Robert Poulin’s research while affiliated with University of Otago and other places

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Publications (520)


Two examples of collar spines around the oral sucker of echinostome trematodes from New Zealand. (a) Scanning electron micrograph of the anterior end of Acanthoparyphium sp. from the South Island pied oystercatcher, Haematopus finschi; some spines at both extremities of the collar ring are not clearly visible. (b) Line drawing of the anterior end of Neopetasiger neocomensis from the Australasian crested grebe, Podiceps cristatus.
Frequency distributions of spine number and body surface area (µm²) among echinostome trematodes. (A) All species with spine number data. Note that the x-axis scale was truncated for visualization purposes where there were large intervals between data points; (B) All species with body surface area data. The shaded area refers to species with body surface area smaller than 5 × 10⁷ µm², which were used to produce panels C and D; (C) Spine number distribution for species with body surface area smaller than 5 × 10⁷ µm²; D) Distribution of body surface area for species smaller than 5 × 10⁷ µm².
Relationship between the number of collar spines and body size (surface area) among echinostome trematodes, showing the data (points) and predictions (solid lines) from generalized linear models (GLMs) with 95% upper and lower confidence intervals (dotted lines). Note that 9 data points with body surface area larger than 5 × 10⁷ µm² were removed for visualization purposes (all data points were included in the models). (A) Main effects model showing the effect of body surface area on trematode spine number for all host taxa considered together; (B) interaction model showing the interacting effect of body surface area and host taxa on trematode spine number.
Phylogenetic relationships among echinostome species, showing the distribution of numbers of collar spines across extant species.
Results of the generalized linear models (GLMs) for both the main effects and the interaction models testing the effects of trematode body size (surface area, i.e. area) and host taxon (ectotherm, birds or mammals, with birds as the reference level) on the number of collar spines. Significant effects are in bold
Size, spines, and primes: the drivers of collar spine numbers among echinostome trematodes
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January 2025

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Robert Poulin

Some anatomical structures vary greatly in number among species, a phenomenon that often remains unexplained. We investigate interspecific variation in the number of collar spines among trematodes from the superfamily Echinostomatoidea, using a dataset comprising hundreds of species. These trematodes possess a ring of spines around their anterior sucker; in some families, they form 2 arcs on either side of the sucker, with a central gap, whereas in other families, they form a continuous collar with no gap. First, we confirm that even numbers of spines are the norm among species in which they are arranged as 2 arcs with a central gap, while odd numbers (mainly prime numbers) predominate among species in which spines form a continuous collar. Second, we tested whether variation among species in the number of spines might reflect selective pressures. The spines serve to attach the worm to the inside lining of the host gut. Our analysis confirms that spine numbers correlate positively with worm body size among echinostomes, supporting the hypothesis that larger worms require more spines for stronger attachment. Finally, we tested whether phylogenetic conservatism may explain interspecific variation in the number of collar spines, i.e. whether closely related species have more similar numbers of spines than expected by chance due to shared ancestry. Our analysis confirms that spine numbers show strong phylogenetic conservatism across species. Overall, our findings indicate that the number of collar spines, a hallmark of echinostomes, is the product of conserved phylogenetic inheritance overlaid by adaptive functional adjustments.

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Universal versus taxon-specific drivers of helminth prevalence and intensity of infection

Two key epidemiological parameters, prevalence and mean intensity of infection, together capture the abundance of macroparasite populations, the strength of density-dependent effects they experience, their potential impact on host population dynamics and the selective pressures they exert on their hosts. Yet, the drivers of the extensive variation observed in prevalence and mean intensity of infection, even among related parasite taxa infecting related hosts, remain mostly unknown. We performed phylogenetically grounded Bayesian modelling across hundreds of amphibian populations to test the effects of various predictors of prevalence and intensity of infection by six families of helminth parasites. We focused on the potential effects of key host traits and environmental factors pertinent to focal host populations, i.e. the local diversity of the amphibian community and local climatic variables. Our analyses revealed several important determinants of prevalence or intensity of infection in various parasite families, but none applying to all families. Our study uncovered no universal driver of parasite infection levels, even among parasite taxa from the same phylum, or with similar life cycles and transmission modes. Although local variables not considered here may have effects extending across taxa, our findings suggest the need for a taxon-specific approach in any attempt to predict disease dynamics and impacts in the face of environmental and climatic changes.



