The two stork species that nest in Central Europe, Ciconia ciconia and Ciconia nigra, have been repeatedly shown to host the digenetic trematode Cathaemasia hians (Rudolphi, 1809) in their esophagus and muscular stomach. These host species differ in their habitat and food preferences, and the morphologic characters of C. hians isolates ex Ci. nigra and Ci. ciconia are not identical. These differences led to a previous proposal of two subspecies, Cathaemasia hians longivitellata Macko, 1960, and Cathaemasia hians hians Macko, 1960. We hypothesize that the Cathaemasia hians isolates ex Ci. nigra and Ci. ciconia represent two independent species. Therefore, in the present study, we performed the first molecular analyses of C. hians individuals that were consistent with the diagnosis of C. hians hians (ex Ci. nigra) and C. hians longivitellata (ex Ci. ciconia). The combined molecular and comparative morphological analyses of the central European Cathaemasia individuals ex Ci. nigra and Ci. ciconia led to the proposal of a split of C. hians into C. hians sensu stricto (formerly C. hians hians) and C. longivitellata sp. n. (formerly C. hians longivitellata). Morphological analyses confirmed that the length of the vitellaria is the key identification feature of the two previously mentioned species. Both Cathaemasia spp. substantially differ at the molecular level and have strict host specificity, which might be related to differences in the habitat and food preferences of the two stork species.
BACKGROUND: Schistosoma mansoni was introduced from Africa to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade and remains a major public health problem in parts of South America and the Caribbean. This study presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of three S. mansoni strains with different geographical origins-from Liberia, Belo Horizonte and Puerto Rico. We demonstrated significant variation in virulence and host-parasite interactions. METHODS: We investigated the phenotypic characteristics of the parasite and its eggs, as well as the immunopathologic effects on laboratory mouse organ systems. RESULTS: Our results show significant differences in worm morphology, worm burden, egg size, and pathologic organ changes between these strains. The Puerto Rican strain showed the highest virulence, as evidenced by marked liver and spleen changes and advanced liver fibrosis indicated by increased collagen content. In contrast, the strains from Liberia and Belo Horizonte had a less pathogenic profile with less liver fibrosis. We found further variations in granuloma formation, cytokine expression and T-cell dynamics, indicating different immune responses. CONCLUSION: Our study emphasizes the importance of considering intra-specific variations of S. mansoni for the development of targeted therapies and public health strategies. The different virulence patterns, host immune responses and organ pathologies observed in these strains provide important insights for future research and could inform region-specific interventions for schistosomiasis control.
- MeSH
- cytokiny metabolismus MeSH
- interakce hostitele a parazita MeSH
- játra * parazitologie patologie MeSH
- myši MeSH
- Schistosoma mansoni * patogenita genetika imunologie MeSH
- schistosomiasis mansoni * parazitologie imunologie patologie MeSH
- slezina parazitologie patologie imunologie MeSH
- virulence MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- myši MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Libérie MeSH
- Portoriko MeSH
Trematodes of the order Diplostomida are well known as serious pathogens of man, and both farm and wild animals; members of the genus Schistosoma (Schistosomatidae) are responsible for human schistosomosis (schistosomiasis) affecting more than 200 million people in tropical and subtropical countries, and infections of mammals and birds by animal schistosomes are of great veterinary importance. The order Diplostomida is also rich in species parasitizing other major taxa of vertebrates. The "Aporocotylidae" sensu lato are pathogenic in fish, "Spirorchiidae" sensu lato in reptiles. All these flukes have two-host life cycles, with asexually reproducing larvae usually in mollusks and occasionally in annelids, and adults usually live in the blood vessels of their vertebrate hosts. Pathology is frequently associated with inflammatory reactions to eggs trapped in various tissues/organs. On the other hand, the representatives of Diplostomidae and Strigeidae have three- or four-host life cycles in which vertebrates often serve not only as definitive but also as intermediate or paratenic hosts. Pathology is usually associated with migration of metacercariae and mesocercariae within the host tissues. The impact of these trematode infections on both farm and wild animals may be significant.
Skin uses interdependent cellular networks for barrier integrity and host immunity, but most underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Herein, we demonstrate that the human parasitic helminth Schistosoma mansoni inhibited pruritus evoked by itch-sensing afferents bearing the Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor A3 (MrgprA3) in mice. MrgprA3 neurons controlled interleukin (IL)-17+ γδ T cell expansion, epidermal hyperplasia and host resistance against S. mansoni through shaping cytokine expression in cutaneous antigen-presenting cells. MrgprA3 neuron activation downregulated IL-33 but induced IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor in macrophages and type 2 conventional dendritic cells partially through the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide. Macrophages exposed to MrgprA3-derived secretions or bearing cell-intrinsic IL-33 deletion showed increased chromatin accessibility at multiple inflammatory cytokine loci, promoting IL-17/IL-23-dependent changes to the epidermis and anti-helminth resistance. This study reveals a previously unrecognized intercellular communication mechanism wherein itch-inducing MrgprA3 neurons initiate host immunity against skin-invasive parasites by directing cytokine expression patterns in myeloid antigen-presenting cell subsets.
