Strigeid trematodes of the genus Apatemon Szidat, 1928 are intestinal parasites of fish-eating birds, utilizing various fish species as second intermediate hosts. In this study, we report morphometrical and molecular characterization of Apatemon sp. metacercariae parasitizing killifish Nothobranchius furzeri (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae) in south-east Mozambique. Metacercariae obtained from the cerebral cavity of killifish and two adult individuals isolated from experimentally infected ducklings were used for detailed morphological and molecular description, both resulting in generic affiliation to Apatemon. This is the first molecularly confirmed record of this trematode genus in Africa. Considering the morphological variability and wide host range of individual Apatemon species, the combination of both morphological and molecular analyses is indispensable for valid identification of this parasite. The results of our molecular analysis together with phylogenetic reconstruction indicated the presence of a new African lineage, reflecting potentially high diversity within the genus Apatemon comparable with other digenean genera.
- MeSH
- Cyprinodontiformes * MeSH
- geny helmintů MeSH
- infekce červy třídy Trematoda parazitologie veterinární MeSH
- metacerkárie anatomie a histologie klasifikace genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- multigenová rodina MeSH
- nemoci ryb parazitologie MeSH
- proteiny červů analýza MeSH
- respirační komplex IV analýza MeSH
- RNA helmintů analýza MeSH
- Trematoda anatomie a histologie klasifikace genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Mosambik MeSH
Trichobilharzia species are parasitic flatworms (called schistosomes or flukes) that cause important diseases in birds and humans, but very little is known about their molecular biology. Here, using a transcriptomics-bioinformatics-based approach, we explored molecular aspects pertaining to the nutritional requirements of Trichobilharzia szidati ('visceral fluke') and T. regenti ('neurotropic fluke') in their avian host. We studied the larvae of each species before they enter (cercariae) and as they migrate (schistosomules) through distinct tissues in their avian (duck) host. Cercariae of both species were enriched for pathways or molecules associated predominantly with carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation and translation of proteins linked to ribosome biogenesis, exosome production and/or lipid biogenesis. Schistosomules of both species were enriched for pathways or molecules associated with processes including signal transduction, cell turnover and motility, DNA replication and repair, molecular transport and/or catabolism. Comparative informatic analyses identified molecular repertoires (within, e.g., peptidases and secretory proteins) in schistosomules that can broadly degrade macromolecules in both T. szidati and T. regenti, and others that are tailored to each species to selectively acquire nutrients from particular tissues through which it migrates. Thus, this study provides molecular evidence for distinct modes of nutrient acquisition between the visceral and neurotropic flukes of birds.
- MeSH
- cerkárie klasifikace genetika patogenita MeSH
- DNA helmintů klasifikace genetika MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- kachny genetika parazitologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nemoci ptáků genetika parazitologie MeSH
- ptáci genetika parazitologie MeSH
- Schistosomatidae genetika patogenita MeSH
- schistosomóza genetika parazitologie MeSH
- Trematoda klasifikace genetika patogenita MeSH
- výpočetní biologie MeSH
- živiny MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
BACKGROUND: Representatives of the trematode family Fasciolidae are responsible for major socio-economic losses worldwide. Fascioloides magna is an important pathogenic liver fluke of wild and domestic ungulates. To date, only a limited number of studies concerning the molecular biology of F. magna exist. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence of F. magna, and assess the phylogenetic relationships of this fluke with other trematodes based on the mtDNA dataset. FINDINGS: The complete F. magna mt genome sequence is 14,047 bp. The gene content and arrangement of the F. magna mt genome is similar to those of Fasciola spp., except that trnE is located between trnG and the only non-coding region in F. magna mt genome. Phylogenetic relationships of F. magna with selected trematodes using Bayesian inference (BI) was reconstructed based on the concatenated amino acid sequences for 12 protein-coding genes, which confirmed that the genus Fascioloides is closely related to the genus Fasciola; the intergeneric differences of amino acid composition between the genera Fascioloides and Fasciola ranged 17.97-18.24 %. CONCLUSIONS: The determination of F. magna mt genome sequence provides a valuable resource for further investigations of the phylogeny of the family Fasciolidae and other trematodes, and represents a useful platform for designing appropriate molecular markers.
- MeSH
- Fasciola hepatica chemie klasifikace genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Fasciolidae chemie klasifikace genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- genom mitochondriální * MeSH
- genom u helmintů * MeSH
- infekce červy třídy Trematoda parazitologie MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- proteiny červů chemie genetika MeSH
- sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
Infection with Fascioloides magna (Digenea) causes serious damage to liver tissue in definitive hosts represented by ruminants, especially cervids. The distribution of F. magna includes the indigenous areas in North America, and the areas to which F. magna was introduced-Central Europe, Southeast Europe, and Italy. The North American intermediate host of F. magna, the freshwater snail Pseudosuccinea columella (Lymnaeidae), is an invasive species recorded in South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Australia, and west and Southeast Europe. In Europe, Galba truncatula is the snail serving for transmission, but P. columella has potential to become here a new intermediate host of F. magna. Little is known about interactions between F. magna and P. columella. In this study, the susceptibility of P. columella (Oregon, USA) to the infection by a single miracidium of the Czech strain of F. magna and the influence of F. magna on snail fecundity, shell height, and survival were evaluated. The data show that the Oregon strain of P. columella is a highly suitable host for the Czech strain of F. magna, with the infection rate of 74 %. In addition, a negative effect on survival rate of infected snails was recorded only in the late phase of infection. The infection was accompanied by a major reduction in egg mass production and by a decrease in the number of eggs per egg mass. The shell height of infected snails did not significantly differ from that in unexposed controls.
