International journal for parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Mining natural history collections for molecular treasures: mitogenomes and nuclear ribosomal transcription units of proteocephalid tapeworms (Onchoproteocephalidea) via genome skimming","authors":"Philippe Vieira Alves,&nbsp;Reinaldo José da Silva,&nbsp;Daniel Janies,&nbsp;William Taylor,&nbsp;April Harris,&nbsp;Gari New,&nbsp;Denis Jacob Machado","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.12.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.12.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The potential of natural history collections to address biological questions has been increasingly recognized with the advent of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and museomics approaches. However, their use remains largely underexplored for most taxonomic groups. This is particularly true for proteocephalid cestodes (Onchoproteocephalidea I), for which extensive material is available in helminthological collections. Here, we subjected ethanol-preserved specimens deposited in two helminthological collections to HTS using a genome skimming approach. This allowed us to recover dozens of mitogenomes and nuclear ribosomal transcription units (rTUs) and to place them within a phylogenetic framework. We generated 88 complete or partial mitogenomes and rTUs. These samples correspond to 78 species in 43 genera from all continents except Antarctica, including parasites of fishes (86 %), snakes, monitor lizards, and the common opossum. Comparative analyses revealed highly conserved mitochondrial content and architecture, following the typical pattern recognized for proteocephalid cestodes. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on concatenated mitogenomes and rTUs datasets were largely concordant with the most comprehensive phylogenies published to date, with several informal clades also recognized in this study: the “<em>Proteocephalus</em>-aggregate”, the “African fish clade”, Clade K of the “cosmopolitan reptilian clade”, and the “Neotropical fish superclade”. However, improved resolution was obtained in the parsimony analyses for early-diverging lineages represented by Old World cestodes of the subfamilies Acanthotaeniinae and Gangesiinae. Also, we identified the MT-ND5 gene as the most informative under the parsimony criterion, whereas the most frequently sampled MT-CO1 proved far less phylogenetically informative. The data generated here provide a solid foundation for future multilocus phylogenetic and comparative studies of cestodes and highlight the value of genome skimming using decades-old archived samples. New avenues for exploring the evolutionary history of proteocephalid cestodes are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"56 7","pages":"Article 104762"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145800436","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":"Long-term presence of emerging pathogens in island honey bee colonies","authors":"Micaela Sánchez-Aroca,&nbsp;Irene Muñoz,&nbsp;Pilar De la Rúa,&nbsp;Vicente Martínez-López","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.104767","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.104767","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Honey bees are recognised as the primary pollinators of most agricultural crops and numerous wild plant species worldwide. However, the colony losses reported over recent decades pose a serious threat to this essential ecosystem service. The spread of pathogens has been identified as a significant factor contributing to the decline of honey bee populations. Consequently, there is a considerable interest in expanding our knowledge on the prevalence of emerging pathogens on honey bee colonies, particularly trypanosomatids and neogregarines. Herein, we conducted a spatio-temporal analysis of the prevalence of trypanosomatids (<em>Lotmaria passim</em> and <em>Crithidia mellificae</em>) and a neogregarine (<em>Apicystis bombi</em>) in honey bee populations across the Canary Islands sampled over a 20-year period (1998–2017). We also examined whether pathogen prevalence was associated with the introduction of foreign honey bee queens to the islands and the implementation of a conservation programme of the local Canarian black honey bee. Our results indicate that <em>L. passim</em> has been present in the Canary Islands since at least 1998, whereas <em>C. mellificae</em> was not detected. This finding represents the earliest known global record of the <em>L. passim</em> worldwide. <em>Apicystis bombi</em> was found on several islands during the study period, though at low frequency. The prevalence of <em>L. passim</em> did not exhibit any correlation with the introduction of foreign honey bee queens, unlike other pathogens and parasites such as <em>Nosema ceranae</em> and <em>Varroa destructor</em>. Notably, the implementation of long-standing conservation measures in La Palma was associated with a higher prevalence of <em>L. passim</em> compared to Gran Canaria<em>.</em> These results suggest that <em>L. passim</em> may have been present in the Canary Islands prior to the introduction of foreign honey bees in recent decades. Further analyses of historical samples from additional regions, particularly from geographically isolated areas such as islands, are necessary to untangle the spread history of <em>L. passim</em> in honey bee populations<em>.