestics, pastures, and woodlands. Our results show that there is no clear independence in transmission cycles in each environment. Analyses of feeding sources suggest the movement of insects and mammals (primarily bats and didelphids) among habitats. A significant association was found between habitat and instar stages in collected <em>R. prolixus</em>. The N1 stage was correlated with pasture and woodland, while the N4 stage was related to pasture. Additionally, adult insects exhibited higher <em>T. cruzi</em> loads than N1, N2, and N3. We observed higher <em>T. cruzi</em> loads in insects captured in dwelling and pasture habitats, compared with those captured in woodland areas. Effective Chagas disease control strategies must consider the complexity of transmission cycles and the interplay between domestic and sylvatic populations of mammals and vectors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924001073/pdfft?md5=96a3bbd4f11f3639150ed3d465355083&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924001073-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140957274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ghosts of parasites past influence current non-consumptive effects in Drosophila nigrospiracula","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Parasites can indirectly impact hosts through non-consumptive effects (NCEs) via changes in behaviour, morphology, and/or physiology. These responses can be understood in terms of the ecology of fear (ectoparasites) or the ecology of disgust (endoparasites) framework. We tested the hypothesis that NCEs of parasite exposure (e.g., parasite avoidance and defense) trade off with other important behaviours such as feeding and resting. We predicted that when exposed to parasites (without infection), hosts will increase their defensive behaviors at the expense of feeding. We also posited that history of exposure (without infection), or previous infection would impact the expression of these NCEs. The study system involves a cactophilic fruit fly (<em>Drosophila nigrospiracula</em>) and a naturally occurring parasitic mite (<em>Macrocheles subbadius</em>). First, we assessed how prior mite exposure affected fly behaviour in response to current parasite exposure. Mite presence resulted in increased grooming and movement, but exposure history did not affect these behaviours. However, the interaction between previous and current exposure influenced host feeding and resting behaviours. We found that previously exposed flies increased feeding and decreased resting upon a secondary mite exposure. In a second experiment, we tested the role of infection history on current parasite exposure. Compared with naïve flies, previously infected flies were expected to increase defensive behaviours upon secondary exposure. Flies increased defensive and ambulatory behaviour in the presence of mites, and consequently less time was spent resting but feeding was unaffected. None of the behaviours measured were affected by previous infection status. In general, current parasite exposure resulted in NCEs. Moreover, our results showed that previous exposure (without infection) to parasites may have an even stronger effect upon secondary exposure than infection history. Our study highlights the importance of the ecology of fear and the role that exposure and infection history plays in generating NCEs of parasitism.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002075192400078X/pdfft?md5=071607e5ac2bf5976c8f7eeb0ce9c541&pid=1-s2.0-S002075192400078X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140793131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multiple UDP glycosyltransferases modulate benzimidazole drug sensitivity in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in an additive manner","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Xenobiotic biotransformation is an important modulator of anthelmintic drug potency and a potential mechanism of anthelmintic resistance. Both the free-living nematode <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em> and the ruminant parasite <em>Haemonchus contortus</em> biotransform benzimidazole drugs by glucose conjugation, likely catalysed by UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes. To identify <em>C. elegans</em> genes involved in benzimidazole drug detoxification, we first used a comparative phylogenetic analysis of UGTs from humans<em>, C. elegans</em> and <em>H. contortus,</em> combined with available RNAseq datasets to identify which of the 63 <em>C. elegans ugt</em> genes are most likely to be involved in benzimidazole drug biotransformation<em>.