scholarly journals Host related factors determine co-occurrence patterns between pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, and helminths in populations of the multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
joachim Marien ◽  
Bram Vanden Broecke ◽  
Pamela June Tafompa ◽  
Lisse Bernaerts ◽  
Alexis Ribas Salvador ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Wildlife Diseases ◽  
Gastrointestinal Helminths ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Single Host

Advances in experimental and theoretical work increasingly suggest that parasite interactions within a single host can affect the spread and severity of wildlife diseases. Yet empirical data to support predicted co-infection patterns are limited due to the practical challenges of gathering convincing data from animal populations and the stochastic nature of parasite transmission. Here, we investigated co-infection patterns between micro- (bacteria and protozoa) and macroparasites (gastrointestinal helminths) in natural populations of the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis). Fieldwork was performed in Morogoro (Tanzania), where we trapped 211 individual M. natalensis and tested their behavior using a modified open-field arena. All animals were checked on the presence of helminths in their gastrointestinal tract, three bacteria (Anaplasma, Bartonella, and Borrelia) and two protozoan genera (Piroplasma and Hepatozoon). Besides the presence of eight different helminth genera (reported earlier), we found that 21% of M. natalensis were positive for Anaplasma, 13% for Bartonella, and 2% for Hepatozoon species. Hierarchical modelling of species communities was used to investigate the effect of the different host-related factors on these parasites infection probability and community structure. Our results show that the infection probability of Anaplasma and Bartonella was higher in adults than juveniles. We also observed that females and less explorative individuals had a higher infection probability with Bartonella. We found limited support for within-host interactions between micro-and macroparasites, as only animals infected with Bartonella were significantly more likely to be infected with Protospirura, Trichuris, and Trichostrongylidae helminths.

scholarly journals Linking Behavior, Co-infection Patterns, and Viral Infection Risk With the Whole Gastrointestinal Helminth Community Structure in Mastomys natalensis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bram Vanden Broecke ◽  
Lisse Bernaerts ◽  
Alexis Ribas ◽  
Vincent Sluydts ◽  
Ladslaus Mnyone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Viral Infection ◽  
Infection Risk ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Environmental Stochasticity ◽  
Mastomys Natalensis ◽  
Gastrointestinal Helminths ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Exploration Behavior

Infection probability, load, and community structure of helminths varies strongly between and within animal populations. This can be ascribed to environmental stochasticity or due to individual characteristics of the host such as their age or sex. Other, but understudied, factors are the hosts' behavior and co-infection patterns. In this study, we used the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) as a model system to investigate how the hosts' sex, age, exploration behavior, and viral infection history affects their infection risk, parasitic load, and community structure of gastrointestinal helminths. We hypothesized that the hosts' exploration behavior would play a key role in the risk for infection by different gastrointestinal helminths, whereby highly explorative individuals would have a higher infection risk leading to a wider diversity of helminths and a larger load compared to less explorative individuals. Fieldwork was performed in Morogoro, Tanzania, where we trapped a total of 214 individual mice. Their exploratory behavior was characterized using a hole-board test after which we collected the helminths inside their gastrointestinal tract. During our study, we found helminths belonging to eight different genera: Hymenolepis sp., Protospirura muricola, Syphacia sp., Trichuris mastomysi, Gongylonema sp., Pterygodermatites sp., Raillietina sp., and Inermicapsifer sp. and one family: Trichostrongylidae. Hierarchical modeling of species communities (HMSC) was used to investigate the effect of the different host-related factors on the infection probability, parasite load, and community structure of these helminths. Our results show that species richness was higher in adults and in females compared to juveniles and males, respectively. Contrary to our expectations, we found that less explorative individuals had higher infection probability with different helminths resulting in a higher diversity, which could be due to a higher exposure rate to these helminths and/or behavioral modification due to the infection.

scholarly journals Estimation of Parameters of Deleterious Mutations in Partial Selfing or Partial Outcrossing Populations and in Nonequilibrium Populations

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 154 (4) ◽  
pp. 1893-1906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Li ◽  
Hong-Wen Deng
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Deleterious Mutations ◽  
Selfing Rate ◽  
Estimation Of Parameters ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Rapid Pace ◽  
Dynamics Of Populations ◽  
Mutation And Selection

