International journal for parasitology最新文献

{"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":"54 11","pages":"Pages 559-568"},"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":"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":"54 11","pages":"Pages 569-582"},"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":"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":"54 11","pages":"Pages 551-558"},"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":"54 11","pages":"Pages 535-549"},"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":"54 11","pages":"Pages 583-596"},"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":"Bayesian estimation of the sensitivity and specificity of coprological and serological diagnostic tests for the detection of Ascaris suum infection on pig farms","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Coprological and serological diagnostic tests were compared to define the status of a pig farm with regard to <em>Ascaris suum</em>. On each of the 100 farms in France visited for the study, 10 blood samples were taken from pigs at the end of fattening (at least 22 weeks old) and 20 to 30 faecal samples were taken, depending on the category of animals present on the farm (10 sows, 10 piglets aged 10 to 12 weeks and 10 pigs at the end of fattening, aged at least 22 weeks). A SERASCA® ELISA test (Laboratory of Parasitology, Ghent University) was performed on each blood sample (cut-off 0.5) and a coprological analysis on each faecal sample. A Bayesian approach was used to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the coprological and serological tests. A farm was considered positive if at least one <em>A. suum</em> egg was observed in the faecal samples. With regard to the serological test, various hypotheses were tested in order to define the number of seropositive animals required to consider a farm positive for <em>A. suum</em>. The coprological test has very good specificity in the search for <em>A. suum</em>, whether 20 or 30 samples are taken per farm. However, even with an increase in the number of samples, the sensitivity of this diagnostic approach is very low (less than 30%). On the other hand, the serological diagnostic method, which consists of taking blood samples from 10 animals at the end of fattening, has good sensitivity and seems better suited to defining the status of a farm with regard to <em>A. suum</em>, provided that a farm is considered seropositive only if two out of 10 samples are positive.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 10","pages":"Pages 523-533"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924000808/pdfft?md5=a406f431556c5d7ac96323016073abfe&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924000808-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140766302","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 the second intermediate hosts and morphology of human- and cat-specific Opisthorchis viverrini-like populations","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Infection by the zoonotic fish-borne trematode, <em>Opisthorchis viverrini,</em> remains a crucial health issue in Thailand and neighboring countries. Recently, molecular analysis revealed two populations of putative <em>O. viverrini</em>: one found primarily in human hosts (“human-specific” population) and the other primarily in cats (“cat-specific” population). It is unclear how the infective stages (metacercariae) of these different populations circulate among definitive and reservoir hosts in nature. To gain an insight into this, mitochondrial <em>cox</em>1 and <em>nad</em>1 gene sequences of metacercariae from fish intermediate hosts were examined. None of 192 metacercariae from cyprinid fish in Lao PDR and Thailand had sequences typical of “cat-specific” <em>O. viverrini</em>, suggesting that cyprinid fish are not the main second intermediate hosts of this population. Interestingly, all 20 <em>O. viverrini</em>-like metacercariae from snakehead fish (<em>Channa striata</em>) shared 99.51–100% sequence identity with eggs from cats naturally infected in a previous study. Hence, we propose a modification of the known transmission dynamics of <em>O. viverrini</em>: consumption of metacercariae within snakehead fish provides another pathway for cats and (occasionally) humans to acquire infection. We also performed morphological comparisons of eggs, metacercariae, and adult flukes (raised in hamsters) of both <em>Opisthorchis</em> populations. The “cat-specific” population has eggs that are narrower and adults that are shorter and wider than in the human-specific population. The metacercaria of the “cat-specific” population is elliptical, while that of the “human-specific” population is oval, occasionally rounded. Our results confirmed that <em>O. viverrini</em>-like metacercariae from snakehead fish are the infective stages of the “cat-specific” fluke. This provides a new insight into the dissemination and transmission of each population in the second intermediate host. The identity of the cat-specific population is discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 10","pages":"Pages 497-506"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140762471","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":"Novel CRISPR-Cas-powered pen-side test for East Coast fever","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Theileria parva</em> <!-->causes East Coast fever (ECF), one of the most important and lethal tick-borne diseases of cattle in sub-Saharan Africa. ECF is a considerable burden to the livestock industry, causing annual losses exceeding US $300 million. Currently, diagnosis of <em>T. parva</em> infections relies mainly on clinical signs, serology, and microscopic identification of parasites in either blood or lymph fluid samples. However, some of these tests might not indicate ongoing infection and they all lack the sensitivity to detect low-level infections. Molecular tests such as nested and quantitative PCR assays offer high sensitivity for detection of <em>T. parva</em>. However, these tests remain highly complex technologies that are impractical to use in resource-limited settings where economic losses due to the disease have the most significant impact. A field-deployable, point-of-care test will be of significant value in the treatment and control of ECF in endemic areas. For this purpose, we have developed a CRISPR-Cas12a-based pen-side tool that can sensitively and specifically detect <em>T. parva</em> based on the p104 gene. We describe a streamlined, field-applicable diagnostic tool comprising a 20 min recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) reaction followed by a 60 min CRISPR-Cas12a reaction using a FAM/Biotin lateral flow strip readout. We tested two different RPA primer pairs and four different CRISPR-RNAs (crRNAs). The p104-based assay displayed high sensitivity, detecting as low as one infected lymphocyte per three microliters of blood and universally detecting eight different <em>T</em>. <em>parva</em> strains without detecting DNA from other <em>Theileria</em> spp. such as <em>Theileria mutans</em> and <em>Theileria lestoquardi.