Fig. 1. Comparisons among amphipods and the environment. (A-C) Bar plots of relative abundance at phylum level (A), family level (B), and genus level (C), grouped by similarity. Only the 10 most abundant taxa are shown (the grey area represents the proportion of all other taxa that are not the 10 most abundant). (D) Venn diagram depicting the number of unique and shared amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) among groups. Acant. Inf., acanthocephalan-infected amphipods; Cest. Inf.. cestode-infected amphipods; Uninf., uninfected amphipods; Envir., environmental samples.
Fig. 2. Differential abundance test results at phylum (A and D), family (B and E) and amplicon sequence variant (ASV) levels (C and F). Only taxa with a significant result are shown. (A-C) Corncob results showing differential abundance and differential variability for cestode-infected compared with acanthocephalan-infected amphipods and for uninfected compared with acanthocephalan-infected amphipods. Each dot represents the model estimate and each whisker its confidence interval. Significant results are shown in blue (do not include 0 in their confidence intervals). The X axis refers to the estimates and confidence intervals. Diff. Abundance, differential abundance; Diff. Variability, differential variability (overdispersion). (D-F) LinDA results showing the relative abundance of the three infection groups (acanthocephalan-infected, cestodeinfected, and uninfected amphipods). Statistical significance: *P<0.05; **P<0.01; ns, non-significant. CI, Confidence Interval. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)
Fig. 3. Diversity comparisons among acanthocephalan-infected, cestode-infected, and uninfected amphipods and generalised linear model (GLM) results. (A) Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) of beta diversity measured with unweighted Unifrac at amplicon sequence variant (ASV) level. (B) alpha diversity based on Faith's Phylogenetic Diversity (Faith's PD). The same letter (a or b) is assigned for groups having the same level of alpha diversity, and different letters for groups with different levels of alpha diversity. Significance is based on a corrected P-value < 0.05. (C) GLM result using Faith's PD alpha diversity at ASV level as a response variable and infection (acanthocephalan-infected, cestode-infected, and uninfected), amphipod body size, presence of eggs, and acanthocephalan load (Acant. load) as predictors. In the plot, estimates are represented as dots and their confidence intervals (CI) as whiskers. Predictors crossing the dotted line are non-significant. (D) Distribution of residuals from the GLM model shown in C.
What shapes a microbiome? Differences in bacterial communities associated with helminth-amphipod interactions

August 2024

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49 Reads

International Journal for Parasitology

The fast technological advances of molecular tools have enabled us to uncover a new dimension hidden within parasites and their hosts: their microbiomes. Increasingly, parasitologists characterise host micro-biome changes in the face of parasitic infections, revealing the potential of these microscopic fast-evolving entities to influence host-parasite interactions. However, most of the changes in host micro-biomes seem to depend on the host and parasite species in question. Furthermore, we should understand the relative role of parasitic infections as microbiome modulators when compared with other microbiome-impacting factors (e.g., host size, age, sex). Here, we characterised the microbiome of a single intermediate host species infected by two parasites belonging to different phyla: the acanthocephalan Plagiorhynchus allisonae and a dilepidid cestode, both infecting Transorchestia serrulata amphipods collected simultaneously from the same locality. We used the v4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA prokaryotic gene to identify the hemolymph bacterial community of uninfected, acanthocephalan-infected, and cestode-infected amphipods, as well as the bacteria in the amphipods' immediate environment and in the parasites infecting them. Our results show that parasitic infections were more strongly associated with differences in host bacterial community richness than amphipod size, presence of amphi-pod eggs in female amphipods, and even parasite load. Amphipods infected by acanthocephalans had the most divergent bacterial community, with a marked decrease in alpha diversity compared with cestode-infected and uninfected hosts. In accordance with the species-specific nature of microbiome changes in parasitic infections, we found unique microbial taxa associating with hosts infected by each parasite species , as well as taxa only shared between a parasite species and their infected hosts. However, there were some bacterial taxa detected in all parasitised amphipods (regardless of the parasite species), but not in uninfected amphipods or the environment. We propose that shared bacteria associated with all hosts parasitised by distantly related helminths may be important either in helping host defences or parasites' success, and could thus interact with host-parasite evolution.