- MeSH
- druhová specificita MeSH
- Fasciola hepatica klasifikace genetika patogenita MeSH
- fasciolóza epidemiologie parazitologie veterinární MeSH
- fertilita MeSH
- hlemýždi parazitologie MeSH
- játra parazitologie patologie MeSH
- míra přežití MeSH
- molekulární typizace MeSH
- ovum parazitologie MeSH
- vysoká zvěř parazitologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Afrika epidemiologie MeSH
- Austrálie epidemiologie MeSH
- Evropa epidemiologie MeSH
- Jižní Amerika epidemiologie MeSH
- karibský region epidemiologie MeSH
- Severní Amerika epidemiologie MeSH
To date, most molecular investigations of schistosomatids have focused principally on blood flukes (schistosomes) of humans. Despite the clinical importance of cercarial dermatitis in humans caused by Trichobilharzia regenti and the serious neuropathologic disease that this parasite causes in its permissive avian hosts and accidental mammalian hosts, almost nothing is known about the molecular aspects of how this fluke invades its hosts, migrates in host tissues and how it interacts with its hosts' immune system. Here, we explored selected aspects using a transcriptomic-bioinformatic approach. To do this, we sequenced, assembled and annotated the transcriptome representing two consecutive life stages (cercariae and schistosomula) of T. regenti involved in the first phases of infection of the avian host. We identified key biological and metabolic pathways specific to each of these two developmental stages and also undertook comparative analyses using data available for taxonomically related blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Detailed comparative analyses revealed the unique involvement of carbohydrate metabolism, translation and amino acid metabolism, and calcium in T. regenti cercariae during their invasion and in growth and development, as well as the roles of cell adhesion molecules, microaerobic metabolism (citrate cycle and oxidative phosphorylation), peptidases (cathepsins) and other histolytic and lysozomal proteins in schistosomula during their particular migration in neural tissues of the avian host. In conclusion, the present transcriptomic exploration provides new and significant insights into the molecular biology of T. regenti, which should underpin future genomic and proteomic investigations of T. regenti and, importantly, provides a useful starting point for a range of comparative studies of schistosomatids and other trematodes.
- MeSH
- biologická adaptace * MeSH
- interakce hostitele a patogenu * MeSH
- kachny parazitologie MeSH
- metabolické sítě a dráhy genetika MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- Schistosomatidae genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- stadia vývoje MeSH
- stanovení celkové genové exprese * MeSH
- výpočetní biologie * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
BACKGROUND: Fascioloides magna is a pathogenic fluke introduced to Europe ca 140 years ago. As it is spreading over the continent, new intermediate and definitive hosts might be involved in transmission of the parasite. In Europe, several studies reported potential new intermediate snail hosts (Radix spp.) for F. magna, and also several cases of fascioloidosis of wild and domestic animals were published. However, the data based on molecular and histological analyses confirming these findings remained unreported. This study aims to refer to unique findings of F. magna in European snails and domestic animals (the first observation in the Czech Republic in the last 30 years) and demonstrate the use of molecular techniques in determination of F. magna. RESULTS: Two snails of R. labiata naturally infected with F. magna were found; mature cercariae and daughter rediae were observed. Maturity of cercariae was checked by histological methods, however, their ability to encyst was not confirmed. Co-infection of F. magna and Fasciola hepatica in the liver of two highland cattle bulls was proved. Adult fasciolid flukes producing eggs were found in the liver pseudocysts (F. magna) and the bile ducts (F. hepatica). Identification of intermediate hosts, intramolluscan stages, adult flukes and eggs was performed by sequencing the ITS2 region. Connection of F. magna pseudocysts with the gut (via the bile ducts) was not confirmed by means of histological and coprological examinations. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, Radix labiata was confirmed as the snail host for F. magna under natural conditions and, together with the finding of F. magna infection in cattle, we can expect further transmission of F. magna from wildlife to livestock in localities shared by these hosts.
- MeSH
- Fasciolidae klasifikace MeSH
- hlemýždi parazitologie MeSH
- infekce červy třídy Trematoda epidemiologie parazitologie veterinární MeSH
- nemoci skotu epidemiologie parazitologie MeSH
- skot MeSH
- zdroje nemoci MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- skot MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
Lymnaeid snails of the genus Radix serve as intermediate hosts of some schistosomes and fasciolids. In Europe, delineation of species within the genus Radix is unresolved and, therefore, spectrum of snail hosts susceptible to trematode infections is under discussion. We used and compared three criteria for species delineation using snails collected at 43 localities. (a) Sequence analysis of ITS-2 rDNA disclosed that the collected snails belong to four species - R. auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758), R. peregra (Müller, 1774), R. lagotis (Schrank, 1803) and R. labiata (Rossmaessler, 1835) (criteria and names are based on the work of Bargues et al. 2001). Occurrence of R. peregra in the Czech Republic was confirmed by molecular data for the first time. (b) Characterization of reproductive system disclosed differences in location, size and shape of bursa copulatrix and its ductus. Unfortunately, some R. labiata specimens shared morphological features of reproductive organs with R. lagotis. (c) Statistical analysis of shell morphology proved that significant differences exist among particular species. One prediction model showed that correct classification of species may be achieved in 82-84% of cases. However, identification of individual snails in the field (without knowledge of respective snail population and use of statistical tools) still remains a complicated issue due to overlaps of shell characteristics. Concerning the role in trematode transmission, R. lagotis, R. labiata and R. peregra are susceptible to Trichobilharzia regenti. Also, successful experimental infections of R. lagotis and R. labiata by Fascioloides magna were accomplished.
- MeSH
- druhová specificita MeSH
- hlemýždi parazitologie MeSH
- interakce hostitele a parazita MeSH
- Trematoda fyziologie MeSH
- zdroje nemoci * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
