Journal of invertebrate pathology最新文献

{"title":"Uncovering how major extracellular proteins drive virulence and functional compensation in the mollusk pathogen Vibrio europaeus","authors":"Clara Martínez ,&nbsp;Sergio Rodriguez ,&nbsp;Alba Trueba ,&nbsp;Diego Rey-Varela ,&nbsp;Alicia E. Toranzo ,&nbsp;Ana L. Dieguez ,&nbsp;Javier Dubert","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bivalve aquaculture is a major component of global seafood production. However, its sustainability is severely threatened by recurrent outbreaks of vibriosis, caused by <em>Vibrio europaeus</em> that has emerged as a significant threat worldwide, affecting key aquaculture shellfish species. This study presents the first comprehensive characterization of the extracellular products (ECPs) and secretome of the mollusk pathogen <em>Vibrio europaeus</em>. A total of 108 different proteins were identified in the wild-type (WT) secretome, with the extracellular proteins VemA, VepA, and GbpA, accounting for nearly 70% of the total secreted protein content. A significant proportion of cytoplasmic proteins were also detected in the WT secretome, consistent with their secretion through outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) observed by electron microscopy. Functional assays confirmed that VemA is essential for virulence toward Manila clam juveniles (<em>Ruditapes philippinarum</em>), whereas VepA and GbpA appear to play complementary or modulatory roles. Surprisingly, simultaneous deletion of <em>vemA</em>, <em>vepA</em>, and <em>gbpA</em> genes induced extensive secretory reprogramming, with this mutant secreting 823 proteins, nearly eight times more than the WT, and exhibiting novel enzymatic activities. Approximately half of the secreted proteins in the triple mutant were cytoplasmic in origin, likely associated with a hypervesiculation phenotype observed by electron microscopy. Despite its expanded repertoire of virulence-associated proteins, the triple mutant displayed the lowest virulence in challenge assays, suggesting that the loss of the main ECPs triggers compensatory stress responses that remodel secretion but does not restore the virulence phenotype. Overall, these findings demonstrate that VemA, VepA, and GbpA are key determinants of virulence and secretory homeostasis in <em>V. europaeus</em>, revealing an adaptive mechanism linking OMV-mediated secretion, proteomic plasticity, and pathogenic potential in marine <em>Vibrio</em> species and provide better understanding how pathogens evolve to maintain or expand their virulence capacity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108533"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146044193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bacterial communities in pond water of kuruma shrimp Penaeus japonicus farms with different reported disease histories","authors":"Hajime Yuasa ,&nbsp;Denise Angelina Bermudez ,&nbsp;Kayo Konishi ,&nbsp;Miho Furukawa ,&nbsp;Reiko Nozaki ,&nbsp;Shotaro Morita ,&nbsp;Kenichi Ozaki ,&nbsp;Hidehiro Kondo ,&nbsp;Ikuo Hirono ,&nbsp;Keiichiro Koiwai","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108555","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108555","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Penaeid shrimp aquaculture is expanding worldwide, but recurrent infectious diseases remain a major threat to production. Interestingly, some farming environments sustain long-term stable production performance. To investigate the microbial basis of this condition, we performed 16S rRNA gene-based bacterial community analysis of rearing water from two farms with different reported disease histories. The stable production performance farm (Taketomijima) was characterized by a low-diversity bacterial community dominated by unclassified Rhodobacteraceae, whereas the variable production performance farm (Tanegashima) harbored a highly diverse and heterogeneous community. Despite the higher diversity, the variable production performance environment showed less stability across ponds, while the stable production performance farm exhibited a uniform and resilient microbiome structure. These results demonstrate that community composition and dominance of specific taxa, rather than overall diversity, are critical for disease prevalence. Our findings provide new insight into microbial factors of disease outcomes and lay the foundation for microbiome-informed management strategies to improve the sustainability and resilience of shrimp aquaculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108555"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First Record and extended description of Dicyema platycephalum Penchaszadeh1969 (Dicyemida: Dicyemidae) in Octopus tehuelchus from northern Patagonia, SW Atlantic","authors":"Nuria Vázquez ,&nbsp;Gustavo Mariluan ,&nbsp;Pablo E. Penchaszadeh ,&nbsp;Silvina Van der Molen ,&nbsp;Nicolás Ortíz ,&nbsp;Eunji Park ,&nbsp;Brian Leander ,&nbsp;Florencia Cremonte","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dicyemids are highly specialized parasites found in the renal sacs of most cephalopod species. In this study, the description of <em>Dicyemaplatycephalum</em> is expanded from specimens infecting <em>Octopus tehuelchus</em> from the Patagonian coasts. The species is redescribed with histological sections, scanning electron microscopy, and molecular phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequences. This species had a distinctive disk shaped calotte with a configuration of ten cells (4 + 4 + 2), which