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Biomolecules Apr 2020Studies on the parasite-host interaction may provide valuable information concerning the modulation of molecular mechanisms as well as of the host immune system during... (Review)
Review
Studies on the parasite-host interaction may provide valuable information concerning the modulation of molecular mechanisms as well as of the host immune system during infection. To date, it has been demonstrated that intestinal parasites may affect, among others, the processes of digestion in the gastrointestinal system of the host, thus limiting the elimination of the parasite, the immune response as well as inflammation. However, the most recent studies suggest that intestinal parasites may also affect modulation of the apoptosis pathway of the host. The present paper presents the latest scientific information on the influence of intestinal parasite species ( sp., sp., sp., sp., , , ) on the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells. This paper stresses that the interdependency between the intestinal parasite and the host results from the direct effect of the parasite and the host's defense reactions, which lead to modulation of the apoptosis pathways (intrinsic and extrinsic). Moreover, the present paper presents the role of proteins involved in the mechanisms of apoptosis as well as the physiological role of apoptosis in the host's intestinal epithelial cells.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Enterocytes; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Parasites
PubMed: 32349424
DOI: 10.3390/biom10050674 -
Ecology May 2017Illuminating the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of parasites is one of the most pressing issues facing modern science, and is critical for basic science, the...
Illuminating the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of parasites is one of the most pressing issues facing modern science, and is critical for basic science, the global economy, and human health. Extremely important to this effort are data on the disease-causing organisms of wild animal hosts (including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, helminths, arthropods, and fungi). Here we present an updated version of the Global Mammal Parasite Database, a database of the parasites of wild ungulates (artiodactyls and perissodactyls), carnivores, and primates, and make it available for download as complete flat files. The updated database has more than 24,000 entries in the main data file alone, representing data from over 2700 literature sources. We include data on sampling method and sample sizes when reported, as well as both "reported" and "corrected" (i.e., standardized) binomials for each host and parasite species. Also included are current higher taxonomies and data on transmission modes used by the majority of species of parasites in the database. In the associated metadata we describe the methods used to identify sources and extract data from the primary literature, how entries were checked for errors, methods used to georeference entries, and how host and parasite taxonomies were standardized across the database. We also provide definitions of the data fields in each of the four files that users can download.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Carnivora; Database Management Systems; Helminths; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Mammals; Parasites
PubMed: 28273333
DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1799 -
Genes Jan 2023Parasites have affected and coevolved with humans and animals throughout history. Evidence of ancient parasitic infections, particularly, reside in archeological remains... (Review)
Review
Parasites have affected and coevolved with humans and animals throughout history. Evidence of ancient parasitic infections, particularly, reside in archeological remains originating from different sources dating to various periods of times. The study of ancient parasites preserved in archaeological remains is known as paleoparasitology, and it initially intended to interpret migration, evolution, and dispersion patterns of ancient parasites, along with their hosts. Recently, paleoparasitology has been used to better understand dietary habits and lifestyles of ancient human societies. Paleoparasitology is increasingly being recognized as an interdisciplinary field within paleopathology that integrates areas such as palynology, archaeobotany, and zooarchaeology. Paleoparasitology also incorporates techniques such as microscopy, immunoassays, PCR, targeted sequencing, and more recently, high-throughput sequencing or shotgun metagenomics to understand ancient parasitic infections and thus interpret migration and evolution patterns, as well as dietary habits and lifestyles. The present review covers the original theories developed in the field of paleoparasitology, as well as the biology of some parasites identified in pre-Columbian cultures. Conclusions, as well as assumptions made during the discovery of the parasites in ancient samples, and how their identification may aid in better understanding part of human history, ancient diet, and lifestyles are discussed.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases; Paleopathology; Diet; Life Style
PubMed: 36833230
DOI: 10.3390/genes14020303 -
Virulence Dec 2020The global spread of parasites is unquestionably linked with human activities. Migration in all its different forms played a major role in the introduction of parasites... (Review)
Review
The global spread of parasites is unquestionably linked with human activities. Migration in all its different forms played a major role in the introduction of parasites into new areas. In ancient times, mass migrations were the main causes for the spread of parasites while in the recent past and present, emigration, immigration, displacement, external and internal migration, and labor migration were the reasons for the dispersal of parasites. With the advent of seagoing ships, long-distance trading became another important mode of spreading parasites. This review summarizes the spread of parasites using notable examples. In addition, the different hypotheses explaining the arrival of and soil-transmitted helminths in pre-Columbian America are also discussed.
Topics: Animals; Global Health; Helminths; Human Migration; Humans; Malaria, Vivax; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases; Plasmodium vivax; Transients and Migrants
PubMed: 32862777
DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1809963 -
Virology Journal Sep 2020Infections caused by protozoan parasites burden the world with huge costs in terms of human and animal health. Most parasitic diseases caused by protozoans are... (Review)
Review
Infections caused by protozoan parasites burden the world with huge costs in terms of human and animal health. Most parasitic diseases caused by protozoans are neglected, particularly those associated with poverty and tropical countries, but the paucity of drug treatments and vaccines combined with increasing problems of drug resistance are becoming major concerns for their control and eradication. In this climate, the discovery/repurposing of new drugs and increasing effort in vaccine development should be supplemented with an exploration of new alternative/synergic treatment strategies. Viruses, either native or engineered, have been employed successfully as highly effective and selective therapeutic approaches to treat cancer (oncolytic viruses) and antibiotic-resistant bacterial diseases (phage therapy). Increasing evidence is accumulating that many protozoan, but also helminth, parasites harbour a range of different classes of viruses that are mostly absent from humans. Although some of these viruses appear to have no effect on their parasite hosts, others either have a clear direct negative impact on the parasite or may, in fact, contribute to the virulence of parasites for humans. This review will focus mainly on the viruses identified in protozoan parasites that are of medical importance. Inspired and informed by the experience gained from the application of oncolytic virus- and phage-therapy, rationally-driven strategies to employ these viruses successfully against parasitic diseases will be presented and discussed in the light of the current knowledge of the virus biology and the complex interplay between the viruses, the parasite hosts and the human host. We also highlight knowledge gaps that should be addressed to advance the potential of virotherapy against parasitic diseases.
Topics: Animals; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Oncolytic Virotherapy; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases; Phage Therapy
PubMed: 32993724
DOI: 10.1186/s12985-020-01410-1 -
Integrative and Comparative Biology Aug 2022Evolutionary transitions of organisms between environments have long fascinated biologists, but attention has been focused almost exclusively on free-living organisms...
Evolutionary transitions of organisms between environments have long fascinated biologists, but attention has been focused almost exclusively on free-living organisms and challenges to achieve such transitions. This bias requires addressing because parasites are a major component of biodiversity. We address this imbalance by focusing on transitions of parasitic animals between marine and freshwater environments. We highlight parasite traits and processes that may influence transition likelihood (e.g., transmission mode, life cycle, host use), and consider mechanisms and directions of transitions. Evidence for transitions in deep time and at present are described, and transitions in our changing world are considered. We propose that environmental transitions may be facilitated for endoparasites because hosts reduce exposure to physiologically challenging environments and argue that adoption of an endoparasitic lifestyle entails an equivalent transitioning process as organisms switch from living in one environment (e.g., freshwater, seawater, or air) to living symbiotically within hosts. Environmental transitions of parasites have repeatedly resulted in novel forms and diversification, contributing to the tree of life. Recognizing the potential processes underlying present-day and future environmental transitions is crucial in view of our changing world and the current biodiversity crisis.
Topics: Animals; Biodiversity; Biological Evolution; Fresh Water; Host-Parasite Interactions; Parasites; Seawater
PubMed: 35604852
DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac050 -
Journal of Fish Biology Sep 2022As climate change progresses, thermal stress is expected to alter the way that host organisms respond to infections by pathogens and parasites, with consequences for the...
