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- Bensch, Staffan, et al.
(författare)
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Linkage between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences in avian malaria parasites: Multiple cases of cryptic speciation?
- 2004
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Ingår i: Evolution. - : Wiley. - 1558-5646 .- 0014-3820. ; 58:7, s. 1617-1621
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome b diversity among avian blood parasites of the genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium suggest that there might be as many lineages of parasites as there are species of birds. This is in sharp contrast to the approximately 175 parasite species described by traditional methods based on morphology using light microscopy. Until now it has not been clear to what extent parasite mitochondrial DNA lineage diversity reflects intra- or interspecific variation. We have sequenced part of a fast-evolving nuclear gene, dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS), and demonstrate that most of the parasite mitochondrial DNA lineages are associated with unique gene copies at this locus. Although these parasite lineages sometimes coexist in the same host individual, they apparently do not recombine and could therefore be considered as functionally distinct evolutionary entities, with independent evolutionary potential. Studies examining parasite virulence and host immune systems must consider this remarkable diversity of avian malaria parasites.
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| 3. |
- Hellgren, Olof, et al.
(författare)
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A new PCR assay for simultaneous studies of Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, and Haemoproteus from avian blood
- 2004
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Ingår i: The Journal of Parasitology. - 0022-3395. ; 90:4, s. 797-802
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many bird species host several lineages of apicomplexan blood parasites (Protista spp., Haemosporida spp.), some of which are shared across different host species. To understand such complex systems, it is essential to consider the fact that different lineages, species, and families of parasites can occur in the same population, as well as in the same individual bird, and that these parasites may compete or interact with each other. In this study, we present a new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol that, for the first time, enables simultaneous typing of species from the 3 most common avian blood parasite genera (Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon). By combining the high detection rate of a nested PCR with another PCR step to separate species of Plasmodium and Haemoproteus from Leucocytozoon, this procedure provides an easy, rapid, and accurate method to separate and investigate these parasites within a blood sample. We have applied this method to bird species with known infections of Leucocytozoon spp., Plasmodium spp., and Haemoproteus spp. To obtain a higher number of parasite lineages and to test the repeatability of the method, we also applied it to blood samples from bluethroats (Luscinia svecica), for which we had no prior knowledge regarding the blood parasite infections. Although only a small number of different bird species were investigated (6 passerine species), we found 22 different parasite species lineages (4 Haemoproteus, 8 Plasmodium, and 10 Leucocytozoon).
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| 4. |
- Malmqvist, B, et al.
(författare)
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Vertebrate host specificity of wild-caught blackflies revealed by mitochondrial DNA in blood
- 2004
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Ingår i: Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 1471-2954. ; 271:S4, s. 152-155
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Blood-feeding blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) transmit pathogens, harass vertebrate hosts and may cause lethal injuries in attacked victims, but with traditional methods it has proved difficult to identify their hosts. By matching mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences in blood collected from engorged blackflies with stored sequences in the GenBank database, relationships between 17 blackfly species and 25 species of vertebrate hosts were revealed. Our results demonstrate a predominance of large hosts and marked discrimination between blackflies using either avian or mammalian hosts. Such information is of vital interest in studies of disease transmission, coevolutionary relationships, population ecology and wildlife management.
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