Although Babesia represents an important worldwide veterinary threat and an emerging risk to humans, this parasite has been poorly studied as compared to Plasmodium, its malaria-causing relative. In fact, Babesia employs highly specific survival strategies during its intraerythrocytic development and its intricate journey through the tick vector. This review introduces a substantially extended molecular phylogeny of the order Piroplasmida, challenging previous taxonomic classifications. The intriguing developmental proficiencies of Babesia are highlighted and compared with those of other haemoparasitic Apicomplexa. Molecular mechanisms associated with distinctive events in the Babesia life cycle are emphasized as potential targets for the development of Babesia-specific treatments.
- Klíčová slova
- Babesia, hard ticks, life cycle, molecular phylogeny, transmission,
- MeSH
- Babesia klasifikace genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- babezióza parazitologie MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Piroplasmida klasifikace genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- protozoální geny genetika MeSH
- stadia vývoje genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Although apicomplexan parasites of the group Piroplasmida represent commonly identified global risks to both animals and humans, detailed knowledge of their life cycles is surprisingly limited. Such a discrepancy results from incomplete literature reports, nomenclature disunity and recently, from large numbers of newly described species. This review intends to collate and summarize current knowledge with respect to piroplasm phylogeny. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive view of developmental events of Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon representative species, focusing on uniform consensus of three consecutive phases: (i) schizogony and merogony, asexual multiplication in blood cells of the vertebrate host; (ii) gamogony, sexual reproduction inside the tick midgut, later followed by invasion of kinetes into the tick internal tissues; and (iii) sporogony, asexual proliferation in tick salivary glands resulting in the formation of sporozoites. However, many fundamental differences in this general consensus occur and this review identifies variables that should be analyzed prior to further development of specific anti-piroplasm strategies, including the attractive targeting of life cycle stages of Babesia or Theileria tick vectors.
- Klíčová slova
- Babesia, Theileria, developmental cycle, gamogony, merogony, piroplasms, sporogony,
- MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- Piroplasmida klasifikace genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- stadia vývoje * MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