is typical for the cephalic swelling of the genus. Histological sections revealed renal epithelial tissue with no signs of severe tissue damage, except in cases of heavy infection, where deformation of the epithelial folds and renal tubule obstruction were observed. Scanning electron micrographs showed the ciliated calotte inserted in renal crypts of host tissue. Many aspects of the dicyemid biology remain unknown, including how an infusoriform larva searches for and infects a new host. Attempts were made to infect uninfected juvenile octopuses experimentally reared, with potential infective larvae using three different exposure assays, but the attempts were unsuccessful. Nonetheless, this study broadens the description of <em>D</em>. <em>platycephalum</em> in the southern hemisphere using molecular phylogenetic data and contributes to the general understanding of the associations between dicyemid parasites and their cephalopod hosts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108556"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146086015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First record of epizootics in the grey citrus weevil (Sympiezomias citri; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) caused by Beauveria bassiana in tea plantations of Southeast China","authors":"Dingfeng Wang ,&nbsp;Liangde Li ,&nbsp;Huiling Li ,&nbsp;Jinyu Li ,&nbsp;Jun Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108548","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108548","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The grey citrus weevil (GCW) <em>Sympiezomias citri</em> is a significant pest that causes extensive damage to various cash crops, including <em>Citrus reticulata</em>, <em>Camellia sinensis</em>, and <em>Camellia oleifera</em>. Control primarily relies on synthetic chemicals. However, biological control using fungal entomopathogens is a crucial alternative. This study demonstrated the first natural epizootic occurrence in polyphagous GCW (<em>Sympiezomias citri</em>; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) induced by <em>Beauveria</em> sp. in tea plantations in Southeast China. Motivated by the hypotheses that genetic diversity correlates with biocontrol potential and that dominant genetic lineages drive epizootics, we characterized the pathogenic fungi. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear intergenic Bloc region and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF) revealed that all fifty-one pathogenic agents obtained from field-mycosed GCW adults as <em>B. bassiana</em>, and they were grouped into four subclades. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) genotyping revealed significant genotypic diversity and a heterogeneous population structure with clear dominance of one group (Group II, 78.43%), supporting the hypothesis of lineage dominance during outbreaks. The genetic differentiation index (<em>G</em>_st) among the three populations was 0.2697, and gene flow (<em>N_m</em>) was 0.9427, indicating restricted genetic exchange within the metapopulation. To test the hypothesis that genetic diversity is linked to biocontrol potential, we evaluated eight representative isolates for virulence, colony growth, sporulation, and thermotolerance. Contrary to this hypothesis, no strong correlation was found between genetic grouping and virulence or other key biocontrol traits; instead, superior performance was strain-specific. The DH42 strain was the most virulent, exhibiting the highest corrected mortality rate (100%), the highest mycosis rate (85.00%), and the lowest LT₅₀ (4.76 d). DH42 also exhibited superior biological characteristics, including the highest hyphal growth rate, higher sporulation, germination rates, and thermotolerance compared with the other isolates. This study enhanced our understanding of the epizootic potential of <em>B. bassiana</em> in controlling coleopterous pests and revealed that while genetic diversity and lineage dominance are prominent features of the epizootic population, direct phenotypic screening remains essential for identifying effective biocontrol agents. The highly virulent isolate DH42 is a promising candidate for developing mycoinsecticides for biological control in tea plantations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108548"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gut microbes modulate Helicoverpa armigera immunity and affect its susceptibility to microbial pathogens","authors":"Motahareh Amiri Domari ,&nbsp;Abbas Khani ,&nbsp;Najmeh Sahebzadeh ,&nbsp;Mohsen Najimi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Mehrabadi","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emerging research underscores the critical roles of host-associated microbiota in modulating immunity and disease resistance in insects. However, the interplay between gut microbes and innate immune pathways remains incompletely understood in lepidopteran pests. This study investigates if manipulation of the gut microbiome affects immune responses and pathogen susceptibility in <em>Helicoverpa armigera</em> larvae. To do this, the gut microbiome of the larvae was removed using antibiotic treatment. Subsequently, the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) including attacin and defensin, and antioxidant genes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), dual oxidase (DUOX) and NADPH oxidase (NOX)<!--> <!-->were assessed following challenge with <em>Bacillus thuringiensis</em> (Bt) and <em>Beauveria bassiana</em> (Bb). Our results revealed that microbiome depletion reduced the expression of attacin and defensin in fat body and gut, and suppressed SOD gene expression in the gut. The bioassay tests showed that depletion of microbiota resulted in increased larval vulnerability to the pathogens compared to the control larvae. We also tested whether microbial infection affects gut microbiota and found that intrahemocoelic microbial injection induced both humoral and gut immunity, resulting in suppression of gut microbiota, highlighting a crosslink between humoral and gut immunity. Together, these results underscore a conserved requirement for microbiota-derived signals in priming specific innate immune pathways and provide insight into how microbiome manipulation may impact the success of biological control strategies. These findings suggest that targeted manipulation of the gut microbiome could be harnessed to enhance pest susceptibility to biocontrol agents, thereby offering a promising avenue for improving microbial pest control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108553"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating Wolbachia presence in Anopheles punctulatus group from Papua, Indonesia: Limited evidence of natural infection with molecular markers","authors":"Rusdiyah Sudirman ,&nbsp;Sri Nur Rahmi Nur Rustam ,&nbsp;Nur Rahma ,&nbsp;Elisabeth F Novita Coutrier ,&nbsp;Harimurti Nuradji ,&nbsp;Isra Wahid","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Papua, Indonesia, is an endemic region for malaria where the <em>Anopheles punctulatus</em> group serves as the primary vector. The endosymbiotic bacterium <em>Wolbachia</em> has shown promise as a biocontrol agent by manipulating host reproduction and inhibiting pathogen transmission, yet its presence in Papua’s <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes remained undocumented. This study aimed to detect and genetically characterize <em>Wolbachia</em> infections in <em>Anopheles punctulatus</em> group mosquitoes collected from Keerom District, Papua. Among 1,071 specimens screened using nested PCR targeting 16S rRNA and <em>wsp</em>, 2.9% tested positive for <em>Wolbachia</em>, with <em>An. punctulatus</em> and <em>An. koliensis</em> showing intra-species infection rates of 4.6% and 2.5%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of <em>Wolbachia</em> supergroups A and B, suggesting multiple independent acquisition events. These findings provide preliminary molecular evidence of <em>Wolbachia</em> in Papua’s malaria vectors and offer baseline data for evaluating its potential in vector control strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108563"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146125346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isolation, characterization, and host specificity of Solenopsis invicta virus 6 (Cripavirus porteri), a dicistrovirus from the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta","authors":"Steven M. Valles ,&nbsp;Chaoyang Zhao ,&nbsp;Sanford D. Porter ,&nbsp;James J. Becnel","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solenopsis <em>invicta</em> virus 6 (SINV-6; <em>Cripavirus porteri</em>) is a recently discovered dicistrovirus from the red imported fire ant, <em>Solenopsis invicta</em>. SINV-6 was detected in all stages of <em>S. invicta</em> including eggs, pupae, larvae, adult workers, male and female sexual alates, and queens. Electron microscopic examination of negatively stained samples from particles purified from SINV-6-infected fire ant workers revealed isometric particles with a mean diameter of 34.2 ± 2.1 nm. Field surveys of <em>S. invicta</em> nests in Alachua County, Florida, showed that the virus was present year-round. SINV-6 nest prevalence ranged from 37.5% in February to 100% in November. Among 171 nests surveyed throughout the year and over the 6-year period, 106 (62%) tested positive for SINV-6. Intra-colonial SINV-6 infection incidence and virus titer among worker ants exhibited a positive relationship. SINV-6 exhibited tissue tropism toward the abdomen where &gt; 99% of SINV-6 was detected. Among the major tissues of the abdomen, the alimentary canal (crop, midgut, hindgut) contained 87.6% of SINV-6 with the midgut and hindgut accounting for 58.0 ± 28.7% of the total. Small quantities of SINV-6 were detected in fat body (8.4 ± 0.4%) and Malpighian tubules (4.0 ± 0.4%). SINV-6 infection did not have a significant impact on brood production in <em>S. invicta</em> over a 26-day period when held in the laboratory compared with uninfected control colonies. The host range of SINV-6 appears to be broad with the plus genome strand detected in six species of ants and the honey bee (<em>Apis mellifera</em>).