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"56 7","pages":"Article 104767"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145889106","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":"Contrasting study designs reveal nuance in heterozygosity-parasite associations in the wild","authors":"Katherine E.L. Worsley-Tonks,&nbsp;Stacey L. Lance,&nbsp;Vanessa O. Ezenwa","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.104763","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.104763","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs) are widely used to explore the effects of inbreeding in wild populations. However, the biological significance of HFCs has been the subject of intense debate, and it has been suggested that the magnitude and direction of these correlations may be context-dependent (e.g., vary with different host characteristics or environmental conditions). We tested this hypothesis in a free-ranging population of Grant’s gazelles (<em>Nanger granti</em>). Specifically, we tested for associations between standardized multilocus heterozygosity (sMLH) and endoparasite infections, and examined how these relationships varied with animal age, sex and environmental context (e.g., seasonality). We used three approaches: a cross-sectional approach focusing on 103 individuals sampled at a single time point, a longitudinal approach focusing on 25 naturally infected individuals sampled over 12 months, and an experimental approach in which 15 individuals were cleared of their parasites and parasite re-accumulation was tracked over 12 months. We found that the presence of heterozygosity-parasite associations varied with study design and context. Cross-sectional patterns varied with environmental context, whereas the longitudinal analysis revealed host trait-specific HFCs, and the experiment established a causal link between heterozygosity and parasitism. Overall, our longer-term study approaches indicated that higher levels of heterozygosity are associated with lower parasite burdens, underscoring the value of longitudinal and experimental approaches for detecting HFCs in wild populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"56 7","pages":"Article 104763"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145855818","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":"NcROP24 loss attenuates Neospora caninum virulence and alters rhoptry organization","authors":"Rafael Amieva,&nbsp;Laura Rico-San Román,&nbsp;Montserrat Coronado,&nbsp;Jessica Powell,&nbsp;Musa A. Hassan,&nbsp;Andrew Hemphill,&nbsp;Ghalia Boubaker,&nbsp;Christiane Pfarrer,&nbsp;Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora,&nbsp;Esther Collantes-Fernández,&nbsp;Pilar Horcajo","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104770","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104770","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Neospora caninum</em> is an apicomplexan parasite responsible for bovine neosporosis, a leading cause of abortion and economic loss in cattle worldwide. Despite its veterinary significance, the molecular mechanisms underlying parasite virulence and host-pathogen interaction remain poorly understood. In particular, the contribution of rhoptry proteins, key secretory effectors involved in host cell invasion and immune modulation, has yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we investigate NcROP24, a previously understudied rhoptry protein whose expression correlates with isolate virulence. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated NcROP24 knock-out mutants (<em>Nc</em>Δ<em>ROP24</em>) by deleting all three genomic copies and confirmed loss of expression with a single‐copy insertion of a selectable marker <em>DHFR-TS</em>. In a pregnant mouse model, <em>Nc</em>Δ<em>ROP24</em> parasites displayed markedly reduced congenital transmission, higher neonatal survival, and lower maternal brain parasite burdens compared to wild‐type controls, demonstrating significant attenuation of systemic and vertical infection. Also, in bovine monocyte‐derived macrophages, <em>Nc</em>Δ<em>ROP24</em> tachyzoites showed impaired intracellular growth. Dual RNA‐seq of infected macrophages revealed that <em>Nc</em>Δ<em>ROP24</em> loss prevents the parasite from reprogramming key host metabolic and degradative pathways, instead promoting a stress‐induced, lipogenic state that favours clearance. Concurrently, parasites lacking NcROP24 upregulated stress‐associated transcripts and downregulated additional secreted effectors, indicating a shift away from aggressive proliferation. Together, these findings establish NcROP24 as a key factor of <em>N. caninum</em> pathogenicity. By defining its role in host-pathogen interactions, our work highlights NcROP24 as a promising target for next‐generation vaccines or therapeutics against bovine neosporosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"56 7","pages":"Article 104770"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145943508","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":"Uptake of Ascaridia galli extracellular vesicles by chicken immune cells varies according to worm sex and in vitro culture duration","authors":"Anna Sophia Feix,&nbsp;Konstantinos Papanikolaou,&nbsp;Rikke Brødsgaard Kjærup,&nbsp;Chanaka Premathilaka,&nbsp;Suranga Kodithuwakku,&nbsp;Alireza Fazeli,&nbsp;Anders Miki Bojesen,&nbsp;Carolina Corral Yélamos,&nbsp;Tina Sørensen Dalgaard","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.104765","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.104765","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ascaridia galli</em> (<em>A. galli</em>), a parasitic roundworm that infects chickens poses an economic burden in poultry farming, as it causes ascaridiosis—a disease leading to reduced growth, lower egg production, and immunosuppression. Recently, interest has grown in the parasite’s extracellular vesicles (EVs), as they modulate host immune responses and play a key role in host-pathogen interactions. This study aimed to optimize in vitro EV-production from <em>A. galli</em> and assess their uptake by chicken immune cells important for EV mediated host-pathogen communication. Adult worms were collected from infected chickens, sex-sorted, washed, and cultured in vitro. EVs were isolated at various time points using size exclusion chromatography and characterized. DiO-stained EVs were evaluated for uptake into chicken intestinal epithelial cells, macrophages, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and