Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Felicien Degueldre, Patrick Mardulyn, Alexandre Kuhn, Amelie Pinel, Celal Karaman, Claude Lebas, Enrico Schifani, Gregor Bracko, Herbert C. Wagner, Kadri Kiran, Lech Borowiec, Luc Passera, Silvia Abril, Xavier Espadaler, Serge Aron
Summary: Studies have shown that parasitic social behavior has evolved independently at least 5 times in the genus, and all parasites are associated with one of the descendants of their most related free-living species, indicating that sympatric speciation is the main process leading to the emergence of parasitic species.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
T. Parmentier, P. Boeckx, D. Bonte, F. De Laender
Summary: Food chain length is influenced by environmental factors and can be affected by the foraging decisions of the host species. This study investigated the drivers of trophic structure and food chain length in red wood ant nests and found that the host's diet shift significantly impacted the trophic positions of the symbionts and the length of the food chain.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Trevor J. L. Sless, Michael G. Branstetter, Jessica P. Gillung, Erin A. Krichilsky, Kerrigan B. Tobin, Jakub Straka, Jerome G. Rozen, Felipe Freitas, Aline C. Martins, Silas Bossert, Jeremy B. Searle, Bryan N. Danforth
Summary: The study reveals the phylogeny of a diverse group of brood parasites based on ultraconserved element sequence data and extensive taxon sampling. Some parasitic lineages have been reclassified, and two independent transitions from closed-cell to open-cell parasitism have been detected. The evolution of nomadine host-parasite associations over time is explored, showing a broadening range of host taxa and a potential association with open-cell parasitism.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
D. G. Miller
Summary: The study found that socially parasitic gall aphids are able to disperse between different galls on host plants in order to exploit the galls of host aphids.
Article
Ecology
Philip M. Riekenberg, Tijs Joling, Lonneke L. IJsseldijk, Andreas M. Waser, Marcel T. J. van der Meer, David W. Thieltges
Summary: Traditional bulk isotopic analysis is limited in describing parasite-host relationships in food webs, while compound-specific stable isotopes from amino acids offer a promising novel approach for mapping these interactions. The compound-specific method provided clearer trophic discrimination factors and accurately identified parasitic trophic interactions, highlighting its usefulness in clarifying feeding strategies for parasitic species within marine food webs. Despite the limitation of applying a universal trophic discrimination factor, compound-specific stable isotope analysis remains a valuable tool to increase understanding of parasitic interactions.
Article
Parasitology
Stephen M. J. Pollo, Aralia Leon-Coria, Hongrui Liu, David Cruces-Gonzalez, Constance A. M. Finney, James D. Wasmuth
Summary: In this study, RNA sequencing of parasitic nematodes provided insights into the extensive sexual dimorphism and sex-linked differences in gene expression. The research also identified important biological processes and immunomodulatory genes associated with different sexes and developmental stages during parasitic infection. These findings not only expand our understanding of host-parasite interactions but also establish the utility of Heligmosomoides bakeri as a model for parasitic nematodes.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Emlyn J. J. Resetarits, William T. T. Ellis, James E. E. Byers
Summary: Parasites can have both lethal and nonlethal effects on their hosts, influencing resource consumption. However, little research has investigated the joint impacts of these effects. In this study, we used equations from the indirect effects literature to quantify the combined influence of altered feeding rate and increased mortality due to parasitic infection. Our experimental results showed that infected snails had higher mortality rates and consumed more resources, resulting in positive nonlethal effects and negative lethal effects on resource consumption. These effects varied with temperature and experimental duration, emphasizing the context-dependent nature of parasite-host interactions.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Rachel L. Smith, Amelia Goddard, Arun Boddapati, Steven Brooks, Johan P. Schoeman, Justin Lack, Andrew Leisewitz, Hans Ackerman
Summary: The study investigates the clinical and transcriptomic progression of B. rossi infection in canines through controlled inoculations. The research establishes a large mammalian model of severe hemoprotozoal disease, providing insights into host-parasite biology and potential anti-disease therapeutics. Insights gained from studying B. rossi in canines may improve understanding of this emerging infectious disease threat in domestic dogs and offer knowledge on human diseases caused by Babesia and Plasmodium species.
Article
Ecology
T. Parmentier, R. Claus, F. De Laender, D. Bonte
Summary: Species interactions can affect spatial dynamics, especially when one species' movement depends on the presence of another. In a diverse community of arthropods associated with red wood ants, it was found that certain obligate myrmecophiles preferentially moved with the host ants, ultimately impacting community succession. Movement in symbiont communities of social insects may be heterogeneous and functional group-dependent, but is clearly influenced by host movement.
Article
Fisheries
Atsler Luana Lehun, Joao Otavio Santos Silva, Gabriela Michelan, Fernando Miranda Lansac-Toha, Lidiany Doreto Cavalcanti, Ricardo Massato Takemoto
Summary: The structure of the food chain plays a crucial role in shaping the relationship between trophically transmitted endoparasites. The position and body size of each fish species in the food web can determine the presence and transmission of parasites. By analyzing a helminth dataset from 70 fish species in the upper Parana River floodplain, we found that the richness of fish parasites, both in the larval and adult stages, can be explained by body size and trophic level.
ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
A. J. M. Sabadel, P. Cresson, B. Finucci, J. Bennett
Summary: The parasitic barnacle A. squalicola is able to absorb nutrients from deepwater sharks through a system of 'rootlets', which merge with host tissues. This unique adaptation allows the barnacle to be lipid-rich and change its nutrient requirements from protein-rich to lipid-rich as it grows.
Article
Immunology
Natasha A. Botwright, Amin R. Mohamed, Joel Slinger, Paula C. Lima, James W. Wynne
Summary: Through studying the pathogenesis of amoebic gill disease in Atlantic salmon, the localized and systemic immune responses of the host and parasite were identified, along with transcription factors and gene networks significantly altered in disease states. This dual transcriptomic study provides novel molecular insights into the pathology of AGD, offering alternative theories for future research and improved management strategies.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Carolina R. Sanz, Guadalupe Miro, Natalia Sevane, Armando Reyes-Palomares, Susana Dunner
Summary: In this study, the host immune response during Leishmania infantum infection was evaluated through transcriptome sequencing in dogs. Differential gene expression and co-expression network analysis revealed significant differences in gene expression between control and sick dogs, and key co-expression modules were associated with immune response regulation. Sick dogs showed altered expression of immune cell cytokines, T cell and NK cell exhaustion markers, and disrupted functionality of B cells, monocytes, and macrophages. Long non-coding RNAs and chromatin organization may also contribute to the modulation of host immune response during L. infantum infection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Entomology
Kyle Harrison, Aaron M. Tarone, Thomas DeWitt, Raul F. Medina
Summary: Parasite populations associated with different host species can independently accumulate genetic differences, leading to host-associated differentiation. Factors such as immigrant inviability, gallmaking, endophagy, recent range invasions, differential phenology, and parasite morphology can predict the occurrence of host-associated differentiation. Analysis revealed that certain characteristics, like immigrant inviability and gallmaking, were strongly correlated with the presence of host-associated differentiation.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2022)