Abstract The Deng-Lynch method was developed to estimate the rate and effects of deleterious genomic mutations (DGM) in natural populations under the assumption that populations are either completely outcrossing or completely selfing and that populations are at mutation-selection (M-S) balance. However, in many plant and animal populations, selfing or outcrossing is often incomplete in that a proportion of populations undergo inbreeding while the rest are outcrossing. In addition, the degrees of deviation of populations from M-S balance are often not known. Through computer simulations, we investigated the robustness and the applicability of the Deng-Lynch method under different degrees of partial selfing or partial outcrossing and for nonequilibrium populations approaching M-S balance at different stages. The investigation was implemented under constant, variable, and epistatic mutation effects. We found that, generally, the estimation by the Deng-Lynch method is fairly robust if the selfing rate (S) is <0.10 in outcrossing populations and if S > 0.8 in selfing populations. The estimation may be unbiased under partial selfing with variable and epistatic mutation effects in predominantly outcrossing populations. The estimation is fairly robust in nonequilibrium populations at different stages approaching M-S balance. The dynamics of populations approaching M-S balance under various parameters are also studied. Under mutation and selection, populations approach balance at a rapid pace. Generally, it takes 400–2000 generations to reach M-S balance even when starting from homogeneous individuals free of DGM. Our investigation here provides a basis for characterizing DGM in partial selfing or outcrossing populations and for nonequilibrium populations.

scholarly journals Systems Biology and Bile Acid Signalling in Microbiome-Host Interactions in the Cystic Fibrosis Lung

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 766
Author(s):  
David F. Woods ◽  
Stephanie Flynn ◽  
Jose A. Caparrós-Martín ◽  
Stephen M. Stick ◽  
F. Jerry Reen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Bile Acids ◽  
Host Response ◽  
Signal Molecules ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Important Host ◽  
Respiratory Microbiota

The study of the respiratory microbiota has revealed that the lungs of healthy and diseased individuals harbour distinct microbial communities. Imbalances in these communities can contribute to the pathogenesis of lung disease. How these imbalances occur and establish is largely unknown. This review is focused on the genetically inherited condition of Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Understanding the microbial and host-related factors that govern the establishment of chronic CF lung inflammation and pathogen colonisation is essential. Specifically, dissecting the interplay in the inflammation–pathogen–host axis. Bile acids are important host derived and microbially modified signal molecules that have been detected in CF lungs. These bile acids are associated with inflammation and restructuring of the lung microbiota linked to chronicity. This community remodelling involves a switch in the lung microbiota from a high biodiversity/low pathogen state to a low biodiversity/pathogen-dominated state. Bile acids are particularly associated with the dominance of Proteobacterial pathogens. The ability of bile acids to impact directly on both the lung microbiota and the host response offers a unifying principle underpinning the pathogenesis of CF. The modulating role of bile acids in lung microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation could offer new potential targets for designing innovative therapeutic approaches for respiratory disease.

scholarly journals Mutation in the ntrR Gene, a Member of the vap Gene Family, Increases the Symbiotic Efficiency of Sinorhizobium meliloti

2001 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 887-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boglárka Oláh ◽  
Erno Kiss ◽  
Zoltán Györgypál ◽  
Judit Borzi ◽  
Gyöngyi Cinege ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Sinorhizobium Meliloti ◽  
Root Nodules ◽  
Nifh Gene ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Nodule Occupancy ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Symbiotic Efficiency ◽  
Host Interactions

In specific plant organs, namely the root nodules of alfalfa, fixed nitrogen (ammonia) produced by the symbiotic partner Sinorhizobium meliloti supports the growth of the host plant in nitrogen-depleted environment. Here, we report that a derivative of S. meliloti carrying a mutation in the chromosomal ntrR gene induced nodules with enhanced nitrogen fixation capacity, resulting in an increased dry weight and nitrogen content of alfalfa. The efficient nitrogen fixation is a result of the higher expression level of the nifH gene, encoding one of the subunits of the nitrogenase enzyme, and nifA, the transcriptional regulator of the nif operon. The ntrR gene, controlled negatively by its own product and positively by the symbiotic regulator syrM, is expressed in the same zone of nodules as the nif genes. As a result of the nitrogen-tolerant phenotype of the strain, the beneficial effect of the mutation on efficiency is not abolished in the presence of the exogenous nitrogen source. The ntrR mutant is highly competitive in nodule occupancy compared with the wild-type strain. Sequence analysis of the mutant region revealed a new cluster of genes, termed the “ntrPR operon,” which is highly homologous to a group of vap-related genes of various pathogenic bacteria that are presumably implicated in bacterium-host interactions. On the basis of its favorable properties, the strain is a good candidate for future agricultural utilization.

scholarly journals Glycosylation of Human Milk Lactoferrin Exhibits Dynamic Changes During Early Lactation Enhancing Its Role in Pathogenic Bacteria-Host Interactions

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. M111.015248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Barboza ◽  
Janneth Pinzon ◽  
Saumya Wickramasinghe ◽  
John W. Froehlich ◽  
Isabelle Moeller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Milk ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Dynamic Changes ◽  
Host Interactions

scholarly journals Quantifying relative virulence: when μ max fails and AUC alone just is not enough

