Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wen Song, Huixin Jiao, Juan Yang, Danxu Tang, Tingting Ye, Lu Li, Lei Yang, Lifang Li, Weibo Song, Saleh A. Al-Farraj, Hunter N. Hines, Weiwei Liu, Xiao Chen
Summary: This study provides an updated hypothesis for the evolutionary history of oligotrichs and choreotrichs based on new evidence obtained by expanding sampling of molecular information across multiple gene loci. The results reveal consistency between morphological taxonomy and an updated phylogenetic system for these two subclasses of marine planktonic ciliates.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mikolaj Dziurzynski, Adrian Gorecki, Julia Pawlowska, Lukasz Istel, Przemyslaw Decewicz, Piotr Golec, Michal Styczynski, Krzysztof Poszytek, Anna Rokowska, Dorota Gorniak, Lukasz Dziewit
Summary: Arctic soils have unique microbial ecosystems and provide opportunities for studying microbial ecology and evolution. A combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches revealed a cultivation bias in studies of cold-active microorganisms. A novel protocol combining a culture-dependent approach, metabarcoding, next-generation sequencing, and genomic data reuse was developed to obtain psychrotolerant, multi-metal-resistant strains with potential biotechnological applications.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Dorota Kiewra, Mariusz Szymanowski, Aleksandra Czulowska, Aleksandra Kolanek
Summary: This study examined the dynamic changes in the local-scale distribution of D. reticulatus in Lower Silesia, SW Poland. The findings indicate a general tendency for the ticks to expand eastward, with a likely rate of range change estimated at around 0.6-2.3 km/year.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Liangyu Li, Xiangyang Jiang, Quanli Zhou, Jun Chen, Yu Zang, Zaiwang Zhang, Chen Gao, Xuexi Tang, Shuai Shang
Summary: The effects of two control methods (cutting plus tilling and mechanical rolling) on bacterial and fungal communities in Spartina alterniflora invasion were studied. The results showed that cutting plus tilling treatment significantly reduced bacterial diversity and richness, while mechanical rolling treatment had minimal effects on both bacterial and fungal diversity and richness. Both control methods significantly changed the soil microbial community structure.
Article
Plant Sciences
Magdalena Greczek-Stachura, Patrycja Zagata Lesnicka, Sebastian Tarcz, Maria Rautian, Katarzyna Mozdzen
Summary: The study identified multiple green algal symbionts of Paramecium bursaria and found no correlation between the symbiotic species and the ciliate's syngen or geographic distribution, rejecting initial hypotheses.
Article
Immunology
Chunting Lu, Qingtong Zhao, Jianwen Deng, Kexiao Chen, Xinrong Jiang, Fengyu Ma, Shuyuan Ma, Zejian Li
Summary: This study found that diabetes altered the abundance of certain microbiota in the saliva of patients with periodontitis, although it was not the main factor causing changes in the diversity of salivary microbiota.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Haytham Senbill, Tetsuya Tanaka, Donia Karawia, Sahidur Rahman, Jehan Zeb, Olivier Sparagano, Aiswarya Baruah
Summary: Ticks are a growing concern for the economy and public health, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. This study investigated the morpho-molecular aspects of ticks in North and North-Western Egypt, confirming the presence of several tick species and analyzing their DNA sequences. The results provide important information for understanding the tick population in this region.