Figure 3. Multidimensional scaling analysis scores (points) and species (Pct, r, g, and b); r = red, g = green, b = blue, Pct = proportion of pixels explained by a bin. (A) Results of the one-binned dataset (Pct = 1 for all samples because this dataset contains a single bin); (B) Results of the eight-binned dataset.
Figure 5. RDA on parasite microbiomes and mean amphipod host colours, using mean RGB and bacterial species (A), mean RGB and bacterial genus (B), mean RGB and bacterial class (C), mean CIELab and bacterial genus (D) and mean CIELab and bacterial class. Black arrows indicate the 10 most abundant taxa in the RDA space. Red arrows indicate the mean red (r), mean green (g), mean blue (b), mean L (L), mean a (a), and mean b (b) colours in the RDA space for each amphipod host (only including the 32 for which parasite bacteriome data is available). All plots represent significant results in the RDA1 axis. Note: In (A), Talitrus saltator is an incorrect species name in the Silva database v. 138.1, corresponding to sequences GDUJ01044859.40.1504, GDUJ01044860.143.1046, and GDUJ01044858.143.1623 of Thiothrix bacterial genus representatives, referred to as Thiothrix sp. in this study.
Microbial artists: the role of parasite microbiomes in explaining colour polymorphism among amphipods and potential link to host manipulation

July 2024

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193 Reads

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2 Citations

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

Parasite infections are increasingly reported to change the microbiome of the parasitized hosts, while parasites bring their own microbes to what can be a multi-dimensional interaction. For instance, a recent hypothesis suggests that the microbial communities harboured by parasites may play a role in the well-documented ability of many parasites to manipulate host phenotype, and explain why the degree to which host phenotype is altered varies among conspecific parasites. Here, we explored whether the microbiomes of both hosts and parasites are associated with variation in host manipulation by parasites. Using colour quantification methods applied to digital images, we investigated colour variation among uninfected Transorchestia serrulata amphipods, as well as amphipods infected with Plagiorhynchus allisonae acanthocephalans and with a dilep-idid cestode. We then characterized the bacteriota of amphipod hosts and of their parasites, looking for correlations between host phenotype and the bacterial taxa associated with hosts and parasites. We found large variation in amphipod colours, and weak support for a direct impact of parasites on the colour of their hosts. Conversely, and most interestingly, the parasite's bacteriota was more strongly correlated with colour variation among their amphipod hosts, with potential impact of amphipod-associated bacteria as well. Some bacterial taxa found associated with amphipods and parasites may have the ability to synthesize pigments, and we propose they may interact with colour determination in the amphipods. This study provides correlational support for an association between the parasite's microbiome and the evolution of host manipulation by parasites and host-parasite interactions more generally.


Fig. 1. First part of the two-step causal chain linking anthropogenic factors to rapid parasite evolution. Here, anthropogenic factors impacting the environment are connected to the selective pressures they can exert. For illustrative purposes only, host and parasite are depicted as fish and ectoparasitic copepods; and for simplicity, not all possible connections are shown. The direction of likely effects is indicated as positive (+), negative (−), or (+/−).
Fig. 2. Second part of the two-step causal chain linking anthropogenic factors to rapid parasite evolution. Here, selective pressures exerted by anthropogenic factors are connected to the expected adaptive changes in key parasite life-history traits. For illustrative purposes only, host and parasite are depicted as fish and ectoparasitic copepods; and for simplicity, not all possible connections are shown. The direction of likely effects is highly contingent on particular conditions and is therefore not shown; it is discussed in Section IV.
Fig. 5. Hypothetical evolutionary trends in a trematode parasite under a global warming scenario. The asexual production of cercariae (infective stages) within snail hosts (A) and their subsequent survival outside the snail (B) as they seek the next host in their life cycle are key fitness traits. The average population-level thermal performance curves for both traits are shown for today's trematode population and for that expected in a warmer future.
Evolution of parasites in the Anthropocene: new pressures, new adaptive directions