- MeSH
- dendritické buňky imunologie MeSH
- interleukin 33 * metabolismus imunologie MeSH
- kůže imunologie parazitologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- makrofágy imunologie metabolismus MeSH
- myeloidní buňky imunologie metabolismus MeSH
- myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
- myši knockoutované MeSH
- myši MeSH
- neurony imunologie metabolismus MeSH
- pruritus imunologie MeSH
- receptory spřažené s G-proteiny * metabolismus imunologie genetika MeSH
- Schistosoma mansoni * imunologie MeSH
- schistosomiasis mansoni * imunologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: In Europe, avian schistosomes of the genus Trichobilharzia are the most common etiological agents involved in human cercarial dermatitis (swimmer's itch). Manifested by a skin rash, the condition is caused by an allergic reaction to cercariae of nonhuman schistosomes. Humans are an accidental host in this parasite's life cycle, while water snails are the intermediate, and waterfowl are the final hosts. The study aimed to conduct a molecular and phylogenetic analysis of Trichobilharzia species occurring in recreational waters in North-Eastern Poland. METHODOLOGY: The study area covered three water bodies (Lake Skanda, Lake Ukiel, and Lake Tyrsko) over the summer of 2021. In total, 747 pulmonate freshwater snails (Radix spp., Lymnaea stagnalis) were collected. Each snail was subjected to 1-2 h of light stimulation to induce cercarial expulsion. The phylogenetic analyses of furcocercariae were based on the partial sequence of the ITS region (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, ITS2 and 28SrDNA). For Radix spp. phylogenetic analyses were based on the ITS-2 region. RESULTS: The prevalence of the Trichobilharzia species infection in snails was 0.5%. Two out of 478 (0.4%) L. stagnaliswere found to be infected with Trichobilharzia szidati. Moreover, two out of 269 (0.7%) snails of the genus Radix were positive for schistosome cercariae. Both snails were identified as Radix auricularia. One of them was infected with Trichobilharzia franki and the other with Trichobilharzia sp. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular identification of avian schistosome species, both at the intermediate and definitive hosts level, constitutes an important source of information on a potential threat and prognosis of local swimmer's itch occurrence, and helps to determine species diversity in a particular area.
- MeSH
- DNA helmintů genetika MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- hlemýždi parazitologie MeSH
- infekce červy třídy Trematoda parazitologie veterinární epidemiologie MeSH
- jezera parazitologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Schistosomatidae * genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Polsko MeSH
Glypthelmins quieta is a frog trematode native to North and Central America. This trematode was recently detected in Japan in the American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus, which was introduced from North America to Japan. As the first intermediate host of G. quieta, typically a snail, has not yet been identified in Japan, we conducted a snail survey in eastern Japan to screen for an intermediate host using DNA barcoding based on the nuclear 28S ribosomal RNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1. We sampled 3 different snail species, Orientogalba ollula, Physella acuta, and Sinotaia quadrata histrica (157 individuals in total), and only the freshwater snail Physella acuta, which is also believed to have been introduced from North America to Japan, had sporocysts of G. quieta in its hepatopancreas. The introduction of the intermediate and definitive hosts from North America may have facilitated the invasion of G. quieta into Japan.
- MeSH
- hlemýždi * parazitologie MeSH
- interakce hostitele a parazita MeSH
- RNA ribozomální 28S genetika MeSH
- Trematoda * genetika MeSH
- zavlečené druhy MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Japonsko MeSH
The emergence of high-throughput methodologies such as next-generation sequencing and proteomics has necessitated significant advancements in biological databases and bioinformatic tools, therefore reshaping the landscape of research into parasitic peptidases. In this review we outline the development of these resources along the -omics technologies and their transformative impact on the field. Apart from extensive summary of general and specific databases and tools, we provide a general pipeline on how to use these resources effectively to identify candidate peptidases from these large datasets and how to gain as much information about them as possible without leaving the office chair. This pipeline is then applied in an illustrative case study on the endothelin-converting enzyme 1 homologue from Schistosoma mansoni and attempts to highlight the contemporary capabilities of bioinformatics. The case study demonstrate how such approach can aid to hypothesize enzyme functions and interactions through computational analysis alone effectively and emphasizes how such virtual investigations can guide and optimize subsequent wet lab experiments therefore potentially saving precious time and resources. Finally, by showing what can be achieved without traditional wet laboratory methods, this review provides a compelling narrative on the use of bioinformatics to bridge the gap between big data and practical research applications, highlighting the key role of these technologies in furthering our understanding of parasitic diseases.