Article
Reproductive Biology
Machteld van Heule, Hugo Fernando Monteiro, Ali Bazzazan, Kirsten Scoggin, Matthew Rolston, Hossam El-Sheikh Ali, Bart C. Weimer, Barry Ball, Peter Daels, Pouya Dini
Summary: Despite controversy, recent studies show that a microbiome exists in the human placenta. This study aimed to characterize the microbial population in the equine placenta and found that there were significant differences in alpha and beta diversity between pre-and postpartum samples. The composition of bacteria in the placenta was influenced by the reproductive tract microbiome, indicating that bacterial DNA is present in healthy equine placentas.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matej Rataj, Peter Vd'acny
Summary: The study revealed that Mobilids show five distinct evolutionary lineages/species at the molecular level. Different Mobilids are highly correlated with their planarian hosts, suggesting that host organisms may provide isolated niches that facilitate speciation of their epibiotic ciliates.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Kristyna Hrazdilova, Ondrej Danek, Alena Hrbatova, Barbora Cervena, Eva Noskova, Peter Adamik, Jan Votypka, Andrei Daniel Mihalca, Mechouk Noureddine, David Modry, Ludek Zurek
Summary: In this study, a multiplex PCR method was developed to distinguish Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes inopinatus, and the lack of evidence for the presence of I. inopinatus in Central Europe was confirmed. The study also demonstrated that hybridization and introgression can occur between I. ricinus and I. inopinatus, and the hybrids can survive in Europe.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Zu Ma, Dan Xing, Qing Liu, Jian Gao, Ge Wang, Chunxiao Li, Xiaoxia Guo, Yuting Jiang, Teng Zhao, Xinyu Zhou, Hengduan Zhang, Tongyan Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the genetic diversity of Ae. albopictus populations in the Yangtze River Basin in China. The results showed high genetic diversity, low genetic differentiation among populations, and frequent gene exchange. The study highlights the potential spread route of Ae. albopictus vectors in the Yangtze River Basin.
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Lukas Pecina, Peter Vd'acny
Summary: In this study, the phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of clevelandellids living in the hindgut of Panesthiinae cockroaches were reconstructed using nuclear and hydrogenosomal rRNA molecules. The results showed that both types of markers supported the monophyletic origin of the family Clevelandellidae and its four genera. Bayesian relaxed molecular clock analyses suggested that the last common ancestor of Clevelandellidae likely emerged during the Late Cretaceous in the Oriental region and its descendants expanded to Australia during the Neogene colonization of their host Panesthiinae cockroaches. The findings also suggested that the LCA of Clevelandellida may have evolved in ectothermic vertebrates, and might have been transmitted to cockroaches through amphibian feces.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Xiyu Zhang, Heting Wang, Sihan Peng, Jian Kang, Ziyan Xie, Ruobing Tang, Yiqian Xing, Yuchi He, Haipo Yuan, Chunguang Xie, Ya Liu
Summary: This study is the first observational cross-sectional study focusing on the effects of microplastics on the nasal and gut microbiota in a highly exposed population. The results showed that the microplastic content in the high-exposure area was significantly higher than in the low-exposure area. High exposure may increase the abundance of nasal microbiotas associated with respiratory tract diseases and reduce the abundance of beneficial microbiotas. Simultaneously, it may increase the abundance of intestinal microbiotas associated with digestive tract diseases and reduce the abundance of beneficial intestinal microbiotas.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Jerzy M. Behnke, Alex Stewart, Lesley Smales, Gemma Cooper, Ann Lowe, John M. Kinsella, Anna Bajer, Dorota Dwuznik-Szarek, Jeremy Herman, Jonathan Fenn, Stefano Catalano, Christophe A. Diagne, Joanne P. Webster
Summary: The study examined Oxyurid nematodes from bank and field voles in the British Isles, providing genetic signatures of new isolates and confirming S. nigeriana as a parasite of both bank and field voles. Additionally, related Syphacia species were found in Mastomys spp. from West Africa, indicating a wide distribution of parasitic nematodes among rodent genera.
Article
Fisheries
Rafet Cagri Ozturk, Ilhan Altinok
Summary: This study evaluated the population genetic structure of the striped venus clam sampled from the Black Sea, the Levantine Sea, the Adriatic Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean using microsatellites, mtDNA, and nuclear markers. The results showed high genetic homogeneity and sufficient gene flow between sampling sites. COI was found to be more polymorphic than 16S rRNA and ITS2, allowing for differentiation of specimens from different locations. Both mtDNA and nuclear markers were able to distinguish between C. gallina and C. striatula, while microsatellite loci were not able to discriminate taxa. This study provides insights into the weak population structure of striped venus clam, a species with a long planktonic larval stage.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biology
Yuliya M. Didyk, Barbara Mangova, Jasna Kraljik, Michal Stanko, Eva Spitalska, Marketa Derdakova
Summary: This study reports the first occurrence of Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. in the Slovak Republic, where all the ticks clustered in the Rhipicephalus sp. IIa mitochondrial temperate lineage, indicating a previously unreported presence of this species in the country.