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"216 ","pages":"Article 108557"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146105730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pathogen size-dependent functional specialization of hemocytes in the giant centipede Scolopendra mutilans.","authors":"Tae Yun Choi, Gang Hoon Lee, Seo Jun Lee, Jun Ho Lee, Saeyoull Cho","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108646","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2026.108646","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Arthropods rely exclusively on innate immunity; however, cellular immune mechanisms in myriapods remain poorly understood. Here, we present a cell-type-resolved analysis of hemocyte-mediated immunity in the giant centipede Scolopendra mutilans. We established a long-term in vitro hemocyte culture system that combines live-cell imaging with functional immune challenges. Hemocytes were classified as granulocytes, plasmatocytes, and prohemocytes. Upon Escherichia coli exposure, granulocytes rapidly exhibited scanning behavior and served as the predominant phagocytic effector cells observed, completing engulfment and lysosomal activation within 1 h. In contrast, large particles such as Sephadex beads induced encapsulation and nodulation responses dominated by plasmatocytes, with early cooperative involvement of granulocytes. Differential hemocyte counts revealed a rapid reduction in circulating granulocytes, accompanied by an increase in prohemocytes during early infection. Pharmacological inhibition of microtubules impaired granulocyte pseudopodia formation and plasmatocyte spreading, indicating a cytoskeleton-dependent immune function. Together, these findings demonstrate pathogen size-dependent functional specialization of centipede hemocytes and extend arthropod cellular immunity beyond insect models.</p>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":" ","pages":"108646"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147838969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lysozyme i1-type, a crucial antimicrobial enzyme, reduces Ecytonucleospora hepatopenaei infection in Litopenaeus vannamei with potential for feed supplementation.","authors":"Natthanan Rakchaya, Nutthapon Sangklai, Pattana Jaroenlak, Anchalee Tassanakajon","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108642","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2026.108642","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ecytonucleospora hepatopenaei (EHP) is a fungal-related microsporidian parasite that infects shrimp. EHP causes a hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM), resulting in growth retardation and increasing susceptibility to several secondary infections. Yet, the innate immune responses that effectively encounter EHP infection remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate the functions of Litopenaeus vannamei lysozyme-i1 (LvLyz-i1) in the shrimp's response to the EHP infection. LvLyz-i1 expression was strongly induced during EHP infection, showing ∼ 13-fold and ∼ 6000-fold upregulation in the hepatopancreas and hemocytes, respectively. Knockdown of LvLyz-i1 increased EHP loads and altered the expression of immune-related genes associated with the JAK/STAT, Toll, and IMD pathways. Recombinant LvLyz-i1 (rLvLyz-i1) exhibited antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pichia pastoris, and displayed potential isopeptidase activity. Treatment of the EHP spores with rLvLyz-i1 caused damage to the polar tube, perhaps by digesting EHP polar tube proteins and reducing the transfer of infectious cargo to host cells. Dietary supplementation with rLvLyz-i1 significantly reduced EHP copies at 7 and 9 days post-cohabitation, while increasing the gene expression of other antimicrobial peptides and stress-related proteins. These results demonstrate that LvLyz-i1 plays a critical role in shrimp innate immunity and may serve as a promising strategy to protect against EHP infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":" ","pages":"108642"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147838995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative genomics of parasitoid lifestyle as exemplified by Mermithidae and Nematomorpha.","authors":"Joseph Kirangwa, Viktoria Bednarski, Nadège Guiglielmoni, Robert Poulin, Eddy Dowle, Philipp Schiffer, Oleksandr Holovachov","doi":"10.1016/j.jip.2026.108641","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2026.108641","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mermithidae and Nematomorpha are parasitoids united by the commonalities in their lifestyle. Immature stages infect arthropod hosts, can manipulate their host to induce water-seeking behavior, and both have a final free-living non-feeding reproducing adult stage, often killing their host upon emergence. Some species are of great economic importance, being evaluated as biological control agents against mosquito vectors responsible for diseases like malaria, but with scarce genomic resources currently available. This study aimed to investigate the genetic features of the genomes of both Mermithidae and Nematomorpha to identify similarities linked to their ecological lifestyles. We performed a comparative analysis of 12 genomes, comprising parasitoid, parasitic and free-living worms. The investigation revealed enrichment in various protein families known to be linked to host‑tissue remodelling, nutrient acquisition, and modulation of host immune responses, chemosensation, host‑seeking behaviour, and stage‑specific signalling in other parasitic nematodes. Enrichment in domains associated with the cuticle and extracellular matrix could be linked with the intense growth or transcuticular feeding of the parasitic juveniles. The analysis also uncovered a diverse array of conserved transposable element superfamilies across both lineages. The identification of enriched, expanded and contracted gene families and conserved transposable element superfamilies provide the first insights into the potential genomic adaptations associated with parasitoidism in nematode and nematomorph worms.</p>","PeriodicalId":16296,"journal":{"name":"Journal of invertebrate pathology","volume":"217 ","pages":"108641"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}