</em> This work opens the way for a field-applicable diagnostic tool for the sensitive point-of-care early diagnosis of <em>T. parva</em> infections in cattle.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 10","pages":"Pages 507-521"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924000791/pdfft?md5=78a5296214bd5de6acc7e548081dd6fe&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924000791-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140770583","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":"Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) derived from Leishmania and bacteria increase gene expression of antimicrobial peptides and gut surface proteins in sand flies","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The interaction between pathogens and vectors’ physiology can impact parasite transmission. Studying this interaction at the molecular level can help in developing control strategies. We study leishmaniases, diseases caused by <em>Leishmania</em> parasites transmitted by sand fly vectors, posing a significant global public health concern. Lipophosphoglycan (LPG), the major surface glycoconjugate of <em>Leishmania</em>, has been described to have several roles throughout the parasite’s life cycle, both in the insect and vertebrate hosts. In addition, the sand fly midgut possesses a rich microbiota expressing lipopolysaccharides (LPS). However, the effect of LPG and LPS on the gene expression of sand fly midgut proteins or immunity effectors has not yet been documented. We experimentally fed <em>Lutzomyia longipalpis</em> and <em>Phlebotomus papatasi</em> sand flies with blood containing purified LPG from <em>Leishmania infantum</em>, <em>Leishmania major</em>, or LPS from <em>Escherichia coli</em>. The effect on the expression of genes encoding gut proteins galectin and mucin, digestive enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) attacin and defensins was assessed by quantitative PCR (qPCR). The gene expression of a mucin-like protein in <em>L. longipalpis</em> was increased by <em>L. infantum</em> LPG and <em>E. coli</em> LPS. The gene expression of a galectin was increased in <em>L. longipalpis</em> by <em>L. major</em> LPG, and in <em>P. papatasi</em> by <em>E. coli</em> LPS. Nevertheless, the gene expression of trypsins and chymotrypsins did not significantly change. On the other hand, both <em>L. infantum</em> and <em>L. major</em> LPG significantly enhanced expression of the AMP attacin in both sand fly species and defensin in <em>L. longipalpis</em>. In addition, <em>E. coli</em> LPS increased the expression of attacin and defensin in <em>L. longipalpis</em>. Our study showed that <em>Leishmania</em> LPG and <em>E. coli</em> LPS differentially modulate the expression of sand fly genes involved in gut maintenance and defence. This suggests that the glycoconjugates from microbiota or <em>Leishmania</em> may increase the vector’s immune response and the gene expression of a gut coating protein in a permissive vector.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 10","pages":"Pages 485-495"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924000754/pdfft?md5=ef1b1513e03bd7764d678541142e77e2&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924000754-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140793675","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":"New member of Plasmodium (Vinckeia) and Plasmodium cyclopsi discovered in bats in Sierra Leone – nuclear sequence and complete mitochondrial genome analyses","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Malaria remains the most important arthropod-borne infectious disease globally. The causative agent, <em>Plasmodium,</em> is a unicellular eukaryote that develops inside red blood cells. Identifying new <em>Plasmodium</em> parasite species that infect mammalian hosts can shed light on the complex evolution and diversity of malaria parasites. Bats feature a high diversity of microorganisms including seven separate genera of malarial parasites. Three species of <em>Plasmodium</em> have been reported so far, for which scarce reports exist. Here we present data from an investigation of <em>Plasmodium</em> infections in bats in the western Guinean lowland forest in Sierra Leone. We discovered a new <em>Plasmodium</em> parasite in the horseshoe bat <em>Rhinolophus landeri</em>. <em>Plasmodium cyclopsi</em> infections in a member of leaf-nosed bats, <em>Doryrhina cyclops,</em> exhibited a high prevalence of 100%. Phylogenetic analysis of complete mitochondrial genomes and nine nuclear markers recovered a close relationship between <em>P. cyclopsi</em> and the new <em>Plasmodium</em> parasite with the rodent species <em>Plasmodium berghei</em>, a widely used <em>in vivo</em> model to study malaria in humans. The data suggests that the “rodent/bat” <em>Plasmodium</em> (<em>Vinckeia)</em> clade represents a diverse group of malarial parasites that would likely expand with a systematic sampling of small mammals in tropical Africa. Identifying the bat <em>Plasmodium</em> repertoire is central to our understanding of the evolution of <em>Plasmodium</em> parasites in mammals.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 10","pages":"Pages 475-484"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924001085/pdfft?md5=eb2f710268bdc9cfda46e390f40e3f45&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924001085-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140957278","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}