Article
Biology
Grzegorz Karbowiak, Michal Stanko, Leszek Rychlik, Joanna Werszko
Summary: This study analysed ectoparasitic arthropod communities associated with root voles in northeastern Poland, documenting several parasite species that were first recorded in Poland, including fleas and ticks. Some of these species are relatively rare in Poland and specific to other small mammals. The infestation rates of certain ectoparasites on root voles varied between months, with Dermacentor reticulatus dominating in July but being partially replaced by Ixodes ricinus and fleas in August.
Article
Parasitology
Jerzy M. Behnke, Alex Stewart, Lesley Smales, Gemma Cooper, Ann Lowe, John M. Kinsella, Anna Bajer, Dorota Dwuznik-Szarek, Jeremy Herman, Jonathan Fenn, Stefano Catalano, Christophe A. Diagne, Joanne P. Webster
Summary: The study examined Oxyurid nematodes from bank and field voles in the British Isles, providing genetic signatures of new isolates and confirming S. nigeriana as a parasite of both bank and field voles. Additionally, related Syphacia species were found in Mastomys spp. from West Africa, indicating a wide distribution of parasitic nematodes among rodent genera.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Magdalena Migalska, Karolina Przesmycka, Mohammed Alsarraf, Anna Bajer, Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk, Maciej Grzybek, Jerzy M. Behnke, Jacek Radwan
Summary: In this study, the authors used long-term monitoring data of helminths infecting bank voles to test the predictions of negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS) on MHC class II. They found a complex association between MHC diversity and species richness, as well as subpopulation-specific effects of certain MHC supertypes on helminths. These findings highlight the spatial and temporal complexity of MHC-parasite associations.
Editorial Material
Ecology
Giulio Formenti, Kathrin Theissinger, Carlos Fernandes, Iliana Bista, Aureliano Bombarely, Christoph Bleidorn, Claudio Ciofi, Angelica Crottini, Jose A. Godoy, Jacob Hoglund, Joanna Malukiewicz, Alice Mouton, Rebekah A. Oomen, Sadye Paez, Per J. Palsboll, Christophe Pampoulie, Maria J. Ruiz-Lopez, Hannes Svardal, Constantina Theofanopoulou, Jan de Vries, Ann-Marie Waldvogel, Guojie Zhang, Camila J. Mazzoni, Erich D. Jarvis, Miklos Balint
Summary: Progress in genome sequencing has enabled the generation of large-scale reference genomes, representing global biodiversity. These genomes provide unique insights into genomic diversity and architecture, allowing comprehensive analyses in population and functional genomics, and are expected to revolutionize conservation genomics.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Anna Bajer, Ana Beck, Relja Beck, Jerzy M. Behnke, Dorota Dwuznik-Szarek, Ramon M. Eichenberger, Robert Farkas, Hans-Peter Fuehrer, Mike Heddergott, Pikka Jokelainen, Michael Leschnik, Valentina Oborina, Algimantas Paulauskas, Jana Radzijevskaja, Renate Ranka, Manuela Schnyder, Andrea Springer, Christina Strube, Katarzyna Tolkacz, Julia Walochnik
Summary: There is growing evidence of an emerging infectious disease in Europe called babesiosis, which is spreading due to the increasing range of tick vectors. The incidence of babesiosis is increasing in both humans and animals, and the situation requires extensive monitoring and a One Health approach.
Article
Microbiology
Anna Bajer, Maciej Kowalec, Viktoriya A. Levytska, Ewa Julia Mierzejewska, Mustafa Alsarraf, Vasyl Poliukhovych, Anna Rodo, Dagmara Wezyk, Dorota Dwuznik-Szarek
Summary: This study found a high prevalence of Babesia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. infections in pet dogs from Central and North-Eastern Europe, but not in sled dogs and Baltic countries.
