International journal for parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Strong mitonuclear discordance in the phylogeny of Neodermata and evolutionary rates of Polyopisthocotylea","authors":"Dong Zhang ,&nbsp;Ivan Jakovlić ,&nbsp;Hong Zou ,&nbsp;Fei Liu ,&nbsp;Chuan-Yu Xiang ,&nbsp;Qunzong Gusang ,&nbsp;Sonam Tso ,&nbsp;Shenggui Xue ,&nbsp;Wen-Jin Zhu ,&nbsp;Zhenxin Li ,&nbsp;Jihua Wu ,&nbsp;Gui-Tang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The genomic evolution of Polyopisthocotylea remains poorly understood in comparison to the remaining three classes of Neodermata: Monopisthocotylea, Cestoda, and Trematoda. Moreover, the evolutionary sequence of major events in the phylogeny of Neodermata remains unresolved. Herein we sequenced the mitogenome and transcriptome of the polyopisthocotylean <em>Diplorchis</em> sp., and conducted comparative evolutionary analyses using nuclear (nDNA) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) genomic datasets of Neodermata. We found strong mitonuclear discordance in the phylogeny of Neodermata. Polyopisthocotylea exhibited striking mitonuclear discordance in relative evolutionary rates: the fastest-evolving mtDNA in Neodermata and a comparatively slowly-evolving nDNA genome. This was largely attributable to its very long stem branch in mtDNA topologies, not exhibited by the nDNA data. We found indications that the fast evolution of mitochondrial genomes of Polyopisthocotylea may be driven both by relaxed purifying selection pressures and elevated levels of directional selection. We identified mitochondria-associated genes encoded in the nuclear genome: they exhibited unique evolutionary rates, but not correlated with the evolutionary rate of mtDNA, and there is no evidence for compensatory evolution (they evolved slower than the rest of the genome). Finally, there appears to exist an exceptionally large (≈6.3 kb) nuclear mitochondrial DNA segment (numt) in the nuclear genome of newly sequenced <em>Diplorchis</em> sp. A 3′-end segment of the 16S rRNA gene encoded by the numt was expressed, suggesting that this gene acquired novel, regulatory functions after the transposition to the nuclear genome. In conclusion, Polyopisthocotylea appears to be the lineage with the fastest-evolving mtDNA sequences among all of Bilateria, but most of the substitutions were accumulated deep in the evolutionary history of this lineage. As the nuclear genome does not exhibit a similar pattern, the circumstances underpinning this evolutionary phenomenon remain a mystery.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 5","pages":"Pages 213-223"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139374036","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":"Development of adult Dirofilaria immitis worms in the Rag2/Il-2rγ-/- mouse model","authors":"Frederic Risch ,&nbsp;Carolin Ludwig-Erdmann ,&nbsp;Achim Hoerauf ,&nbsp;Heinz Sager ,&nbsp;Marc P. Hübner","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.01.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Dirofilaria immitis</em> is the causative agent for one of the major parasitic infections in dogs. It is currently not possible to reliably diagnose the infection before the development of fertile adult female worms and the presence of microfilariae which takes six to 7 months. However, at this point adult worms already reside in the pulmonary arteries and can cause significant damage. Novel in vivo models may facilitate the development of new diagnostic tools and improve treatment options for both the early and late stages of <em>D. immitis</em> infections. In this paper, we aimed to increase the capabilities of recently published mouse models in which severely immune-deficient mice were shown to be susceptible to <em>D. immitis</em>. Our data shows that <em>D. immitis</em> may grow into fully developed mature male and female worms in C57BL/6 <em>Rag2/Il-2rγ^-/-</em> mice with comparable growth rates to the natural canine host. The adult worms of <em>D. immitis</em> were shown to migrate into body cavities as well as the heart in this model. However, the presence of adult worms inside the heart of infected mice led to the development of caval syndrome in 36% of infected mice after five to 6 months. Overall, the current study complements recently published efforts to establish a <em>D. immitis</em> mouse model by extending the development of <em>D. immitis</em> into mature adult stages and will facilitate further preclinical research.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 5","pages":"Pages 195-200"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924000158/pdfft?md5=b11a7641a3f6e7714f7d221edeeb376f&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924000158-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139500066","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":"Mitochondrial genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Echinococcus multilocularis in Europe","authors":"Azzurra Santoro ,&nbsp;Federica Santolamazza ,&nbsp;Simone M. Cacciò ,&nbsp;Giuseppe La Rosa ,&nbsp;Daniela Antolová ,&nbsp;Herbert Auer ,&nbsp;Guna Bagrade ,&nbsp;Petra Bandelj ,&nbsp;Walter Basso ,&nbsp;Relja Beck ,&nbsp;Carlo V. Citterio ,&nbsp;Rebecca K. Davidson ,&nbsp;Gunita Deksne ,&nbsp;Caroline F. Frey ,&nbsp;Eva Fuglei ,&nbsp;Walter Glawischnig ,&nbsp;Bruno Gottstein ,&nbsp;Jiří Harna ,&nbsp;Heidi Huus Petersen ,&nbsp;Jacek Karamon ,&nbsp;Adriano Casulli","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.01.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.01.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The cestode <em>Echinococcus multilocularis</em> is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis, a fatal zoonotic parasitic disease of the northern hemisphere. Red foxes are the main reservoir hosts and, likely, the main drivers of the geographic spread of the disease in Europe. Knowledge of genetic relationships among <em>E. multilocularis</em> isolates at a European scale is key to understanding the dispersal characteristics of <em>E. multilocularis</em>. Hence, the present study aimed to describe the genetic diversity of <em>E. multilocularis</em> isolates obtained from different host species in 19 European countries. Based on the analysis of complete nucleotide sequences of the <em>cob</em>, <em>atp6</em>, <em>nad2</em>, <em>nad1</em> and <em>cox1</em> mitochondrial genes (4,968 bp), 43 haplotypes were inferred. Four haplotypes represented 62.56 % of the examined isolates (142/227), and one of these four haplotypes was found in each country investigated, except Svalbard, Norway. While the haplotypes from Svalbard were markedly different from all the others, mainland Europe appeared to be dominated by two main clusters, represented by most western, central and eastern European countries, and the Baltic countries and northeastern Poland, respectively. Moreover, one Asian-like haplotype was identified in Latvia and northeastern Poland. To better elucidate the presence of Asian genetic variants of <em>E. multilocularis</em> in Europe, and to obtain a more comprehensive Europe-wide coverage, further studies, including samples from endemic regions not investigated in the present study, especially some eastern European countries, are needed. Further, the present work proposes historical causes that may have contributed to shaping the current genetic variability of <em>E. multilocularis</em> in Europe.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 5","pages":"Pages 233-245"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751924000146/pdfft?md5=8c03617351e89b7d26cb1cd0b9afa292&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751924000146-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139509572","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":"Genome-based tools for onchocerciasis elimination: utility of the mitochondrial genome for delineating Onchocerca volvulus transmission zones","authors":"Katie E Crawford ,&nbsp;Shannon M Hedtke ,&nbsp;Stephen R Doyle ,&nbsp;Annette C Kuesel ,&nbsp;Samuel Armoo ,&nbsp;Mike Y Osei-Atweneboana ,&nbsp;Warwick N Grant","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>National programs in Africa have expanded their objectives from control of onchocerciasis (river blindness) as a public health problem to elimination of parasite transmission, motivated by the reduction of <em>Onchocerca volvulus</em> infection prevalence in many African meso- and hyperendemic areas due to mass drug administration of ivermectin (MDAi). Given the large, contiguous hypo-, meso-, and hyperendemic areas, sustainable elimination of onchocerciasis in sub-Saharan Africa requires delineation of geographic boundaries for parasite transmission zones, so that programs can consider the risk of parasite re-introduction through vector or human migration from areas with ongoing transmission when making decisions to stop MDAi. We propose that transmission zone boundaries can be delineated by characterising the parasite genetic population structure within and between potential zones. We analysed whole mitochondrial genome sequences of 189 <em>O. volvulus</em> adults to determine the pattern of genetic similarity across three West African countries: Ghana, Mali, and Côte d’Ivoire. Population genetic structure indicates that parasites from villages near the Pru, Daka, and Black Volta rivers in central Ghana belong to one parasite population, indicating that the assumption that river basins constitute individual transmission zones is not supported by the data. Parasites from Mali and Côte d’Ivoire are genetically distinct from those from Ghana. This research provides the basis for developing tools for elimination programs to delineate transmission zones, to estimate the risk of parasite re-introduction via vector or human movement when intervention is stopped in one area while transmission is ongoing in others, to identify the origin of infections detected post-treatment cessation, and to investigate whether persisting prevalence despite ongoing interventions in one area is due to parasites imported from others.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 171-183"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751923002072/pdfft?md5=60e1dc5fde3bcc2c183db7791a26a798&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751923002072-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138295162","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":"Comparative analysis of Presence-Absence gene Variations in five hard tick species: impact and functional considerations","authors":"Umberto Rosani ,&nbsp;Marco Sollitto ,&nbsp;Nicolò Fogal ,&nbsp;Cristiano Salata","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.08.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.08.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Tick species are vectors of harmful human and animal diseases, and their expansion is raising concerns under the global environmental changes’ scenario. Ticks host and transmit bacteria, protozoa and viruses, making the understanding of host-pathogen molecular pathways critical to development of effective disease control strategies. Despite the considerable sizes and repeat contents of tick genomes, individual tick genomics is perhaps the most effective approach to reveal genotypic traits of interest. Presence-Absence gene Variations (PAVs) can contribute to individual differences within species, with dispensable genes carried by subsets of individuals possibly underpinning functional significance at individual or population-levels. We exploited 350 resequencing datasets of <em>Dermacentor silvarum, Haemaphysalis longicornis, Ixodes persulcatus, Rhipicephalus microplus</em> and <em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em> hard tick specimens to reveal the extension of PAV and the conservation of dispensable genes among individuals and, comparatively, between species. Overall, we traced 550–3,346 dispensable genes per species and were able to reconstruct 5.3–7 Mb of genomic regions not included in the respective reference genomes, as part of the tick pangenomes. Both dispensable genes and <em>de novo</em> predicted genes indicated that PAVs preferentially impacted mobile genetic elements in these tick species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 147-156"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751923001893/pdfft?md5=e9cc4390769d304198073939eba491ba&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751923001893-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41113953","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":"Insight into Hyalomma anatolicum biology by comparative genomics analyses","authors":"Jinming Wang ,&nbsp;Yijun Chai ,&nbsp;Jifei Yang ,&nbsp;Kai Chen ,&nbsp;Guangyuan Liu ,&nbsp;Jianxun Luo ,&nbsp;Guiquan Guan ,&nbsp;Qiaoyun Ren ,&nbsp;Hong Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.09.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span><em>Hyalomma anatolicum</em></span> is an obligatory blood-sucking ectoparasite and contributes to the transmission of Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus, <em>Theileria</em> spp<em>.</em> and <em>Babesia</em> spp. Progress in exploring the adaptive strategy of this ectoparasite and developing tools to fight it has been hindered by the lack of a complete genome. Herein, we assembled the genome using diverse sources of data from multiple sequencing platforms and annotated the 1.96 Gb genome of <em>Hy. anatolicum</em>. Comparative genome analyses and the predicted protein encoding genes reveal unique facets of this genome, including gene family expansion associated with blood feeding and digestion, multi-gene families involved in detoxification, a great number of neuropeptides and corresponding receptors regulating tick growth, development, and reproduction, and glutathione S-transferase genes playing roles in insecticide resistance and detoxification of multiple xenobiotic factors. This high quality reference genome provides fundamental data for obtaining insights into a variety of aspects of tick biology and developing novel strategies to fight notorious tick vectors of human and animal pathogens.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 157-170"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49677161","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":"A Taq-Man-based multiplex quantitative PCR for the simultaneous detection and quantification of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis, and species of respiratory capillarids in canids","authors":"Luca Massetti ,&nbsp;Manuela Schnyder ,&nbsp;Anke Wiethoelter ,&nbsp;Emanuele Brianti ,&nbsp;Phillip McDonagh ,&nbsp;Rebecca Traub ,&nbsp;Vito Colella","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In recent years, <em>Angiostrongylus vasorum</em>, <em>Crenosoma vulpis</em>, <em>Eucoleus aerophilus</em> (syn. <em>Capillaria aerophila</em>) and <em>Eucoleus boehmi</em> (syn. <em>Capillaria boehmi</em>), commonly referred to as canine lungworms, have gained a growing interest worldwide as the result of their geographical expansion. Each of these nematode species differs considerably in its biology and pathogenicity. Despite their impact on dogs’ health, these parasites are often underdiagnosed owing to diagnostic challenges. Here, we describe the development and validation of a Taq-Man-based multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) for the simultaneous detection of the main species of canine lungworms in faeces of infected dogs. Using 10-fold serial dilutions of synthetic gene block fragments containing individual sequence targets of each lungworm species, the analytical sensitivity of the assay ascertained was 1.84 ng/μl for <em>A. vasorum</em>, 3.08 ng/μl for <em>C. vulpis</em> and 0.79 ng/μl for <em>Eucoleus</em> spp. The sensitivity of the assays and their ability to detect mixed species infections were compared with microscopy-based techniques (faecal floatation and Baermann technique) applied to faecal samples submitted for lungworm testing through an accredited diagnostic laboratory at the Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Switzerland, and from community dogs as part of a research project on canine endoparasites in Cambodia. The multiplex qPCR displayed high diagnostic sensitivity (42/46, 91.3%; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 79.1–97.1%) and a diagnostic specificity of 100% (45/45, 95% CI: 90.6–100%), and was able to detect 42.9% additional mixed lungworm species infections compared with microscopy-based methods. Kappa statistics showed substantial agreement between the qPCRs and microscopy for mixed infections (κ = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.4–1) and <em>Eucoleus</em> spp. (κ = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45–0.85) and almost perfect agreement for <em>C. vulpis</em> (κ = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.63–1) and <em>A. vasorum</em> (κ = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.84–1).