As climate change progresses, thermal stress is expected to alter the way that host organisms respond to infections by pathogens and parasites, with consequences for the fitness and therefore population processes of both host and parasite. The authors used a correlational natural experiment to examine how temperature differences shape the impact of the cestode parasite Schistocephalus solidus on its host, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Previous laboratory work has found that high temperatures benefit S. solidus while being detrimental to the stickleback. The present study sought to emulate this design in the wild, repeatedly sampling naturally infected and uninfected fish at matched warmer and cooler locations in the Baltic Sea. In this wild study, the authors found little evidence that temperature was associated with the host-parasite interaction. Although infection reduced host condition and reproductive status overall, these effects did not vary with temperature. Host fitness indicators correlated to some extent with temperature, with cooler capture sites associated with larger size but warmer sites with improved reproductive potential. Parasite fitness (prevalence or size) was not correlated with temperature at the capture site. These mismatches between laboratory and field outcomes illustrate how findings from well-controlled laboratory experiments may not fully reflect processes in more variable natural settings. Nonetheless, the findings of this study indicate that temperature can influence host fitness regardless of infection, with potential consequences for both host demography and parasite transmission dynamics in this complex system.
Topics: Animals; Cestoda; Cestode Infections; Fish Diseases; Host-Parasite Interactions; Parasites; Smegmamorpha; Temperature
PubMed: 35598110
DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15107 -
Ecology Letters Feb 2022Ecological theory suggests that predators can either keep prey populations healthy by reducing parasite burdens or alternatively, increase parasitism in prey. To... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Ecological theory suggests that predators can either keep prey populations healthy by reducing parasite burdens or alternatively, increase parasitism in prey. To quantify the overall magnitude and direction of the effect of predation on parasitism in prey observed in practice, we conducted a meta-analysis of 47 empirical studies. We also examined how study attributes, including parasite type and life cycle, habitat type, study design, and whether predators were able to directly consume prey contributed to variation in the predator-prey-parasite interaction. We found that the overall effect of predation on parasitism differed between parasites and parasitoids and that whether consumptive effects were present, and whether a predator was a non-host spreader of parasites, were the most important traits predicting the parasite response. Our results suggest that the mechanistic basis of predator-prey interactions strongly influences the effects of predators on parasites and that these effects, although context dependent, are predictable.
Topics: Animals; Ecosystem; Food Chain; Parasites; Predatory Behavior
PubMed: 34738700
DOI: 10.1111/ele.13919 -
Parasitology Mar 2016The world health organization currently recognizes diarrhoeal diseases as a significant cause of death in children globally. Protozoan parasites such as Giardia and... (Review)
Review
The world health organization currently recognizes diarrhoeal diseases as a significant cause of death in children globally. Protozoan parasites such as Giardia and Entamoeba that thrive in the oxygen-deprived environment of the human gut are common etiological agents of diarrhoea. In the urogenital tract of humans, the anaerobic protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis is notorious as the most common non-viral, sexually transmitted pathogen. Even with high medical impact, our understanding of anaerobic parasite physiology is scarce and as a result, treatment choices are limited. Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are invaluable tools as genetically encoded protein tags for advancing knowledge of cellular function. These FP tags emit fluorescent colours and once attached to a protein of interest, allow tracking of parasite proteins in the dynamic cellular space. Application of green FPs-like FPs in anaerobic protozoans is hindered by their oxygen dependency. In this review, we examine aspects of anaerobic parasite biology that clash with physio-chemical properties of FPs and limit their use as live-parasite protein tags. We expose novel FPs, such as miniSOG that do not require oxygen for signal production. The potential use of novel FPs has the opportunity to leverage the anaerobe parasitologist toolkit to that of aerobe parasitologist.
Topics: Anaerobiosis; Animals; Eukaryota; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Oxygen; Parasites; Parasitology; Protozoan Proteins
PubMed: 26653973
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182015001663 -
Trends in Parasitology Apr 2016Plasmin is the final product of the fibrinolytic system, the physiological mechanism responsible for dissolving fibrin clots. Its broad-range proteolytic activity... (Review)
Review
Plasmin is the final product of the fibrinolytic system, the physiological mechanism responsible for dissolving fibrin clots. Its broad-range proteolytic activity implies that interaction with fibrinolysis and recruitment of plasmin by blood and tissue parasites is an important mechanism that mediates the invasion and establishment of this kind of pathogen in the hosts. However, recent studies have linked an excess of plasmin generated by this interaction with serious pathological events at the vascular level, including the proliferation and migration of arterial wall cells, inflammation, and degradation of the extracellular matrix. Therefore, we present data that support the need to reconsider the role of plasmin, as well as its benefits or drawbacks, in the context of host-parasite relations.
Topics: Animals; Chronic Disease; Fibrinolysin; Fibrinolysis; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases
PubMed: 26775037
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.12.012