Editorial Material
Ecology
Aleksandra Biedrzycka, Anna Fijarczyk, Agnieszka Kloch, Ilga Mercedes Porth
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Agnieszka Kloch, Ewa R. Mierzejewska, Renata R. Welc-Faleciak, Anna R. Bajer, Aleksandra R. Biedrzycka
Summary: The study investigated the genetic variation in cytokines of bank voles and its impact on their susceptibility to infection by parasites and microparasites. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified to be associated with susceptibility to nematodes. The results suggest that cytokines are influenced by parasite-driven selection and non-coding variants may play a role in host-parasite co-evolution in wild systems.
Article
Parasitology
Mustafa Alsarraf, Dorota Dwuznik-Szarek, Joanna Hildebrand, Ewa Julia Mierzejewska, Agnieszka Kloch, Kamila Kot, Korneliusz Kurek, Sabina Nowak, Robert W. W. Myslajek, Izabella Mysliwy, Marcin Popiolek, Anna Rodo, Mohammed Alsarraf, Katarzyna Tolkacz, Mariia Topolnytska, Dagmara Wezyk, Anna Bajer
Summary: This study determined the occurrence of D. repens in seven species of wild carnivores in Poland and identified the first case of D. repens infection in Eurasian badgers in Poland and the second in Europe.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Mustafa Alsarraf, Gad Baneth, Anna Bogucka-Kocka, Lavinia Ciuca, Dorota Dwuznik-Szarek, Hans -Peter Fuehrer, Agnieszka Kloch, Przemyslaw Kolodziej, Viktoria Levytska, Ewa Julia Mierzejewska, Andrei D. Mihalca, Angela Monica Ionica, Andrii Mushynskyi, Yaarit Nachum-Biala, Mohammed Alsarraf, Anna Bajer
Summary: Subcutaneous dirofilariosis is a rapidly spreading infection that affects dogs, carnivores, and even humans. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity of the parasite and its spread across Europe, finding that climate change, movement of infected hosts, and the diversity of wild reservoirs contribute to the spread of the disease.
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joseph A. A. Jackson, Anna Bajer, Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk, Francis S. S. Gilbert, Maciej Grzybek, Mohammed Alsarraf, Jerzy M. M. Behnke
Summary: The increasing frequency and cost of zoonotic disease emergence due to global change have led to calls for the primary surveillance of wildlife. This should be facilitated by the ready availability of remotely sensed environmental data, given the importance of the environment in determining infectious disease dynamics.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biology
Grzegorz Karbowiak, Michal Stanko, Leszek Rychlik, Joanna Werszko
Summary: A total of 114 species of arthropods associated with Microtus oeconomus have been reported, including eight species of ticks, 52 species of mites, 47 species of fleas, and seven species of lice. These parasites are mainly distributed in the Palearctic and Nearctic regions, with most occurring in both Europe and Asia. In addition, there are shared species of mites, fleas, and lice between Europe, Asia, and America. The abundance of these parasites also varies seasonally.
Article
Biology
Yuliya M. Didyk, Barbara Mangova, Eva Spitalska, Marketa Derdakova
Summary: Ticks in urban parks and green areas in Ukraine were found to carry Rickettsia spp. DNA, with 16.3% of I. ricinus and 29.1% of D. reticulatus testing positive. R. helvetica and R. monacensis were found in I. ricinus, while R. raoultii was found in D. reticulatus. This indicates a risk of rickettsiosis in popular tourist urban habitats in Ukraine.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Aleksander Wymazal, Sabina Nowak, Robert W. Myslajek, Anna Bajer, Renata Welc-Faleciak, Maciej Szewczyk, Iga Kwiatkowska, Kinga M. Stepniak, Michal Figura, Agnieszka Kloch
Summary: The wolf population in Central and Eastern Europe has been increasing, but their frequent contacts with humans make them a potential zoonotic reservoir. This study found a high prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in free-ranging wolves from Poland.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2024)