whole blood leukocytes using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy after 4 and 24 h incubation with the parasite derived vesicles. EV-uptake increased significantly from 4 h to 24 h across all tested cell types. Female-derived EVs collected after 24 h of worm culture gave rise to higher uptake than male-derived EVs. However, at the 40 h time point, male EVs gave rise to greater uptake, though overall EV internalization was reduced compared to the 24 h time point. Uptake efficiency varied depending on the EV collection time as well as the host cell type. These findings suggest that both the sex of the worm and the duration of culture influence EV uptake, with 24 h emerging as the optimal in vitro culture duration for production of <em>A. galli</em> derived EVs with potent biological functions. The sex-specific differences highlight potential functional diversity in EV mediated host-pathogen interactions, which need to be assessed in future studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"56 7","pages":"Article 104765"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145878273","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":"Hidden digenean diversity in two African protected areas: metabarcoding as a tool for parasite identification.","authors":"Anya V Tober, Bonnie Webster, Danny Govender, Jo Cable, Isa-Rita M Russo","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104918","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104918","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>African protected areas support exceptional wildlife diversity, yet their parasite diversity remains poorly characterised. Documenting parasite biodiversity is increasingly urgent as global change alters species distributions and threatens to cause mass parasite extinctions. Digenean trematodes are thought to be particularly sensitive to environmental stressors due to their complex life cycles, involving gastropod intermediate hosts and a wide range of secondary and definitive hosts. This study used a metabarcoding approach targeting the nuclear 28S rDNA region with the aim of characterising trematode communities within freshwater snail hosts from two southern African protected areas: Kruger National Park, (KNP), South Africa and Bwabwata National Park (BNP), Namibia. Additionally, patterns of alpha diversity and trematode co-infection across snail species were assessed within both parks. Metabarcoding revealed high trematode diversity and co-infection rates in snail hosts, detecting species of veterinary (Schistosoma mattheei, Fasciola gigantica) and conservation (Riberioa cf. ondatrae) importance, across different snail species in both parks. The invasive snail Tarebia granifera in KNP showed significantly higher trematode richness compared to all other snail species, with all sampled individuals showing co-infection. Metabarcoding is a promising tool for assessing parasite diversity and within host communities, although there is an urgent need for improved trematode molecular reference databases. This work has important implications for biodiversity management, veterinary health and public health surveillance in African wildlife protected areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104918"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148360328","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":"Nearly bitten, twice shy: effects of prior and current parasite exposure on host mating behaviour.","authors":"Sidney C Mann, Simar K Dhillon, Lien T Luong","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104917","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104917","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parasite exposure without infection can lead to risk-induced trait responses with potential costs to host fitness or non-consumptive effects (NCEs). The various ways in which NCEs can manifest has gained considerable research attention, but the NCEs of parasite exposure on host mating behaviour remain unknown. Using a host-parasite system involving cactophilic flies (Drosophila nigrospiracula) and ectoparasitic mites (Macrocheles subbadius), we investigated the effects of current and prior parasite exposure (sans infection) on host mating behaviour. Current exposure did not influence host mating behaviour. However, female flies previously exposed to mites exhibited increased copulation latency, and were less likely to mate or be courted by males, suggesting that prior exposure makes females less receptive to mating, or that previously exposed females are less attractive to males. On average, previously exposed males invested less time per mating. Our results demonstrate that prior exposure potentially leads to a trade-off between reproduction and parasite defense even after exposure has ended, likely in favour of increased vigilance and parasite avoidance. While other studies have examined the impact of infection on host behaviour, this study represents the first investigation of NCEs on host mating behaviour. Additionally, our findings suggest that the NCEs of parasite exposure without infection could play an important role in parasite-mediated sexual selection.