</em> RNA interference knockdown of 15 prioritized <em>C. elegans</em> genes identified those that sensitized animals to the benzimidazole derivative albendazole (ABZ). Genetic mutations subsequently revealed that loss of <em>ugt-9</em> and <em>ugt-11</em> had the strongest effects. The “<em>ugt-9 cluster</em>” includes these genes, together with six other closely related <em>ugt</em>s. A CRISPR-Cas-9 deletion that removed seven of the eight <em>ugt-9 cluster</em> genes had greater ABZ sensitivity than the single largest-effect mutation. Furthermore, a double mutant of <em>ugt-22</em> (which is not a member of the <em>ugt-9 cluster)</em> with the <em>ugt-9 cluster</em> deletion further increased ABZ sensitivity. This additivity of mutant phenotypes suggest that <em>ugt</em> genes act in parallel, which could have several, not mutually exclusive, explanations. <em>ugt</em> mutations have different effects with different benzimidazole derivatives, suggesting that enzymes with different specificities could together more efficiently detoxify drugs. Expression patterns of <em>ugt-9, ugt-11</em> and <em>ugt-22 gfp</em> reporters differ and so likely act in different tissues which may, at least in part, explain their additive effects on drug potency. Overexpression of <em>ugt-9</em> alone was sufficient to confer partial ABZ resistance, indicating increasing total UGT activity protects animals. In summary, our results suggest that the multiple UGT enzymes have overlapping but not completely redundant functions in benzimidazole drug detoxification and may represent “druggable” targets to improve benzimidazole drug potency.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924001097/pdfft?md5=1b485fbd725694b19b4f5bc56ae0cd6f&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924001097-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141161331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"GRA47 is important for the morphology and permeability of the parasitophorous vacuole in Toxoplasma gondii","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Establishing an intact intracellular parasitophorous vacuole (PV) that enables efficient nutrient uptake and protein trafficking is essential for the survival and proliferation of <span><em>Toxoplasma gondii</em></span><span>. Although the PV membrane (PVM)-localized dense granule protein 17 (GRA17) and GRA23 mediate the permeability of the PVM to small molecules, including nutrient uptake and excretion of metabolic by-products, the molecular mechanism by which </span><em>T. gondii</em> acquires nutrients remains unclear. In this study, we showed that the secreted protein GRA47 contributed to normal PV morphology, PVM permeability to small molecules, growth, and virulence in <em>T. gondii</em>. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated potential interaction of GRA47 with GRA72, and the loss of GRA72 affected PV morphology, parasite growth and infectivity. To investigate the biological relationship among GRA47, GRA72, GRA17 and GRA23, attempts were made to construct strains with double gene deletion and overexpressing strains. Only Δ<em>gra</em>23Δ<em>gra72</em> was successfully constructed. This strain exhibited a significant increase in the proportion of aberrant PVs compared with the Δ<em>gra23</em> strain. Overexpressing one of the three related GRAs partially rescued PVs with aberrant morphology in Δ<em>gra47</em>, Δ<em>gra72</em> and Δ<em>gra17</em>, while the expression of the <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> PVM protein <em>Pf</em>Exp2, an ortholog of GRA17 and GRA23, fully rescued the PV morphological defect in all three Δ<em>gra</em> strains. These results suggest that these GRA proteins may not be functionally redundant but rather work in different ways to regulate nutrient acquisition. These findings highlight the versatility of the nutrient uptake mechanisms in <em>T. gondii</em>, which may contribute to the parasite’s remarkable ability to grow in different cellular niches in a very broad range of hosts.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141467798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What shapes a microbiome? Differences in bacterial communities associated with helminth-amphipod interactions.","authors":"Célia Koellsch, Robert Poulin, Priscila M Salloum","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The fast technological advances of molecular tools have enabled us to uncover a new dimension hidden within parasites and their hosts: their microbiomes. Increasingly, parasitologists characterise host microbiome changes in the face of parasitic infections, revealing the potential of these microscopic fast-evolving entities to influence host-parasite interactions. However, most of the changes in host microbiomes seem to depend on the host and parasite species in question. Furthermore, we should understand the relative role of parasitic infections as microbiome modulators when compared with other microbiome-impacting factors (e.g., host size, age, sex). Here, we characterised the microbiome of a single intermediate host species infected by two parasites belonging to different phyla: the acanthocephalan Plagiorhynchus allisonae and a dilepidid cestode, both infecting Transorchestia serrulata amphipods collected simultaneously from the same locality. We used the v4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA prokaryotic gene to identify the hemolymph bacterial community of uninfected, acanthocephalan-infected, and cestode-infected amphipods, as well as the bacteria in the amphipods' immediate environment and in the parasites infecting them. Our results show that parasitic infections were more strongly associated with differences in host bacterial community richness than amphipod size, presence of amphipod eggs in