Article
Microbiology
Juste Azelyte, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Apolline Maitre, Rita Ziegyte, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Dasiel Obregon, Vaidas Palinauskas, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: Avian malaria infection does not significantly change the alpha and beta diversity of the bird gut microbiome, but it does alter the composition and abundance of certain bacterial taxa. The progression of microbiome structural states differs between infected and uninfected birds. Infection by avian malaria parasites is associated with the presence of specific metabolic pathways and the abundance of these pathways changes over the course of infection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alan Fecchio, Henrique Batalha-Filho, Janice H. Dispoto, Jeffrey A. Bell, Jason D. Weckstein
Summary: Amazonia serves as the main source of diversity for haemosporidian parasites in South America, but our understanding of their biogeographical processes and contributions from different areas of endemism is incomplete. This study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of Plasmodium and Parahaemoproteus parasites and finds that dispersal is the main driver of Plasmodium diversification, while duplication is more frequent in Parahaemoproteus. The results show that the Inambari area is the primary source of Plasmodium diversity on Marajó Island, but the island receives more Parahaemoproteus lineages from Cerrado habitats than any Amazonian area. The unique dispersal patterns and host-shifting ability of each parasite genus may have facilitated their diversification across Amazonia, with deep evolutionary history potentially constraining their colonization of Marajó Island.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raquel A. Rodrigues, Gabriel M. F. Felix, Mauro Pichorim, Patricia A. Moreira, Erika M. Braga
Summary: The study investigated avian haemosporidian parasites in a protected area in northeastern Brazil, showing that migration and temperature may predict parasite prevalence. Individual-level traits and other species-specific factors were not related to infection probability.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daniela de Angeli Dutra, Rafael Barros Pereira Pinheiro, Alan Fecchio, Robert Poulin
Summary: Why do some regions share more or fewer species than others? Community assembly relies on factors such as geographic distance, environmental features, and host resources that determine the odds of a species colonizing a new environment. In this study, we explored the drivers of parasite turnover using avian malaria and malaria-like parasites. We found that parasite turnover is mainly driven by geographic distance, host functional traits, environmental conditions, and host distributions. Our findings provide insights into avian pathogen spread and the emergence of infectious diseases.
Article
Ecology
Alan Fecchio, Nicholas J. Clark, Jeffrey A. Bell, Heather R. Skeen, Holly L. Lutz, Gabriel M. De La Torre, Jefferson A. Vaughan, Vasyl V. Tkach, Fabio Schunck, Francisco C. Ferreira, Erika M. Braga, Camile Lugarini, Wanyoike Wamiti, Janice H. Dispoto, Spencer C. Galen, Karin Kirchgatter, M. Cecilia Sagario, Victor R. Cueto, Daniel Gonzalez-Acuna, Mizue Inumaru, Yukita Sato, Yvonne R. Schumm, Petra Quillfeldt, Irene Pellegrino, Guha Dharmarajan, Pooja Gupta, V. V. Robin, Arif Ciloglu, Alparslan Yildirim, Xi Huang, Leonardo Chapa-Vargas, Paulina Alvarez-Mendizabal, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Serguei Drovetski, Olof Hellgren, Gary Voelker, Robert E. Ricklefs, Shannon J. Hackett, Michael D. Collins, Jason D. Weckstein, Konstans Wells
Summary: Macroecological analyses of global patterns of haemosporidian infections in avian hosts revealed marked variation in infection rates at different scales, with climate effects being more consistent across regions and host ecological traits playing a significant role. The study highlighted the importance of considering interactions between landscape, climate, and host characteristics for predicting changes in parasite infection risk under future scenarios.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Luz Garcia-Longoria, Jaime Muriel, Sergio Magallanes, Zaira Hellen Villa-Galarce, Leonila Ricopa, Wilson Giancarlo Inga-Diaz, Esteban Fong, Daniel Vecco, Cesar Guerra-SaldaNa, Teresa Salas-Rengifo, Wendy Flores-Saavedra, Kathya Espinoza, Carlos Mendoza, Blanca SaldaNa, Manuel Gonzalez-Blazquez, Henry Gonzales-Pinedo, Charlene Lujan-Vega, Carlos Alberto Del Aguila, Yessica Vilca-Herrera, Carlos Alberto Pineda, Carmen Reategui, Jorge Manuel Cardenas-Callirgos, Jose Alberto Iannacone, Jorge Luis Mendoza, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal, Alfonso Marzal
Summary: This study found that the effective diversity for both birds and parasite lineages was higher in the Amazon basin ecoregions. Additionally, it was also shown that ecoregions with greater diversity of bird species also had high parasite richness, suggesting the importance of host community in explaining parasite richness. Generalist parasites were found in ecoregions with lower bird diversity, which implies that the abundance and richness of hosts may influence the exploitation strategy followed by haemosporidian parasites.
