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Trends in Parasitology Apr 2024Malaria parasites have coevolved with humans over thousands of years, mirroring their migration out of Africa. They persist to this day, despite continuous elimination... (Review)
Review
Malaria parasites have coevolved with humans over thousands of years, mirroring their migration out of Africa. They persist to this day, despite continuous elimination efforts worldwide. These parasites can adapt to changing environments during infection of human and mosquito, and when expanding the geographical range by switching vector species. Recent studies in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, identified determinants governing the plasticity of sexual conversion rates, sex ratio, and vector competence. Here we summarize the latest literature revealing environmental, epigenetic, and genetic determinants of malaria transmission.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Malaria, Falciparum; Mosquito Vectors; Malaria; Plasmodium falciparum; Culicidae
PubMed: 38443304
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.02.001 -
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 2024
PubMed: 38800093
DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1422955 -
Chemosphere Oct 2023Protozoa are sensitive indicators of pollutant toxicity. This review presents and discusses the toxicological studies of protozoa and the toxicological conventional test... (Review)
Review
Protozoa are sensitive indicators of pollutant toxicity. This review presents and discusses the toxicological studies of protozoa and the toxicological conventional test species (Daphnia magna) by pesticides and nanomaterials, particularly comparing the sensitivity of through relative tolerance analysis, Z-score, and species sensitivity index. The sensitivity of different species of protozoa varies greatly. The protozoa Paramecium sp. and Tetrahymena sp. are not sensitive species; conversely, Urostyla sp. is sensitive to dimethoate and nanomaterials Ag-NPs, respectively ZnO-NPs, and CuO-NPs, fits the use as an indicator species on these substances. The prospects to explore scientific toxicity exposure protocols, expand the protozoan species examined, and screen the sensitive species under the protocols are discussed. This prospect review advances the knowledge for including the sensitive protozoa as an indicator species in comprehensive toxicological analysis for pesticides and nanomaterials.
Topics: Animals; Pesticides; Metal Nanoparticles; Dimethoate; Environmental Pollutants; Nanostructures; Daphnia
PubMed: 37549748
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139749 -
JDS Communications May 2024The rumen microbiome digests plant feedstuff that would be otherwise indigestible and provides most of the metabolizable energy and protein the host animals need. Until... (Review)
Review
The rumen microbiome digests plant feedstuff that would be otherwise indigestible and provides most of the metabolizable energy and protein the host animals need. Until recently, research efforts have primarily been directed to bacteria and archaea, leaving the protozoa, fungi, and viruses much less understood. Protozoa contribute to feed digestion and fermentation, but as predators, they affect the microbiome and its function by regulating the abundance and activities of other rumen microbes both in a top-down (by directly killing the prey) and bottom-up (by affecting the metabolism of other microbes) manner. Rumen viruses (or phages, used interchangeably below) are diverse and abundant but the least understood. They are also predators (intracellular "predators") because of their lytic lifecycle, although they can co-exist peacefully with their hosts and reprogram host metabolism, buttressing host ecological fitness. In doing so, rumen viruses also affect the rumen microbiome in both a top-down and a bottom-up manner. Here we review the recent advancement in understanding both types of predators, focusing on their potential impact on the rumen microbiome and functions.
PubMed: 38646576
DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2023-0433 -
Trends in Parasitology Jul 2023The mass production of insects is rapidly expanding globally, supporting multiple industrial needs. However, parasite infections in insect mass-production systems can... (Review)
Review
The mass production of insects is rapidly expanding globally, supporting multiple industrial needs. However, parasite infections in insect mass-production systems can lower productivity and can lead to devastating losses. High rearing densities and artificial environmental conditions in mass-rearing facilities affect the insect hosts as well as their parasites. Environmental conditions such as temperature, gases, light, vibration, and ionizing radiation can affect productivity in insect mass-production facilities by altering insect development and susceptibility to parasites. This review explores the recent literature on environment-host-parasite interactions with a specific focus on mass-reared insect species. Understanding these complex interactions offers opportunities to optimise environmental conditions for the prevention of infectious diseases in mass-reared insects.
Topics: Animals; Host-Parasite Interactions; Insecta; Parasites
PubMed: 37258342
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.04.007 -
Current Protein & Peptide Science 2024Lectins are proteins widely distributed among plants, animals and microorganisms that have the ability to recognize and interact with specific carbohydrates. They have... (Review)
Review
Lectins are proteins widely distributed among plants, animals and microorganisms that have the ability to recognize and interact with specific carbohydrates. They have varied biological activities, such as the inhibition of the progression of infections caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses and protozoa, which is related to the interaction of these proteins with the carbohydrates present in the cell walls of these microorganisms. Leishmaniasis are a group of endemic infectious diseases caused by protozoa of the genus and tests with promastigotes and amastigotes of demonstrated that lectins have the ability to interact with glycoconjugates present on the cell surface of the parasite, it prevents their development through various mechanisms of action, such as the production of ROS and alteration of membrane integrity, and can also interact with defense cells present in the human body, thus showing that these molecules can be considered alternative pharmacological targets for the treatment of leishmaniasis. The objective of the present work is to carry out a bibliographic review on lectins with leishmanicidal activity, emphasizing the advances and perspectives of research in this theme. Through the analysis of the selected studies, we were able to conclude that lectins have great potential for inhibiting the development of leishmaniasis. However, there are still few studies on this subject.