female amphipods, and even parasite load. Amphipods infected by acanthocephalans had the most divergent bacterial community, with a marked decrease in alpha diversity compared with cestode-infected and uninfected hosts. In accordance with the species-specific nature of microbiome changes in parasitic infections, we found unique microbial taxa associating with hosts infected by each parasite species, as well as taxa only shared between a parasite species and their infected hosts. However, there were some bacterial taxa detected in all parasitised amphipods (regardless of the parasite species), but not in uninfected amphipods or the environment. We propose that shared bacteria associated with all hosts parasitised by distantly related helminths may be important either in helping host defences or parasites' success, and could thus interact with host-parasite evolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142107086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The concentration McMaster method for diagnosis of patent Ascaris and Trichuris infections in humans.","authors":"Sozan Kader, Christine E Helmersen, Stig M Thamsborg, Lise T Erikstrup, Peter Nejsum","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In tropical and subtropical regions, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections such as Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworms have a significant impact on public health. Globally, A. lumbricoides infects approximately 0.8 billion people, while T. trichiura infects around 500 million. This study involved a comparison of three diagnostic methods, Kato-Katz and two flotation methods (concentration McMaster, and simple McMaster), for the detection of Ascaris and Trichuris in human faeces. We conducted a comparison of the number of eggs in faeces (or faecal egg counts (FECs)) obtained with these methods using freshly collected samples that were positive for T. trichiura and spiked with a known quantity of Ascaris sp. eggs. Additionally, for the concentration McMaster method we assessed FECs after storing the samples at 5 °C for up to 21 days. The concentration McMaster method demonstrated superiority over the simple McMaster method in terms of higher detection levels for both helminths, while the Kato-Katz method yielded FEC values very close to the 'true' spiking values. Importantly, the concentration McMaster method was considerably easier to read compared with the Kato-Katz method, and it allowed for sample storage at 5 °C for up to 14 days without affecting FEC results. Consequently, we conclude that the concentration McMaster method is an effective and user-friendly alternative for diagnosis of Ascaris and Trichuris infections in humans. Furthermore, it offers the advantage of sample storage before analysis, enhancing flexibility in the workflow.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142107085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chromosome-contiguous genome for the Haecon-5 strain of Haemonchus contortus reveals marked genetic variability and enables the discovery of essential gene candidates.","authors":"Yuanting Zheng, Neil D Young, Tulio L Campos, Pasi K Korhonen, Tao Wang, Sunita B Sumanam, Aya C Taki, Joseph J Byrne, Bill C H Chang, Jiangning Song, Robin B Gasser","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Millions of livestock animals worldwide are infected with the haematophagous barber's pole worm, Haemonchus contortus, the aetiological agent of haemonchosis. Despite the major significance of this parasite worldwide and its widespread resistance to current treatments, the lack of a high-quality genome for the well-defined strain of this parasite from Australia, called Haecon-5, has constrained research in a number of areas including host-parasite interactions, drug discovery and population genetics. To enable research in these areas, we report here a chromosome-contiguous genome (∼280 Mb) for Haecon-5 with high-quality models for 19,234 protein-coding genes. Comparative genomic analyses show significant genomic similarity (synteny) with a UK strain of H. contortus, called MHco3(ISE).N1 (abbreviated as \"ISE\"), but we also discover marked differences in genomic structure/gene arrangements, distribution of nucleotide variability (single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels) and orthology between Haecon-5 and ISE. We used the genome and extensive transcriptomic resources for Haecon-5 to predict a subset of essential single-copy genes employing a \"cross-species\" machine learning (ML) approach using a range of features from nucleotide/protein sequences, protein orthology, subcellular localisation, single-cell RNA-seq and/or histone methylation data available for the model organisms Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. From a set of 1,464 conserved single copy genes, transcribed in key life-cycle stages of H. contortus, we identified 232 genes whose homologs have critical functions in C. elegans and/or D. melanogaster, and prioritised 10 of them for further characterisation; nine of the 10 genes likely play roles in neurophysiological processes, germline, hypodermis and/or respiration, and one is an unknown (orphan) gene for which no detailed functional information exists. Future studies of these genes/gene products are warranted to elucidate their roles in parasite biology, host-parasite interplay and/or disease. Clearly, the present Haecon-5 reference genome and associated resources now underpin a broad range of fundamental investigations of H. contortus and could assist in accelerating the discovery of novel intervention targets and drug candidates to combat haemonchosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142017329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential effects of host competence and schooling behavior on parasite transmission in a host-pathogen system: a test of the dilution effect.","authors":"Shun Zhou, Xiao Jin, Ming Duan, Hong Zou, Ming Li, David J Marcogliese, Guitang Wang, Wenxiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>High species diversity in a community may reduce the risk of infectious disease, termed the dilution effect. However, the generality of the dilution effect in different disease systems remains controversial as both host competence and behaviors of hosts may play roles in dilution or amplification of disease. Using the goldfish (Carassius auratus)-monogenean ectoparasite (Gyrodactylus kobayashii) system, effects of host competence and schooling behavior on parasite transmission were investigated while holding focal host density constant. Following competency tests of 12 fish species as potential hosts for the parasite, infection by G. kobayashii was determined on fins of goldfish mixed with each of three different species based on their level of host competence, including Prussian carp, Carassius gibelio (low competence), grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus (non-competent), swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri (non-competent), and the four species combined. Compared with mean abundance (85.8 ± 25.1) on goldfish in the control group, the mean abundance on goldfish decreased significantly when paired with 10 Prussian carp (30.0 ± 16.5), but did not differ significantly when paired with 10 swordtail (70.0 ± 22.2), 10 grass carp (116.1 ± 33.2), or the multi-species of three Prussian carp, four grass carp and three swordtail (75.9 ± 30.8) during the 11-day experiment. The parasite was also found on the Prussian carp in the Prussian carp group and the multi-species group at a mean abundance of 7.1 and 10.9, respectively. Video recording showed that the school of goldfish mixed well with the Prussian carp, while they maintained separation from the grass carp and swordtail when mixed together. The distance between goldfish increased, and swimming speed and contact time decreased with the additional of other fish species for all groups. The results suggested that the presence of a low-competence host in sufficient numbers was a necessary condition for a dilution effect due to encounter reduction, and the dilution effect may also be enhanced by changes in schooling behavior of goldfish in the presence of low competence hosts. However, the presence of non-competent hosts did not result in any dilution effect owing to the specialist nature of the parasites and the lack of mixing with schools of goldfish.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141987900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Micro RNA profiles of host extracellular vesicles are modulated by Ascaris suum infection but parasite extracellular vesicle miRNAs are systemically undetectable using in-depth miRNA sequencing.","authors":"Bradley Whitehead, Litten Sørensen Rossen, Mads Zippor, Anders T Boysen, Vineesh Indira Chandran, Per Skallerup, Stig M Thamsborg, Peter Nejsum","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The intestinal helminth Ascaris lumbricoides infects over 800 million people. Infections are often chronic and immunity is not sterilizing due to host-immune modulation, therefore reinfection is common after antihelmintic treatment. We have previously demonstrated a role for Ascaris spp. extracellular vesicles (EVs) in host immune modulation but whether EVs are recognized by the adaptive immune system and are present systemically in the host remains unknown. Therefore, we employed a well-established trickle infection model in pigs to mimic natural Ascaris infection in humans. EVs were isolated from adult Ascaris suum followed by immunoblotting of EV and EV-depleted secretory fractions using plasma from infected and uninfected pigs. Next, EVs were isolated from pig plasma at day 56 post first infection and subjected to deep small RNAseq analysis. RNAs were aligned to A. suum and Sus scrofa miRNA complements to detect A. suum EVs and elucidate the host EV micro RNA (miRNA) response to infection, respectively. Infection generates robust antibody responses against A. suum EVs that is distinct from EV-depleted fractions. However, A. suum miRNAs were not detectable in EVs from the peripheral blood. Notably, host plasma-derived EV miRNA profiles showed significant changes between infected and uninfected pigs, indicating that Ascaris infection drives systemic changes in host EV composition.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141906580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}