Article
Microbiology
Josue Martinez-de la Puente, Rafael Gutierrez-Lopez, Alazne Diez-Fernandez, Ramon C. Soriguer, Isabel Moreno-Indias, Jordi Figuerola
Summary: The study found that mosquito microbiota significantly impact mosquito survival and the presence of parasite DNA in their saliva. Antibiotic treatment can significantly increase the survival rate of mosquitoes fed on infected birds, but does not affect the survival rate of mosquitoes fed on uninfected birds. The control group mosquitoes had a higher number of unique features in their microbiota and were enriched in biochemical pathways related to the immune system.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Irene Pellegrino, Luca Ilahiane, Giovanni Boano, Marco Cucco, Marco Pavia, Heather L. Prestridge, Gary Voelker
Summary: This study is the first to investigate the prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in breeding birds on Sardinia, revealing an infection rate of 55.3% with 84 novel haplotypes. Phylogenetic analysis did not identify Sardinia-specific clades, suggesting a relationship between Sardinian lineages and those from continental Europe. Host-parasite network analysis indicated a specialized community, and statistical models showed an elevational effect on haemosporidian occurrence probability and differences in infection likelihood between sedentary and migratory birds.
Article
Parasitology
Daniela Doussang, Nicole Sallaberry-Pincheira, Gustavo S. Cabanne, Dario A. Lijtmaer, Daniel Gonzalez-Acuna, Juliana A. Vianna
Summary: The study found that Haemoproteus has higher prevalence and diversity compared to Plasmodium, largely influenced by their avian hosts and environmental factors. Additionally, the prevalences of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium are positively correlated with host diversity, suggesting a possible amplification effect.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Alan Fecchio, Iubata P. de Faria, Jeffrey A. Bell, Renata Nunes, Jason D. Weckstein, Marcos R. Lima
Summary: Contrasting parasite prevalence and host-parasite community structure between pristine and disturbed environments can enhance our understanding of deforestation impacts on disease transmission and parasite extinction. Our study in Northeast Amazonia found that avian haemosporidian prevalence was higher in secondary forests, contrary to the lower prevalence pattern in disturbed tropical forests in Africa. This suggests that forest disturbance can have diverse effects on parasite transmission and host communities.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Alan Fecchio, Raphael Dias, Gabriel M. de la Torre, Jeffrey A. Bell, M. Cecilia Sagario, Cristian A. Gorosito, Carolina C. Dos Anjos, Camile Lugarini, Vitor Q. Piacentini, Joao B. Pinho, Karin Kirchgatter, Robert E. Ricklefs, Fabio Schunck, Victor R. Cueto
Summary: Migratory birds can connect avian host communities and transmit haemosporidian parasites along their distributional range in South America, but their role in parasite dispersal is not significant.
Article
Parasitology
Yvonne R. Schumm, Dimitris Bakaloudis, Christos Barboutis, Jacopo G. Cecere, Cyril Eraud, Dominik Fischer, Jens Hering, Klaus Hillerich, Herve Lormee, Viktoria Mader, Juan F. Masello, Benjamin Metzger, Gregorio Rocha, Fernando Spina, Petra Quillfeldt
Summary: The study examined the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites in columbiform birds and found a high infection rate, with unique lineages identified. Migratory birds were shown to have a higher prevalence and diversity of blood parasites, suggesting a potential risk for declining avian species such as the European turtle dove.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chun-lei Jing, Ying-Qiang Lou, Huan Liu, Kai Song, Yun Fang, Jacob Hoglund, Peter Halvarsson, Yue-Hua Sun
Summary: This study examined the relationship between avian malaria parasites and two personality traits in a population of the Chestnut Thrush breed in the Tibetan plateau. Results showed no sex bias in malaria parasite prevalence and no effect of infection status on activity and boldness.