INTRODUCTION: Parasite-mediated selection is considered one of the potential mechanisms contributing to the coexistence of asexual-sexual complexes. Gibel carp (Carassius gibelio), an invasive fish species in Europe, often forms populations composed of gynogenetic and sexual specimens. METHODS: The experimental infection was induced in gynogenetic and sexual gibel carp using eye-fluke Diplostomum pseudospathaceum (Trematoda), and the transcriptome profile of the spleen as a major immune organ in fish was analyzed to reveal the differentially expressed immunity-associated genes related to D. pseudospathaceum infection differing between gynogenetic and sexual gibel carp. RESULTS: High parasite infection was found in gynogenetic fish when compared to genetically diverse sexuals. Although metacercariae of D. pseudospathaceum are situated in an immune-privileged organ, our results show that eye trematodes may induce a host immune response. We found differential gene expression induced by eye-fluke infection, with various impacts on gynogenetic and sexual hosts, documenting for the majority of DEGs upregulation in sexuals, and downregulation in asexuals. Differences in gene regulation between gynogenetic and sexual gibel carp were evidenced in many immunity-associated genes. GO analyses revealed the importance of genes assigned to the GO terms: immune function, the Notch signaling pathway, MAP kinase tyrosine/threonine/phosphatase activity, and chemokine receptor activity. KEGG analyses revealed the importance of the genes involved in 12 immunity-associated pathways - specifically, FoxO signaling, adipocytokine signaling, TGF-beta signaling, apoptosis, Notch signaling, C-type lectin receptor signaling, efferocytosis, intestinal immune network for IgA production, insulin signaling, virion - human immunodeficiency virus, Toll-like receptor signaling, and phosphatidylinositol signaling system. DISCUSSION: Our study indicates the limited potential of asexual fish to cope with higher parasite infection (likely a loss of capacity to induce an effective immune response) and highlights the important role of molecular mechanisms associated with immunity for the coexistence of gynogenetic and sexual gibel carp, potentially contributing to its invasiveness.
- MeSH
- infekce červy třídy Trematoda * veterinární imunologie parazitologie MeSH
- interakce hostitele a parazita imunologie MeSH
- kapři parazitologie imunologie genetika MeSH
- nemoci ryb * imunologie parazitologie MeSH
- regulace genové exprese MeSH
- rozmnožování imunologie MeSH
- stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
- transkriptom MeSH
- Trematoda * fyziologie MeSH
- zavlečené druhy * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Schistosomiasis, caused by a parasitic blood fluke of the genus Schistosoma, is a global health problem for which new chemotherapeutic options are needed. We explored the scaffold of gallinamide A, a natural peptidic metabolite of marine cyanobacteria that has previously been shown to inhibit cathepsin L-type proteases. We screened a library of 19 synthetic gallinamide A analogs and identified nanomolar inhibitors of the cathepsin B-type protease SmCB1, which is a drug target for the treatment of schistosomiasis mansoni. Against cultured S. mansoni schistosomula and adult worms, many of the gallinamides generated a range of deleterious phenotypic responses. Imaging with a fluorescent-activity-based probe derived from gallinamide A demonstrated that SmCB1 is the primary target for gallinamides in the parasite. Furthermore, we solved the high-resolution crystal structures of SmCB1 in complex with gallinamide A and its two analogs and describe the acrylamide covalent warhead and binding mode in the active site. Quantum chemical calculations evaluated the contribution of individual positions in the peptidomimetic scaffold to the inhibition of the target and demonstrated the importance of the P1' and P2 positions. Our study introduces gallinamides as a powerful chemotype that can be exploited for the development of novel antischistosomal chemotherapeutics.
- MeSH
- kathepsin B * antagonisté a inhibitory metabolismus MeSH
- krystalografie rentgenová MeSH
- molekulární modely MeSH
- Schistosoma mansoni * enzymologie účinky léků MeSH
- schistosomicidy farmakologie chemie MeSH
- vazba proteinů MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Schistosomiasis is a snail-borne disease that has a considerable impact on human and animal health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The intermediate hosts of the schistosome parasites are freshwater snails of the genera Biomphalaria Preston, 1910 and Bulinus Müller, 1781. In order to identify existing gaps in the spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this study compiled the available knowledge of the distribution, population dynamics and ecology of the intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and Scopus for all malacological studies on schistosoma intermediate hosts in DRC published between 1927 and October 2022. A total of 55 records were found, of which 31 met the inclusion criteria: these were published field and experimental studies conducted in the DRC and focused on snails as intermediate hosts of schistosomes. The analysis of these studies revealed that more up-to-date data on the distribution of snail intermediate hosts in the DRC are needed. Moreover, ecological factors have been less studied for Bulinus species than for Biomphalaria species. These factors play a crucial role in determining suitable snail habitats, and the lack of comprehensive information poses a challenge in snail control. This review makes it clear that there are no current malacological data in the DRC. There is a clear need for molecular and ecological research to update the exact species status and population dynamics of all potential intermediate host species. This will facilitate targeted snail control measures that complement drug treatment in the control of schistosomiasis in the country.
- MeSH
- Biomphalaria * parazitologie MeSH
- Bulinus parazitologie MeSH
- hlemýždi parazitologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Schistosoma fyziologie MeSH
- schistosomóza * epidemiologie veterinární MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- systematický přehled MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Konžská demokratická republika MeSH