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben Michael Ceballos ◽  
Carson Len Stacy
Keyword(s):  
Specific Growth ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Maximum Specific Growth Rate ◽  
Curve Analysis ◽  
Growth Curve Analysis ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Susceptible Host ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
Single Host

A challenge in virology is quantifying relative virulence (V R) between two (or more) viruses that exhibit different replication dynamics in a given susceptible host. Host growth curve analysis is often used to mathematically characterize virus–host interactions and to quantify the magnitude of detriment to host due to viral infection. Quantifying V R using canonical parameters, like maximum specific growth rate (μ max), can fail to provide reliable information regarding virulence. Although area-under-the-curve (AUC) calculations are more robust, they are sensitive to limit selection. Using empirical data from Sulfolobus Spindle-shaped Virus (SSV) infections, we introduce a novel, simple metric that has proven to be more robust than existing methods for assessing V R. This metric (I SC) accurately aligns biological phenomena with quantified metrics to determine V R. It also addresses a gap in virology by permitting comparisons between different non-lytic virus infections or non-lytic versus lytic virus infections on a given host in single-virus/single-host infections.

scholarly journals Hantavirus host/virus interactions within Southeast Europe

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerrold J. Scharninghausen ◽  
Michael Faulde ◽  
Semra Cavaljuga
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Cytochrome B ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Southeast Europe ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Actual Environment ◽  
Genetic Sequences ◽  
Host Virus Interactions ◽  
The Impact

Viral studies have historically approached their phylogenetic analysis without consideration of the impact of the role the host plays in evolution. Our study examines host/viral interactions through analysis of the phylogenetic relationship between hantavirus genetic sequences and host cytochrome B sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of known Hantavirus genetic sequences were performed using PAUP 3.1.1 (vers. 4.0.0d64). Only sequences available through GENBANK were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis of hantavirus sequences revealed distinct patterns based upon geographic area. These patterns coincided with the known ranges of reservoir hosts. Multiple hosts for individual viruses and multiple viruses in a single host species for hantaviruses have been described. This may be due to accidental exposure, host-switching, co-speciation, or broad co-accommodation. Since the host is the actual environment that the virus survives in, changes in the host over time could potentially directly influence changes in the virus. Multiple viruses and hosts collide in Southeastern Europe increasing the prospect of finding distinct viral/host relationships. Rodent Cytochrome B is very well conserved and can be used to tract host lineage. By tracking the relationship of infected hosts, we theorize that patterns in host DNA will emerge that will mirror patterns in viral sequences. This analysis of the host DNA could provide an understanding into the causes of variation in hantaviral sequences, pathogenicity, transmissibility, infectivity, viral range and expand our knowledge of viral/host interactions. Surveillance for viruses in the field should include analysis of the host DNA in combination with the viral analysis.

scholarly journals The Role of Stochasticity in the Origin of Epigenetic Variation in Animal Populations

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 1544-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Biwer ◽  
B Kawam ◽  
V Chapelle ◽  
F Silvestre
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Phenotypic Diversity ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Genetic Mutation ◽  
Epigenetic Variation ◽  
Epigenetic Variability ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Environmental Variance ◽  
Animal Populations

Synopsis Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation modulate gene expression in a complex fashion are consequently recognized as among the most important contributors to phenotypic variation in natural populations of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Interactions between genetics and epigenetics are multifaceted and epigenetic variation stands at the crossroad between genetic and environmental variance, which make these mechanisms prominent in the processes of adaptive evolution. DNA methylation patterns depend on the genotype and can be reshaped by environmental conditions, while transgenerational epigenetic inheritance has been reported in various species. On the other hand, DNA methylation can influence the genetic mutation rate and directly affect the evolutionary potential of a population. The origin of epigenetic variance can be attributed to genetic, environmental, or stochastic factors. Generally less investigated than the first two components, variation lacking any predictable order is nevertheless present in natural populations and stochastic epigenetic variation, also referred to spontaneous epimutations, can sustain phenotypic diversity. Here, potential sources of such stochastic epigenetic variability in animals are explored, with a focus on DNA methylation. To this day, quantifying the importance of stochasticity in epigenetic variability remains a challenge. However, comparisons between the mutation and the epimutation rates showed a high level of the latter, suggesting a significant role of spontaneous epimutations in adaptation. The implications of stochastic epigenetic variability are multifold: by affecting development and subsequently phenotype, random changes in epigenetic marks may provide additional phenotypic diversity, which can help natural populations when facing fluctuating environments. In isogenic lineages and asexually reproducing organisms, poor or absent genetic diversity can hence be tolerated. Further implication of stochastic epigenetic variability in adaptation is found in bottlenecked invasive species populations and populations using a bet-hedging strategy.

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