Article
Parasitology
Carolina C. Anjos, Thiago Bicudo, Alan Fecchio, Marina Anciaes, Bruno S. Mathias, Carolina R. F. Chagas, Jeffrey A. Bell, Lilian O. Guimaraes, Eliana F. Monteiro, Karin Kirchgatter
Summary: The construction of hydroelectric dams in the Brazilian Amazon can lead to biodiversity loss and disrupt the dynamics of bird communities. This study aims to assess the prevalence and molecular diversity of haemosporidian parasites in bird communities inhabiting artificial islands created by the Balbina Hydroelectric Dam. The results reveal a low overall prevalence of avian malaria in the studied bird species, with the discovery of new lineages and the potential impact of artificial islands on the parasites.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Carolina C. Anjos, Carolina R. F. Chagas, Alan Fecchio, Fabio Schunck, Maria J. Costa-Nascimento, Eliana F. Monteiro, Bruno S. Mathias, Jeffrey A. Bell, Lilian O. Guimaraes, Kiba J. M. Comiche, Gediminas Valkiunas, Karin Kirchgatter
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence, diversity, and distribution of avian haemosporidian parasites among resident and migratory birds in Serra do Mar, Brazil. The results showed that migratory species may harbor a higher diversity and prevalence of parasites than resident species, but transportation of some parasites by migratory hosts may not always affect local transmission. Additionally, a new species of Haemoproteus was described in this study.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Victor Kalbskopf, Dag Ahren, Gediminas Valkiunas, Vaidas Palinauskas, Olof Hellgren
Summary: This study investigated the transcriptomal profiles of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum SGS1 lineage during the blood stages of infection. The parasite showed distinct transcriptome profiles between days 8 and 20 post-infection, with gene expression becoming more heterogeneous late in the infection. This research demonstrates the potential for using the avian malaria system in controlled experimental settings to study gene expression and compare responses of parasites with different life-history traits and host effects.
Article
Parasitology
Juste Azelyte, Elena Platonova, Staffan Bensch, Olof Hellgren, Vaidas Palinauskas
Summary: Co-infections and interactions of avian Plasmodium parasites have a significant impact on parasite development and transmission success. The dominance of one parasite may suppress the parasite load of another. Understanding these interactions helps explain why certain avian Plasmodium parasites dominate in specific host species.
Review
Parasitology
Apolline Maitre, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Juste Azelyte, Vaidas Palinauskas, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Dasiel Obregon, Adnan Hodzic, Claire Valiente Moro, Agustin Estrada-Pena, Jean-Christophe Paoli, Alessandra Falchi, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: Human and animal pathogens transmitted by arthropods, such as ticks and mosquitoes, are a global concern. Control measures using acaricides are threatened by resistance in vector populations. Alternative strategies that target the vector microbiota and interfere with pathogen development are encouraged. Understanding the immune functions of host antibodies and disrupting the vector microbiota open up possibilities for novel transmission-blocking vaccines.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Victor Yman, James Tuju, Michael T. White, Gathoni Kamuyu, Kennedy Mwai, Nelson Kibinge, Muhammad Asghar, Christopher Sundling, Klara Sonden, Linda Murungi, Daniel Kiboi, Rinter Kimathi, Timothy Chege, Emily Chepsat, Patience Kiyuka, Lydia Nyamako, Faith H. A. Osier, Anna Farnert
Summary: Strengthening malaria surveillance is crucial to reducing the global disease burden. The study identifies a combination of five serological markers that can detect exposure within the previous three months with high sensitivity and specificity. These markers can be used to guide malaria control and elimination efforts.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Vaidas Palinauskas, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Jose de la Fuente, Juste Azelyte, Dasiel Obregon, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: This paper proposes the hypothesis that gut microbiota diversity shapes the immune response and resistance to avian malaria. The authors also suggest that anti-alpha-Gal antibodies are transmitted from mother to eggs for early malaria protection in chicks. They provide preliminary data showing the presence of bacterial alpha 1,3GT genes in the gut microbiome of birds and the induction of anti-alpha-Gal antibodies upon avian malaria infection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Elena Platonova, Vaidas Palinauskas
Summary: The avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum (genetic lineage pGRW4) is prevalent in some bird species in Northern Europe, with experiments showing that the cool summer air temperature in the region is not a limiting factor for the successful development of the parasite. However, delayed sporogony caused by low summer temperatures may have a detrimental impact on the active transmission of this parasite in Northern Europe.
Article
Ecology
Melanie Marx, Yvonne R. Schumm, Kevin J. Kardynal, Keith A. Hobson, Gregorio Rocha, Pavel Zehtindjiev, Dimitris Bakaloudis, Benjamin Metzger, Jacopo G. Cecere, Fernando Spina, Marco Cianchetti-Benedetti, Sylke Frahnert, Christian C. Voigt, Herve Lormee, Cyril Eraud, Petra Quillfeldt
Summary: Conservation of migratory birds requires understanding their breeding and nonbreeding ranges. This study investigated the wintering regions of European turtle doves using stable isotopes and found that the most likely wintering areas were in the western and central Sub-Sahara. There were also differences in the isotopic values between turtle doves from different migratory routes, indicating different origins for central/eastern and western migrants. These results emphasize the importance of the western and central Sub-Sahara for the conservation of turtle doves from European breeding populations.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Juste Azelyte, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Rita Ziegyte, Elena Platonova, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Jennifer Maye, Dasiel Obregon, Vaidas Palinauskas, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: In this study, researchers found that anti-microbiota vaccines targeting Enterobacteriaceae within mosquito midguts can modulate the mosquito microbiota and significantly disrupt the development of Plasmodium relictum in its natural vector Culex quinquefasciatus. These findings suggest that anti-microbiota vaccines can be a novel tool to control malaria transmission and potentially other vector-borne pathogens.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Rita Ziegyte, Rasa Bernotiene, Vaidas Palinauskas
Summary: The aim of this study was to determine new Culicoides species involved in the transmission of Haemoproteus parasites in the wild. Through collection and testing of biting midges, it was discovered that multiple Culicoides species carry avian Haemoproteus parasites. In addition, two new Culicoides species were added to the vector list.