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104917"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148338424","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":"Bringing order to chaos: A new classification of avian schistosomes and their genetic lineages in the context of swimmer's itch.","authors":"Caroline J Kibet, Roman Kuchta, Petra Kundid, Christian Selbach, Roman Leontovyč, Jana Bulantová, Miroslava Soldánová","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104904","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104904","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schistosomes are parasitic flatworms that infect birds and mammals, including humans, using gastropods as intermediate hosts. Despite their ecological and medical importance, the taxonomy of avian schistosomes is poorly understood due to morphological similarity and patchy molecular data. Here, we present the global synthesis of avian schistosome diversity integrating all available sequence data for three genetic markers (cox1, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and 28S rDNA) with newly obtained samples from snails and birds across Europe. Among the markers, cox1 proved to be the most sensitive and reliable for species delimitation and is recommended as the primary barcode for future studies. We identified 25 molecularly confirmed species, representing 29% of the 85 nominal species worldwide, and a further 52 unnamed genetic lineages that may correspond to morphologically known but molecularly unconfirmed species or represent new species. In Europe, we have recognised seven named species and 12 genetic lineages, including six newly discovered lineages based on material obtained from our field collections. To facilitate uniform taxonomy and comparative research, we propose a standardised molecular framework for naming undescribed avian schistosome lineages. Although the morphology of avian schistosome cercariae offers limited taxonomic resolution due to high interspecific similarity, two distinct morphotypes were identified that generally correspond to infections in lymnaeid and planorbid snail hosts.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104904"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148301641","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":"Assessing myxozoan diversity in fish: microscopy-based detection versus high-throughput amplicon sequencing.","authors":"Peng Ding, Xiao Yi Zhang, En Bang Shao, Fan Zhou, Yang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104905","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104905","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurately assessing the diversity of myxozoans (Cnidaria) continues to pose a significant taxonomic challenge. Here we evaluated the efficacy of microscopy-based detection in comparison to high-throughput amplicon sequencing by exhaustively screening 942 organ samples from 108 wild fish collected in Lake Weishan, China. Macroscopic and microscopic examination of various fish organs detected only three myxozoan species in 20.4% of the fish, whereas amplicon sequencing achieved 100% detection at the host level and identified 12,672 high-quality amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) that represent at least 102 distinct myxozoan species. Of these, 57 species could be matched to reference sequences, while the remaining 45 lineages constitute putative undescribed species. Species richness varied significantly among hosts (ranging from 24 to 77 species per fish species) and organs (ranging from 2 to 47 species per organ type within each fish species), with gills most frequently exhibiting the highest diversity. Seventy species were found in two or more fish species, and 77 species were detected in multiple organs. Our findings demonstrate that microscopy-based surveys substantially underestimate the diversity of myxozoans and offer the first quantitative framework for future large-scale ecological and pathological investigations of myxozoans.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104905"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148301638","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":"Spatial expression analysis and target prediction give insight into microRNA function in the model cestode Hymenolepis microstoma.","authors":"Andrés Grecco, Natalia Macchiaroli, Marcela Alejandra Cucher, Uriel Koziol, Mara Cecilia Rosenzvit","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104903","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104903","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tapeworms (class Cestoda) of the genus Hymenolepis are etiological agents of hymenolepiasis, the most prevalent cestode infection in humans, which especially affects children, causing a significant public health impact. Tapeworms have complex life cycles, undergoing morphological and physiological transformations that need precise control of genetic expression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that regulate gene expression post transcriptionally, with a prominent role in developmental processes. Previously, we described the microRNA (miRNA) repertoire of Hymenolepis microstoma, a validated laboratory model of the Hymenolepis genus. Here, we aimed to further characterize miRNAs from this parasite, focusing on miR-71, a miRNA previously associated with developmental transitions and potentially involved in cestode infection progression. We identified, for the first time, the predicted miRNA target genes of H. microstoma and H. nana, representing more than 14% of total genes of each parasite. We found that miR-71 was the miRNA with the highest number of predicted target genes, and several of them were related to developmental processes. Here we also characterized, for the first time, the spatial expression of miRNAs in whole H. microstoma specimens. The analysis showed that miR-71 displayed broad expression across tissues, including germinative, nervous, and muscular systems, supporting a central regulatory role. Notably, it was also detected in germinative cells, the only mitotically active population responsible for generating all differentiated cell types. In contrast, the highly conserved miR-1 had a highly restricted expression pattern, predominantly localized in myocytes. This study improves characterization of tapeworm miRNAs and paves the way for future experimental research in cestode biology, providing, as well, a source for identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the control of cestodiasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"104903"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148271211","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}