</p><p>This multiplex qPCR enables timely, accurate, and sensitive diagnosis of canine lungworm species in faecal samples and can be used to monitor the geographical distribution and emergence of these parasitic species, globally.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 185-193"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751923002278/pdfft?md5=7fa7c9b2984c96026a0be9af874abeda&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751923002278-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138632386","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":"Vector species richness predicts local mortality rates from Chagas disease","authors":"Guilherme Gonzaga da Silva ,&nbsp;Vinicius Marques Lopez ,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Vilarinho ,&nbsp;Felipe H. Datto-Liberato ,&nbsp;Carlo José Freire Oliveira ,&nbsp;Robert Poulin ,&nbsp;Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Vector species richness may drive the prevalence of vector-borne diseases by influencing pathogen transmission rates. The dilution effect hypothesis predicts that higher biodiversity reduces disease prevalence, but with inconclusive evidence. In contrast, the amplification effect hypothesis suggests that higher vector diversity may result in greater disease transmission by increasing and diversifying the transmission pathways. The relationship between vector diversity and pathogen transmission remains unclear and requires further study. Chagas disease<span> is a vector-borne disease most prevalent in Brazil and transmitted by multiple species of insect vectors of the subfamily Triatominae, yet the drivers of spatial variation in its impact on human populations remain unresolved. We tested whether triatomine species richness, latitude, bioclimatic variables, human host population density, and socioeconomic variables predict Chagas disease mortality rates across over 5000 spatial grid cells covering all of Brazil. Results show that species richness of triatomine vectors is a good predictor of mortality rates caused by Chagas disease, which supports the amplification effect hypothesis. Vector richness and the impact of Chagas disease may also be driven by latitudinal components of climate and human socioeconomic factors. We provide evidence that vector diversity is a strong predictor of disease prevalence and give support to the amplification effect hypothesis.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 139-145"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72014203","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":"Reviewer Thank You","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0020-7519(24)00046-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7519(24)00046-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages I-II"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140141778","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":"Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii in cell culture: an alternative to bioassay","authors":"Tania Dawant ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Maria Spriggs ,&nbsp;Geraldo Magela de Faria Junior ,&nbsp;Laura Horton ,&nbsp;Nicole M. Szafranski ,&nbsp;Helga Waap ,&nbsp;Pikka Jokelainen ,&nbsp;Richard W. Gerhold ,&nbsp;Chunlei Su","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that can infect mammals and birds. The infection can cause acute toxoplasmosis and death in susceptible hosts. Bioassay using cats and mice has been the standard for the isolation of <em>T. gondii</em> from infected hosts for the past several decades. However, bioassay is labor-intensive, expensive, and involves using laboratory animals. To search alternative approaches and o work towards replacement of animal experiments, we summarized the key literature and conducted four experiments to isolate <em>T. gondii</em> in vitro by cell culture. A few heart tissue samples from animals with the highest antibody titers in a given collection were used for <em>T. gondii</em> isolation. These experiments included samples from five out of 51 wild ducks, four of 46 wild turkeys, six of 24 white-tailed deer, as well as from six kangaroos that had died with acute toxoplasmosis in a zoo. These experiments resulted in three isolates from five chronically infected wild ducks (60%), four isolates from four chronically infected wild turkeys (100%), one isolate from six chronically infected white-tailed deer (17%), and four isolates from six kangaroos with acute toxoplasmosis (67%). In addition, five isolates from the five chronically infected wild ducks were obtained by bioassay in mice, showing a 100% success rate, which is higher than the 60% rate by direct cell culture. These <em>T. gondii</em> isolates were successfully propagated in human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) or Vero cells, and genotyped by multilocus PCR-RFLP markers. The results showed that it is practical to isolate <em>T. gondii</em> directly in cell culture. Although the cell culture approach may not be as sensitive as the bioassay, it does provide an alternative that is simple, cost-effective, ethically more acceptable, and less time-sensitive to isolate <em>T. gondii</em>. In this paper we propose a procedure that may be applied and further optimized for isolation of <em>T. gondii</em>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 131-137"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138692487","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}