Article
Parasitology
Vincenzo A. Ellis, Victor Kalbskopf, Arif Ciloglu, Melanie Duc, Xi Huang, Abdullah Inci, Staffan Bensch, Olof Hellgren, Vaidas Palinauskas
Summary: This study presents a new sequence capture approach for targeting genes of the avian haemosporidian parasite Plasmodium relictum, successfully isolating DNA from different lineages and describing genetic variations within and among lineages. The results indicate a correlation between sequencing success and parasitemia, with lower parasitemia leading to lower sequencing success rates.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Vaidas Palinauskas, Rita Ziegyte, Jakov Sengaut, Rasa Bernotiene
Summary: Co-infection with multiple parasites is common in the wild. However, this study found that co-infection with two malarial parasites does not necessarily result in a greater number of parasites and more severe disease to the host.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Muhammad Asghar, Amani Odeh, Ahmad Jouni Fattahi, Alexandra Edwards Henriksson, Aurelie Miglar, Shervin Khosousi, Per Svenningsson
Summary: Aging is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. This study found that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) had lower mitochondrial DNA copies but longer telomeres in blood compared to controls. Similar findings were observed in brain tissue. In addition, patients showed lower mitochondrial biogenesis and higher load of a cellular senescence marker in the brain.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Martina Ferraguti, Sergio Magallanes, Jessica Jimenez-Penuela, Josue Martinez-de la Puente, Luz Garcia-Longoria, Jordi Figuerola, Jaime Muriel, Tamer Albayrak, Staffan Bensch, Camille Bonneaud, Rohan H. Clarke, Gabor A. Czirjak, Dimitar Dimitrov, Kathya Espinoza, John G. Ewen, Farah Ishtiaq, Wendy Flores-Saavedra, Laszlo Zsolt Garamszegi, Olof Hellgren, Dita Horakova, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Henrik Jensen, Asta Krizanauskiene, Marcos R. Lima, Charlene Lujan-Vega, Eyofinn Magnussen, Lynn B. Martin, Kevin D. Matson, Anders Pape Moller, Pavel Munclinger, Vaidas Palinauskas, Peter L. Pap, Javier Perez-Tris, Swen C. Renner, Robert Ricklefs, Sergio Scebba, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal, Manuel Soler, Eszter Szoellosi, Gediminas Valkiunas, Helena Westerdahl, Pavel Zehtindjiev, Alfonso Marzal
Summary: This study investigated the ecological drivers affecting avian malaria parasite lineages in native and introduced house sparrows. The results showed that urbanization was positively related to parasite prevalence in both native and introduced populations, with higher infection in areas with intermediate levels of urbanization. In introduced populations, altitude and time since bird introduction were positively associated with the number of parasite lineages.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Juste Azelyte, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Apolline Maitre, Rita Ziegyte, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Dasiel Obregon, Vaidas Palinauskas, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: Avian malaria infection does not significantly change the alpha and beta diversity of the bird gut microbiome, but it does alter the composition and abundance of certain bacterial taxa. The progression of microbiome structural states differs between infected and uninfected birds. Infection by avian malaria parasites is associated with the presence of specific metabolic pathways and the abundance of these pathways changes over the course of infection.
Article
Microbiology
Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Apolline Maitre, Ryan O. M. Rego, Radek Sima, Stefania Porcelli, Sabine Rakotobe, Angelique Foucault-Simonin, Sara Moutailler, Vaidas Palinauskas, Juste Azelyte, Ladislav Simo, Dasiel Obregon, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: Research has found that infection with Borrelia afzelii causes changes to the microbiota composition, diversity, and structure in ticks. Anti-microbiota vaccines can alter the tick microbiota's ability to be infected by Borrelia and decrease the pathogen's load. Network analysis is a suitable tool for identifying properties of the vector microbiota associated with infection-refractory states.