July 2024

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2 Citations

Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society

The Anthropocene is seeing the human footprint rapidly spreading to all of Earth's ecosystems. The fast‐changing biotic and abiotic conditions experienced by all organisms are exerting new and strong selective pressures, and there is a growing list of examples of human‐induced evolution in response to anthropogenic impacts. No organism is exempt from these novel selective pressures. Here, we synthesise current knowledge on human‐induced evolution in eukaryotic parasites of animals, and present a multidisciplinary framework for its study and monitoring. Parasites generally have short generation times and huge fecundity, features that predispose them for rapid evolution. We begin by reviewing evidence that parasites often have substantial standing genetic variation, and examples of their rapid evolution both under conditions of livestock production and in serial passage experiments. We then present a two‐step conceptual overview of the causal chain linking anthropogenic impacts to parasite evolution. First, we review the major anthropogenic factors impacting parasites, and identify the selective pressures they exert on parasites through increased mortality of either infective stages or adult parasites, or through changes in host density, quality or immunity. Second, we discuss what new phenotypic traits are likely to be favoured by the new selective pressures resulting from altered parasite mortality or host changes; we focus mostly on parasite virulence and basic life‐history traits, as these most directly influence the transmission success of parasites and the pathology they induce. To illustrate the kinds of evolutionary changes in parasites anticipated in the Anthropocene, we present a few scenarios, either already documented or hypothetical but plausible, involving parasite taxa in livestock, aquaculture and natural systems. Finally, we offer several approaches for investigations and real‐time monitoring of rapid, human‐induced evolution in parasites, ranging from controlled experiments to the use of state‐of‐the‐art genomic tools. The implications of fast‐evolving parasites in the Anthropocene for disease emergence and the dynamics of infections in domestic animals and wildlife are concerning. Broader recognition that it is not only the conditions for parasite transmission that are changing, but the parasites themselves, is needed to meet better the challenges ahead.


Top 20 GO functional terms enriched in Mermithid gene family orthologous clusters.
Top 20 GO functional terms enriched in Mermithid ex- panded gene family clusters.
Comparative genomics of parasitoid lifestyle as exemplified by Mermithidae and Nematomorpha

June 2024

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88 Reads

Mermithidae and Nematomorpha are parasitoids united by the commonalities in their lifestyle – immature stages infect arthropod hosts, species from both phyla can manipulate their host to induce a similar water-seeking behaviour, and both have a final free-living non-feeding adult reproductive stage, often killing their host upon emergence. Some of these species are of great economic importance, being evaluated as biological control agents against mosquito vectors responsible for diseases like malaria, and other insect pests, but with scarce genomic resources currently available. Nematomorpha, despite being closely related to Nematoda, received insufficient attention in genomic research, leading to gaps in our understanding of their diverse genetic makeup. This study aimed to investigate the genetic features encoded in the genomes of both parasitoid taxa to identify similarities and parallels linked to their ecological lifestyles. We performed a comparative analysis of 12 genomes, comprising parasitoid, parasitic and free-living worms. The investigation revealed genomic signatures unique to parasitoid species, including expanded gene families enriched in neural transmission modulation, likely linked to the known host manipulation that both mermithids and nematomorphs exert on their hosts. The analysis also uncovered a diverse array of conserved transposable element superfamilies across both lineages. The findings from this study provide valuable insights into the potential genomic adaptations associated with parasitoidism in nematode and nematomorph worms. The identification of expanded gene families and conserved transposable element superfamilies sheds light on the molecular underpinnings of their unique biological traits. Additionally, the core set of orthologs specific to parasitoid worms offers new avenues for understanding the evolution of parasitism within these groups of organisms.


Relative frequencies of the reasons given for Latin binomial names of species to become unaccepted: the names are either synonymised with an earlier name, pre-occupied by having been given earlier to another species, or superseded by a new binomial combination when the species is subsequently transferred to a different genus. Data are shown separately for each of the four higher taxa of helminth parasites. Sample sizes shown include only unaccepted names
Relative frequencies of Latin binomial names of species described in each time period that are either still valid and accepted, or that later became unaccepted and are no longer valid. Data are shown separately for each of the four higher taxa of helminth parasites, and according to the time period in which species names were first coined
Number of helminth species names that became unaccepted per decade during the period covered by our dataset, for the 1571 species names (all four higher helminth taxa combined) for which data is available on the year when they were made unaccepted
Frequency distribution of longevity (years) of Latin binomial names of helminth species, for the 1559 species names for which data is available on the year when they were made unaccepted (a further 12 species with negative longevity based on recorded data are excluded). The longevity of a species name corresponds to the number of years between the year when it was originally proposed and the year when it became unaccepted. Note the contraction of the scale towards the right on the x-axis
Mean (± standard error) longevity of Latin binomial names of species that have become unaccepted and are no longer valid (species with negative longevity based on recorded data are excluded). Data are shown separately for each of the four higher taxa of helminth parasites, and according to the time period in which they were first coined
Nomenclatural stability and the longevity of helminth species names

May 2024

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136 Reads

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1 Citation

Systematic Parasitology

Although most Latin binomial names of species are valid, many are eventually unaccepted when they are found to be synonyms of previously described species, or superseded by a new combination when the species they denote are moved to a different genus. What proportion of parasite species names become unaccepted over time, and how long does it take for incorrect names to become unaccepted? Here, we address these questions using a dataset comprising thousands of species names of parasitic helminths from four higher taxa (Acanthocephala, Nematoda, Cestoda, and Trematoda). Overall, among species names proposed in the past two-and-a-half centuries, nearly one-third have since been unaccepted, the most common reason being that they have been superseded by a new combination. A greater proportion of older names (proposed pre-1950) have since been unaccepted compared to names proposed more recently, however most taxonomic acts leading to species names being unaccepted (through either synonymy or reclassification) occurred in the past few decades. Overall, the average longevity of helminth species names that are currently unaccepted was 29 years; although many remained in use for over 100 years, about 50% of the total were invalidated within 20 years of first being proposed. The patterns observed were roughly the same for all four higher helminth taxa considered here. Our results provide a quantitative illustration of the self-correcting nature of parasite taxonomy, and can also help to calibrate future estimates of total parasite biodiversity.


Network specificity decreases community stability and competition among avian haemosporidian parasites and their hosts

March 2024

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110 Reads

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1 Citation

Global Ecology and Biogeography

Aim Parasites play a fundamental role in shaping ecological communities and influencing trophic interactions. Understanding the factors that drive parasite impacts on community structure and stability (i.e. resilience to disturbances) is crucial for predicting disease dynamics and implementing effective conservation strategies. In this study, using avian malaria and malaria-like parasites as a model system, we investigated the relationship between specificity, community stability and parasite vulnerability and their association with host diversity and climate. Location Global. Time period 2009–2023. Major taxa studied Avian malaria and malaria-like parasites. Methods By compiling occurrence data from a global avian haemosporidian parasite database (MalAvi), we constructed a comprehensive dataset encompassing 60 communities. We utilized a phylogenetic model approach to predict missing host–parasite interactions, enhancing the accuracy of our analyses. Network analyses based on bipartite interactions provided measures of network specificity, stability, modularity, parasite competition and vulnerability to extinction. Results We found that the high network specificity reduced community stability and decreased competition among parasites. Furthermore, we found that parasite vulnerability decreased with increasing community stability, highlighting the importance of community stability in host–parasite interactions for long-term parasite persistence. When exploring the influence of local host diversity and climate conditions on host–parasite community stability, we demonstrated that increasing host biodiversity and precipitation reduces parasite competition. Conversely, higher temperature raises competition among parasites. Conclusion These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying parasite impacts on communities and the interplay between specificity, community stability and environmental factors. Further, we reveal the role of climate in shaping host–parasite interactions. By unravelling the complexities of parasite-mediated interactions, our research substantially improves the current knowledge of the importance of specificity as a modulator of interactions in bipartite networks.


Genome assembly and annotation of the mermithid nematode Mermis nigrescens

February 2024

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44 Reads

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3 Citations

G3 Genes Genomes Genetics

Genetic studies of nematodes have been dominated by Caenorhabditis elegans as a model species. A lack of genomic resources has limited the expansion of genetic research to other groups of nematodes. Here, we report a draft genome assembly of a mermithid nematode, Mermis nigrescens. Mermithidae are insect parasitic nematodes with hosts including a wide range of terrestrial arthropods. We sequenced, assembled, and annotated the whole genome of M. nigrescens using nanopore long-reads and 10X chromium link-reads. The assembly is 524 Mb in size consisting of 867 scaffolds. The N50 value is 2.42 Mb, and half of the assembly is in the 30 longest scaffolds. The assembly BUSCO score from the eukaryotic database (eukaryota_odb10) indicates that the genome is 86.7% complete and 5.1% partial. The genome has a high level of heterozygosity (6.6%) with a repeat content of 78.7%. mRNA-seq reads from different-sized nematodes (≤2 cm, 3.5-7 cm, and >7 cm body length) representing different developmental stages were also generated and used for the genome annotation. Using ab initio and evidence-based gene model predictions, 12,313 protein-coding genes and 24,186 mRNAs were annotated. These genomic resources will help researchers investigate the various aspects of the biology and host-parasite interactions of mermithid nematodes.


Citations (88)


... Unique and shared taxa among amphipods and the environment were identified with the ps_venn function in MicEco v. 0.9.19 (https://github.com/Russel88/MicEco/). In addition, the second dataset (containing parasites, see Koellsch et al., 2024 for more details) was used to identify ASVs that were not present in the environment nor in any amphipod except in acanthocephalaninfected and acanthocephalan parasites, and separately in cestode-infected and cestode parasites. Finally, the main dataset (only containing amphipods) was used for bar plots of relative abundance based on group means, grouped as acanthocephalaninfected, cestode-infected, uninfected amphipods, and environmental samples. ...

Reference:

What shapes a microbiome? Differences in bacterial communities associated with helminth-amphipod interactions
Microbial artists: the role of parasite microbiomes in explaining colour polymorphism among amphipods and potential link to host manipulation

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

... Climate change is increasing the occurrence, intensity and duration of extreme temperature events, such as heat waves (HWs) (Parmesan, 2006;Stillman, 2019). The mechanisms that govern host-pathogen or host-parasite interactions, such as immunity and virulence, are temperature dependent, and ecological outcomes of these interactions can shift under novel thermal regimes Condé et al., 2021;Hector et al., 2023;Malinski et al., 2024;Poulin et al., 2024;Rohr & Cohen, 2020;. ...

Evolution of parasites in the Anthropocene: new pressures, new adaptive directions

Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society

... In addition, some species included in our dataset may be synonyms of each other, leading to a few cases of pseudoreplication. For instance, many currently accepted species in the genus Echinostoma have been described from single specimens and lack genetic characterization; they may prove to be invalid species, a common fate among helminth species in general (Poulin and Presswell, 2024). Nevertheless, given the size of the dataset, we feel these issues are unlikely to greatly affect our results. ...

Nomenclatural stability and the longevity of helminth species names

Systematic Parasitology

... Enoplean research often revolves around Trichinella spiralis, given its significance as a mammalian parasite [15]. Among mermithidae, only two genomes are currently publicly available [16,17]. In contrast, the long-read genome assembly of the parthenogenetic Mermis nigrescens is more contiguous and contains approximately twice the repeat content and heterozygosity of the sexual R. culicivorax. ...

Genome assembly and annotation of the mermithid nematode Mermis nigrescens

G3 Genes Genomes Genetics

... Deforestation and the reduction of wildlife populations also contribute to the distribution of triatomines. The species richness of triatomines raises the likelihood of contact with humans, facilitating both oral and vector transmission pathways [22]. Particularly, the results from this study support that the departments in Colombia with the highest triatomine species richness, specifically Casanare and Santander, also reported the most cases of acute CD [23]. ...

Vector species richness predicts local mortality rates from Chagas disease
  • Citing Article
  • November 2023

International Journal for Parasitology

... Parasitological research has also greatly benefited from model helminth species, notably the cestode Hymenolepis diminuta (Sulima-Celińska et al. 2022) and the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Behnke et al. 2009;Monroy and Enriquez 1992). Multiple laboratory colonies of these helminth species exist around the world; they have yielded hundreds of articles that account for much of our modern understanding of helminth-mammal interactions in the areas of immunology, physiology, pathology, and anthelmintic action and/or resistance, among others (Poulin 2023). They epitomise depth of knowledge: an integrated and extended research programme focused on the detailed biology of single species. ...

Model worms: knowledge gains and risks associated with the use of model species in parasitological research

... Despite the ever-increasing evidence against RLP as an emerging rivers ecosystem threat, recent researches largely focus on its influence on aquatic habitats and limited riverine systems, it is given scant consideration in exploring the spatio-temporal variations of RLP at a global scale (Davies et al., 2014;Poulin, 2023). Furthermore, the traditional field surveys, such as the widely used devices of sky quality meter (SQM) and illuminance meters, are inefficient to characterize the detailed distribution of RLP and difficult to compare with historical data (Hao et al., 2024). ...

Light pollution may alter host–parasite interactions in aquatic ecosystems
  • Citing Article
  • September 2023

Trends in Parasitology

... Although the bacteriome of several trematodes has now been fully characterized, via sequencing of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene, including some flukes with a similar life cycle to Opisthorchis, there are some methodological shortcomings (Jorge, Dheilly, and Poulin 2020;Jorge et al. 2022;Salloum, Jorge, and Poulin 2023). Pakharuhova et al. (2023), for example, failed to find Helicobacter spp. in O. viverrini, C. sinensis and Opisthorchis felineus (Pakharukova et al. 2023). ...

Different trematode parasites in the same snail host: Species-specific or shared microbiota?
  • Citing Article
  • August 2023

Molecular Ecology

... (Graham et al., 2017;Maggi and Krämer, 2019;Socha et al., 2022;Cuervo et al., 2023). Island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to these scenarios, as the effects of vector-borne pathogens on native fauna remain largely unknown due to their delicate ecological balance (León et al., 2022;Cuervo et al., 2023;Filion et al., 2023;Lühken et al., 2023). Galapagos Islands host three mosquito species, of which two are invasive (the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti and the Southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus), and one considered native (black salt marsh mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus) (Bataille et al., 2010;León et al., 2022;Sinclair 2023) (Fig. 1). ...

Interannual patterns of avian diseases in wild New Zealand avifauna near conservation areas
  • Citing Article
  • July 2023

Austral Ecology

... Temperature is a key factor in cercariae infection processes (Mouritsen and Jensen 1997;Poulin 2006;Selbach and Poulin 2020;Diaz-Morales et al. 2022;de Montaudouin et al. 2016a), and it is expected to be the most important driver in comparing infection amongst the three sites. However, as recently reported (Paterson et al. 2023), an increase in temperature (e.g., between spring and summer) can either stimulate or inhibit infection. (2) As a result, the seasonal influence was also explored by comparing parasite infection dynamics and night duration. ...

Global analysis of seasonal changes in trematode infection levels reveals weak and variable link to temperature

Oecologia