Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Masoud Nazarizadeh, Milena Novakova, Geraldine Loot, Nestory P. Gabagambi, Faezeh Fatemizadeh, Odipo Osano, Bronwen Presswell, Robert Poulin, Zoltan Vital, Tomas Scholz, Ali Halajian, Emiliano Trucchi, Pavlina Kocova, Jan Stefka
Summary: Studies on Ligula intestinalis tapeworm provide insights into the importance of host association and biogeography in parasite diversification.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Rui Zhang, Xiao-fei Shi, Pei-gui Liu, Andrew W. Wilson, Gregory M. Mueller
Summary: This study resolves the phylogenetic relationships of Suillus fungi and explores their ancestral host associations and biogeographic distributions. Host shift speciation is found to explain the diversification of Suillus major clades, and dispersals between Eurasia and North America explain the prevalence of disjunct Suillus taxa.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Lucrezia Giovannini, Giuseppe Mazza, Walter Chitarra, Giuseppino Sabbatini-Peverieri, Claudio Sonnati, Pio Federico Roversi, Luca Nerva
Summary: The brown marmorated stink bug is an invasive pest with a wide range of attacks, causing significant economic and ecological damage. Conventional insecticide control methods have proven ineffective, leading to the need for biological control strategies. This study described 7 new viral sequences associated with the brown marmorated stink bug for the first time, and further research is needed to evaluate the effects of these viruses on their host.
Review
Ecology
Martha M. Munoz, Luke O. Frishkoff, Jenna Pruett, D. Luke Mahler
Summary: After decades of research, Anolis lizards have become an important biological model system, providing insights into ecology and evolution. Recent studies have shown how changes in behavior can reshape ecological communities and drive evolution. Anolis lizards are also useful for studying the impact of human activities on species and environments. With ongoing advancements in genomics, phylogenetics, and ecology, Anolis lizards are poised to continue being a powerful model system for studying ecology and evolution.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aleksi Lehikoinen, Pekka Pohjola, Jari Valkama, Marko Mutanen, Jaakko L. O. Pohjoismaki
Summary: Ectoparasites such as louse flies show tendencies for host specialization driven by host biology and competition avoidance, but certain bird-specific louse fly species exhibit a wide range of suitable hosts. Factors such as host size, habitat, and breeding strategy influence host preference among bird louse fly species. DNA barcodes for Finnish Hippoboscidae species are provided as a resource for future species identification and metabarcoding studies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kieran. A. Bates, Jai S. Bolton, Kayla C. King
Summary: The study revealed the differences of Leucobacter genus microbes in different geographical locations and host species, as well as the influence of Leucobacter community composition on host evolution. It discovered the protective effects of different Leucobacter species on hosts, as well as the competitive evolution process with parasitic species.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Lea Briard, Vanessa O. Ezenwa
Summary: This study synthesized insights from empirical studies on the relationship between social networks and parasites, finding a positive effect of social behavior on parasite infection at the individual level, with the effect size nearly twice as large as that observed for group size in previous meta-analyses. Significant heterogeneity in effect sizes across studies was observed, but this pattern could not be explained.
Article
Parasitology
Aneta Trefancova, Jana Kvicerova, Anna Macova, Michal Stanko, Lada Hofmannova, Vaclav Hypsa
Summary: Research shows that rodent-associated Eimeria parasites form a complex system of genetic lineages with different host specificities, and these lineages retain their specificities while spreading across large geographic areas. Additionally, the study demonstrates that genetic structure is only partially reflected by morphological traits.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Sjors Huizinga, Harro J. Bouwmeester
Summary: Root parasitic plants, such as broomrapes and witchweeds in the Orobanchaceae family, are a major problem for agriculture in Europe, Asia, and Africa. These parasites depend entirely on their host for survival and their germination is regulated by compounds called germination stimulants. Strigolactones (SLs) are the most important germination stimulants, functioning as a phytohormone and recruiting symbiotic fungi. Parasitic plants have evolved specific receptors called HTL/KAI2s to detect the specific SLs exuded by their hosts. This review discusses the molecular basis of SL sensitivity and specificity in these plants and their role in host specificity.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Daniela de Angeli Dutra, Gabriel Moreira Felix, Robert Poulin
Summary: The geographical and environmental ranges of parasites are negatively associated with their host specificity and their local abundance. Local abundance restricts the geographical and environmental ranges of parasites, indicating a trade-off between these traits that becomes evident when considering heterogeneous host communities.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Wade Simmons, Bernd Blossey
Summary: This study found that the leaf-beetle Galerucella birmanica only undergoes complete development on Trapa natans and Brasenia schreberi in North America. The feeding and oviposition preferences of G. birmanica cannot be fully explained by phylogenetic relatedness. Based on the low risk score of G. birmanica to Brasenia schreberi, widespread and safe biocontrol of T. natans in North America seems promising if approved by regulatory agencies.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alexander T. Neu, Eric E. Allen, Kaustuv Roy
Summary: This study examines the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) on the gill and shell-surface microbiomes of the marine bivalve Mytilus californianus. The results show differing diversity patterns in the microbiota of gill and shell surfaces, with individual microbial clades exhibiting different latitudinal trends likely due to varying ecologies and life histories. The study suggests that the diversity decline with increasing latitude may not be a universal pattern across different domains of life.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Casey Keat-Chuan Ng, Sharon Linus-Lojikip, Khairunnisa Mohamed, H. S. S. Amar-Singh
Summary: This study analyzed the possible factors for dengue outbreaks in Ipoh, a hyperendemic city in Malaysia, by integrating data from the e-Dengue system with meteorological data, geoinformatics techniques, and socio-environmental observations. The results suggest that the rainfall trend is a unifying factor for triggering dengue outbreaks, and other socio-environmental factors and age also play a role.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daijiang Li
Summary: Despite the availability of phylogenetic hypotheses for many taxonomic groups, most do not include all species. In phylogenetic ecology, there is a demand for phylogenies that encompass all species in a study. Existing software tools for grafting species to megatrees are limited to specific taxonomic groups. The new R package 'rtrees' aims to provide an easy, flexible, and reliable way to assemble phylogenies from megatrees, facilitating progress in phylogenetic ecology.
Article
Biology
George E. Heimpel, Paul K. Abram, Jacques Brodeur
Summary: The interactions that shape parasitoid host ranges are influenced by the phylogenetic history of both hosts and parasitoids. Speciation of parasitoids associated with hosts can lead to increased host specificity or a broadening of the host range. Estimating host range has shifted from traditional lists to analyses detecting host phylogenetic signals and useful indices reflecting the breadth of host range in phylogenetic terms. These considerations have significant implications for biological control and risk assessment.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)