Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kelly A. Speer
Summary: Parasitic and parasitoid organisms rely on chemical cues to locate a host. Recent research suggests that the microbiome can emit volatile organic compounds that attract or repel parasites. This innovative mechanism changes our understanding of host-parasite coevolution and highlights the role of the microbiome as a third actor in this interaction.
Review
Immunology
Erica M. Pasini, Clemens H. M. Kocken
Summary: This article reviews the modeling of relapsing parasites Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale in non-human primates, highlighting the contribution of these models to our current understanding of the factors that govern parasite-host interactions.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Valentina Serra, Sergei I. Fokin, Leandro Gammuto, Venkatamahesh Nitla, Michele Castelli, Charan Kumar Basuri, Adireddy Satyaveni, Bhagavatula Venkata Sandeep, Letizia Modeo, Giulio Petroni
Summary: This study explores the phylogenetic relationships within the subclass Peniculia, focusing on the molecular characterization of a less studied ciliate, Neobursaridium gigas. Unexpectedly, the inclusion of N. gigas's molecular data did not clarify the evolutionary relationships inside Peniculia, but rather raised intriguing questions about Paramecium phylogeny, suggesting N. gigas may belong to the Paramecium genus.
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
Zoology
Wei-Jie Wan, Su-Jie Du, Christer Hansson, Wan-Xue Liu
Summary: Diglyphus Walker, 1844 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is an economically important genus comprising species used as biocontrol agents against agromyzid leafminer pests. A new species, Diglyphus difasciatus, was discovered in China during the identification of leafminers and parasitoid wasps. Morphological characteristics and molecular analysis confirmed D. difasciatus as a distinct species from D. bimaculatus. Genetic distances based on COI, ITS2, and 28S genes support the differentiation of D. difasciatus and D. bimaculatus.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caroline K. Glidden, Canan Karakoc, Chenyang Duan, Yuan Jiang, Brianna Beechler, Abdul Jabbar, Anna E. Jolles
Summary: Individual animals in natural populations tend to host diverse parasite species concurrently over their lifetimes. In free-living ecological communities, organismal life histories shape interactions with their environment, which ultimately forms the basis of ecological succession. Here, we studied community dynamics of 12 subtypes of protozoan microparasites (Theileria spp.) in a herd of African buffalo.
Article
Parasitology
Tarek Hajji, Khaoula Telahigue, Imen Rabeh, Rym Ben Ammar, Zied Mdaini, M'hamed El Cafsi, Ridha Ghali
Summary: The study found that infection by Lernaeocera lusci can lead to significant changes in lipid classes and fatty acid composition in host organs, while having a relatively smaller impact on the parasite itself. The highest parasitic infection resulted in a loss of about 80% of lipid moieties in all analyzed organs.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Zoology
Cornelis van Achterberg, John T. Smit, Toshko Ljubomirov
Summary: This article illustrates and provides a new illustrated key for the 13 recognized species of the potter wasp genus Eumenes in Europe. Synonymy is proposed for E. mediterraneus aemilianus Guiglia, 1951 with E. papillarius (Christ, 1791) (syn. nov.), E. obscurus Andre, 1884 and E. andrei Dalla Torre, 1894 with E. pedunculatus (Panzer, 1799) (syn. nov.), and E. crimensis Bluthgen, 1938 with E. sareptanus Andre, 1884 (syn. nov.).
Article
Ecology
Gina C. Hendrick, Matthew D. Nicholson, J. Andres Pagan, John M. Artim, Maureen C. Dolan, Paul C. Sikkel
Summary: Over the past decade, there has been an increased appreciation for the role of cryptofauna in ecological systems. While the impacts of blood-feeding arthropods, such as ticks and mosquitos, on terrestrial communities have been extensively studied, these arthropods have been largely ignored in marine environments. This study focuses on gnathiid isopods, also known as ticks of the sea, which are temporary external parasites of fishes. The researchers sequenced blood meals of free-living gnathiids to assess their host range and community-dependent exploitation in the Caribbean. The findings reveal a broad host range and biased exploitation of certain fish species, highlighting the importance of gnathiid isopods in Caribbean coral reef communities.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Avinash V. Karpe, Melanie L. Hutton, Steven J. Mileto, Meagan L. James, Chris Evans, Amol B. Ghodke, Rohan M. Shah, Suzanne S. Metcalfe, Jian-Wei Liu, Tom Walsh, Dena Lyras, Enzo A. Palombo, David J. Beale
Summary: This study investigated the impact of giardiasis on the host's body and the effects of changes in gut microbiota on metabolic pathways. The results revealed significant alterations in energy and oxidative stress pathways in the gut and liver during giardiasis and identified changes in bacterial populations. These findings contribute to the discovery of new biomarkers and the development of precision health solutions for giardiasis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Michael J. Sharkey, Austin Baker, Kathryn McCluskey, Alex Smith, Suresh Naik, Sujeevan Ratnasingham, Ramya Manjunath, Kate Perez, Jayme Sones, Michelle D'Souza, Brianne St. Jacques, Paul Hebert, Winnie Hallwachs, Daniel Janzen
Summary: This study examined 29 species, most of which are new to science and have host caterpillar and food plant records. The first host record for the agathidine genus Amputoearinus was documented, as well as a new hyperparasitoid record for a fly larvae. The new species were primarily diagnosed using COI barcode data.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Precious P. Fikiye, Nico J. Smit, Liesl L. Van As, Marliese Truter, Kerry A. Hadfield
Summary: This study provides an integrative analysis of the morphology and genetics of Ergasilus species in Africa, focusing on E. mirabilis. The research includes a comprehensive study of morphological features, genetic data, and new distribution records.
Article
Parasitology
Taylor B. Verrett, Paul W. Webala, Bruce D. Patterson, Carl W. Dick
Summary: This study investigated the genetic variation in the African bat fly P. fulvida across different host species using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. The results showed that gene flow among different host species may be promoted by the roosting behavior and shared habitats of bats. Additionally, the presence of generalist parasites is important for the transmission of pathogens.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Rony Huys, Alexandra S. Savchenko, Ksenia N. Kosobokova
Summary: Adult isopods of the family Dajidae are ectoparasitic and infect pelagic malacostracan crustaceans, with planktonic copepods as intermediate hosts. This study provides a taxonomic review and updated diagnosis of the genus Holophryxus, including traditional and novel morphological characters. The presence of previously ignored sensory structures is highlighted. A new species, Holophryxus citriformis, is described, and the importance of enhanced descriptive standards in future research is emphasized. Additionally, host records and geographical distributions of all Holophryxus species are summarized.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryota Hasegawa, Itsuro Koizumi
Summary: Parasites increase host vulnerability to predators through host manipulation and reduction of host activities. Predators also choose prey based on the presence of parasites. Little is known about how parasites affect human hunting probability and resource consumption. This study examined the effects of the ectoparasitic copepod Salmincola cf. markewitschi on fish vulnerability to angling. The findings suggest that infected fish are less vulnerable when their body condition is low, but more vulnerable when their body condition is high. People tend to avoid eating fish with parasites, and anglers' satisfaction decreases when the fish they catch are parasitized. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering the impact of parasites on animal hunting and resource consumption.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Remigiusz Panicz, Beata Calka, Alhambra Cubillo, Joao G. Ferreira, James Guilder, Susan Kay, Adam Kennerley, Andre Lopes, Joao Lencart E. Silva, Nick Taylor, Piotr Eljasik, Jacek Sadowski, Paulina Hofsoe-Oppermann, Slawomir Keszka
Summary: The study aims to create growth, risk, and suitability maps for the common carp sector in Poland to assist stakeholders in decision-making under different climate change scenarios.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Zoology
R. Panicz, P. Eljasik, K. Wrzecionkowski, N. Smietana, M. Biernaczyk
Summary: This study reports the new occurrence sites of Gulf wedge clam in the Pomeranian Bay and the Szczecin Lagoon, and describes the structure and stability of the new population using ecological indicators and genetic analysis. The results show a population dominated by adult clams and low genetic diversity. The population has undergone a moderate bottleneck and may have experienced population admixture.
EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Remigiusz Panicz, Piotr Eljasik, Agnieszka Troszok, Malgorzata Sobczak, Slawomir Lisiecki, Arkadiusz Nedzarek, Jacek Sadowski
Summary: The aim of this study was to develop an effective method to turn dead carp into organic fertiliser by silaging and to determine whether Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) can be inactivated. Among the three studied methods, the Basic silaging method was selected as the most promising due to its cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and final product characteristics.
AQUACULTURE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Izabella Rzad, Anna Okulewicz, Ruslan Salamatin, Magdalena Szenejko, Remigiusz Panicz, Jaroslaw K. Nowakowski, Agata Stapf
Summary: This study aimed to describe and compare the helminth communities of Eurasian blue tit and Great tit during their autumn migration to their wintering grounds on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea. The research found several parasite species that were previously unrecorded in these bird species in Poland, with the digenetic fluke and filarial nematodes being dominant. The study provides new knowledge about the transmission of helminths in Central Europe.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Magdalena Szenejko, Piotr Eljasik, Remigiusz Panicz, Przemyslaw Smietana
Summary: This study reports the genetic diversity and haplotype richness of B. parasita populations on a pan-European scale. The analysis revealed a significant genetic relationship between Central European populations inhabiting noble crayfish and Balkan populations.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
P. Czerniejewski, A. Brysiewicz, I. Rzad, P. Eljasik, L. Kirczuk, K. Dziewulska
Summary: The stone moroko is an invasive species that rapidly spreads in European water bodies. In this study, population structure and parasite communities of stone moroko in the Wardynka River (western Poland) were analyzed. The fish were found to have a dominant age structure of 1+ to 3+, with a maximum age of 5+. The average size, weight, and condition factor varied between males and females. The presence of previously unrecorded parasites in stone moroko in Poland was confirmed, but the Sphaerothecum destruens parasite was not detected.
EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Zoology
E. Sobecka, B. Wiecaszek, P. Eljasik, R. Panicz
Summary: This study identified a tub gurnard specimen as a new definitive host for Bothriocephalus scorpii and demonstrated the effectiveness of molecular marker analysis in supplementing morphological identification. By extracting DNA and conducting sequencing and comparison with GenBank records, the parasite specimen was successfully identified as B. scorpii. This study also highlights the potential of next-generation sequencing in future parasitological research.
EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Piotr Eljasik, Remigiusz Panicz, Malgorzata Sobczak, Jacek Sadowski
Summary: This study compared the effects of different feeding methods on the performance of common carp during overwintering. The results showed that carp fed with a high protein and fat diet had the best performance, while carp in a pond without supplementary feeding had lower weight and abnormal intestines. These findings have important implications for ensuring the sustainability and food security of carp production in the European Union.
Article
Ecology
Beata Wiecaszek, Jaroslaw Dabrowski, Remigiusz Panicz, Slawomir Keszka, Angelika Linowska, Adam Brysiewicz
Summary: Piaractus brachypomus is a valuable aquaculture and ornamental fish species, but often considered as a non-native or invasive species. This study provides a detailed taxonomic description and discriminative features of P. brachypomus specimens from Poland, using measurements, dentition, parasite fauna, and mitochondrial COI sequence. The study also reveals the phylogenetic relationship and suggests that morphometric characters may not be suitable for distinguishing closely related species within the genus Piaractus.