Coevolutionary processes that drive the patterns of host-parasite associations can be deduced through congruence analysis of their phylogenies. Feather lice and their avian hosts have previously been used as typical model systems for congruence analysis; however, such analyses are strongly biased toward nonpasserine hosts in the temperate zone. Further, in the Afrotropical region especially, cospeciation studies of lice and birds are entirely missing. This work supplements knowledge of host-parasite associations in lice using cospeciation analysis of feather lice (genus and the complex) and their avian hosts in the tropical rainforests of Cameroon. Our analysis revealed a limited number of cospeciation events in both parasite groups. The parasite-host associations in both louse groups were predominantly shaped by host switching. Despite a general dissimilarity in phylogeny for the parasites and hosts, we found significant congruence in host-parasite distance matrices, mainly driven by associations between lice and passerine species of the Waxbill (Estrildidae) family, and lice and their Bulbul (Pycnonotidae) host species. As such, our study supports the importance of complex biotic interactions in tropical environments.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6386 | DOI Listing |
Pathogens
December 2024
School of Agriculture Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
Malaria and other haemosporidian parasites are common in reptiles. During baseline health surveys of sea turtles in Western Australia (WA), haemosporidian parasites were detected in flatback () and green () turtle erythrocytes during routine blood film examination. 130 blood samples were screened via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including 105 20 and 5 olive ridley turtles ().
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
December 2024
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, Mobile, AL 36688, USA.
An intracellular protozoan, the Apicomplexan parasite () infects nucleated cells, in which it triggers the formation of a specialized membrane-confined cytoplasmic vacuole, named the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). One of the most prominent events in the parasite's intracellular life is the congregation of the host cell mitochondria around the PV. However, the significance of this event has remained largely unsolved since the parasite itself possesses a functional mitochondrion, which is essential for its replication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomolecules
December 2024
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38025-180, MG, Brazil.
Ticks have coevolved with their hosts over millions of years, developing the ability to evade hemostatic, inflammatory, and immunological responses. Salivary molecules from these vectors bind to cytokines, chemokines, antibodies, complement system proteins, vasodilators, and molecules involved in coagulation and platelet aggregation, among others, inhibiting or blocking their activities. Initially studied to understand the complexities of tick-host interactions, these molecules have been more recently recognized for their potential clinical applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhytopathology
January 2025
Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, Departament of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, Madrid, Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 28040.
Brown rot is a disease that affects stone and pome fruit crops worldwide. It is caused by fungal members of the genus , mainly , and . This study presents evidence that, despite having a very similar battery of Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes (CWDEs), the three species behave differently during the early stages of infection, suggesting differences at the regulatory level, which could also explain the differences in host preference among the three species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Ecol
December 2024
GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
Honeybees, Apis mellifera, have experienced the full impacts of globalisation, including the recent invasion by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, now one of the main causes of colony losses worldwide. The strong selection pressure it exerts has led some colonies to develop defence strategies conferring some degree of resistance to the parasite. Assuming these traits are partly heritable, selective breeding of naturally resistant bees could be a sustainable strategy for fighting infestations.
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