Topics: Leishmania; Humans; Lectins; Leishmaniasis; Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents; Reactive Oxygen Species
PubMed: 38284715
DOI: 10.2174/0113892037275751231221053730 -
The Journal of Parasitology Dec 2023Rectal contents of 56 adult bobcats (Lynx rufus) in 2014 and 2017 from remote areas of Mississippi were examined microscopically for parasite stages after the sugar... (Review)
Review
Rectal contents of 56 adult bobcats (Lynx rufus) in 2014 and 2017 from remote areas of Mississippi were examined microscopically for parasite stages after the sugar flotation method. Among the helminths, eggs/larvae found were: Paragonimus sp. in 12, Toxocara cati-like in 16, trichurid-capillarid-like in 3, hookworms in 27, and lungworms in 28. Among the protozoa, oocysts/cysts found were: Cystoisospora felis-like in 2, Cystoisospora rivolta-like in 4, Cryptosporidium sp. in 1, and Giardia sp. in 1. Additionally, numerous Sarcocystis sporocysts were detected in the feces of 12 bobcats; sporocysts were described morphologically. The status of C. felis derived from the bobcat and other wild felids is reviewed and compared with C. felis from the domestic cat. It is the first record of C. rivolta from the bobcat. The presence of eggs of Paragonimus sp. and T. cati in feces of 21.4% and 28.5%, respectively, suggests a role for the bobcat in the dissemination of these zoonotic helminths in the environment in the wild. Taxonomy of coccidia of wild Felidae is discussed and Isospora lyncisLevine and Ivens, 1981 from the Lynx is now regarded as a species inquirenda.
Topics: Animals; Cat Diseases; Cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidium; Feces; Isospora; Lynx; Mississippi; Oocysts; Sarcocystidae; Sarcocystis
PubMed: 38151049
DOI: 10.1645/23-95 -
Trends in Parasitology Dec 2023A critical part of the malaria parasite's life cycle is invasion of red blood cells (RBCs) by merozoites. Inside RBCs, the parasite forms a schizont, which undergoes... (Review)
Review
A critical part of the malaria parasite's life cycle is invasion of red blood cells (RBCs) by merozoites. Inside RBCs, the parasite forms a schizont, which undergoes segmentation to produce daughter merozoites. These cells are released, establishing cycles of invasion. Traditionally, merozoites are represented as nonmotile, egg-shaped cells that invade RBCs 'narrower end' first and pack within schizonts with this narrower end facing outwards. Here, we discuss recent evidence and re-evaluate previous data which suggest that merozoites are capable of motility and have spherical or elongated-teardrop shapes. Furthermore, merozoites invade RBCs 'wider end' first and pack within schizonts with this wider end facing outwards. We encourage the field to review this revised model and consider its implications for future studies.
Topics: Animals; Parasites; Malaria; Schizonts; Merozoites; Life Cycle Stages
PubMed: 37827961
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.09.010 -
The New England Journal of Medicine Jun 2023
Topics: Animals; Humans; Dermatitis; Mite Infestations; Mites
PubMed: 37356054
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMicm2213963 -
FEMS Microbiology Reviews Jul 2023Protozoa are eukaryotic organisms that play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and maintaining balance in the food web. Predation, symbiosis and parasitism are three... (Review)
Review
Protozoa are eukaryotic organisms that play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and maintaining balance in the food web. Predation, symbiosis and parasitism are three types of interactions between protozoa and bacteria. However, not all bacterial species are equally susceptible to protozoan predation as many are capable of defending against predation in numerous ways and may even establish either a symbiotic or parasitic life-style. Biofilm formation is one such mechanism by which bacteria can survive predation. Structural and chemical components of biofilms enhance resistance to predation compared to their planktonic counterparts. Predation on biofilms gives rise to phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity in prey that leads to trade-offs in virulence in other eukaryotes. Recent advances, using molecular and genomics techniques, allow us to generate new information about the interactions of protozoa and biofilms of prey bacteria. This review presents the current state of the field on impacts of protozoan predation on biofilms. We provide an overview of newly gathered insights into (i) molecular mechanisms of predation resistance in biofilms, (ii) phenotypic and genetic diversification of prey bacteria, and (iii) evolution of virulence as a consequence of protozoan predation on biofilms.
Topics: Animals; Virulence; Predatory Behavior; Eukaryota; Bacteria; Biofilms
PubMed: 37458768
DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad040