International Journal for Parasitology This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Host specificity of coral-associated fauna and its relevance for coral reef biodiversity
Int J Parasitol. 2023 Oct 12:S0020-7519(23)00190-X. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.09.002. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTCoral-associated fauna predominantly consists of invertebrates and constitutes an important component of coral reef biodiversity. The symbionts depend on their hosts for food, shelter and substrate. They may act as parasites by feeding on their hosts, by overgowing their polyps, or by excavating their skeletons. Because some of these species partly reside inside their hosts, they may be cryptic and can easily be overlooked in biodiversity surveys. Since no quantitative overview is available about these inter...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - October 14, 2023 Category: Parasitology Authors: Roeland J van der Schoot Bert W Hoeksema Source Type: research

A newly characterized dense granule protein (GRA76) is important for the growth and virulence of Toxoplasma gondii
Int J Parasitol. 2023 Oct 11:S0020-7519(23)00191-1. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.09.001. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTPathogenicity of the zoonotic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii largely depends on the secretion of effector proteins into the extracellular milieu and host cell cytosol, including the dense granule proteins (GRAs). The protein-encoding gene TGME49_299780 was previously identified as a contributor to parasite fitness. However, its involvement in parasite growth, virulence and infectivity in vitro and in vivo remains unknown. Here, we comprehensively examined the role of this new protein, termed GRA76, in parasite p...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - October 13, 2023 Category: Parasitology Authors: Xiao-Nan Zheng Li-Xiu Sun Hany M Elsheikha Ting-Ting Li Jin Gao Xiao-Jing Wu Zhi-Wei Zhang Meng Wang Bao-Quan Fu Xing-Quan Zhu Jin-Lei Wang Source Type: research

Comparative analysis of Presence-Absence gene Variations in five hard tick species: impact and functional considerations
Int J Parasitol. 2023 Oct 6:S0020-7519(23)00189-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.08.004. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTTick species are vectors of harmful human and animal diseases, and their expansion is raising concerns under the global environmental changes' scenario. Ticks host and transmit bacteria, protozoa and viruses, making the understanding of host-pathogen molecular pathways critical to development of effective disease control strategies. Despite the considerable sizes and repeat contents of tick genomes, individual tick genomics is perhaps the most effective approach to reveal genotypic traits of interest. Presenc...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - October 8, 2023 Category: Parasitology Authors: Umberto Rosani Marco Sollitto Nicol ò Fogal Cristiano Salata Source Type: research

Functional characterization of a conserved membrane protein, Pbs54, involved in gamete fertilization in Plasmodium berghei
In this study, we identified a conserved gene (PBANKA_0813300) in the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei, which encodes a protein of 54 kDa (designated as Pbs54). Localization studies indicated that Pbs54 is associated with the plasma membranes of gametes and ookinetes. Functional studies by gene disruption showed that the Δpbs54 parasites had no defect in asexual proliferation, gametocyte development, or gametogenesis. However, the interactions between male and female gametes were significantly decreased compared with wild-type parasites. The Δpbs54 lines did not show a further reduction in zygote and ookinete n...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - September 29, 2023 Category: Parasitology Authors: Wei Pang Jie Bai Liying Zhu Fei Liu Yudi Wu Fan Yang Li Zheng Pengbo Liu Yaowen Zhang Meilian Wang Jun Li Xiaotong Zhu Liwang Cui Yaming Cao Source Type: research