Thorny-Headed Worms (Acanthocephala): Jaw-Less Members of Jaw-Bearing Worms That Parasitize Jawed Arthropods and Jawed Vertebrates

Herlyn, Holger

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-42484-8_8

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 157 publications

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“…6 ; Table 2 ). Annotations referring to developmental processes in the same group of genes might also refer to reproduction considering ongoing embryogenesis in hundreds or thousands of fertilized eggs floating in the female body cavity [ 5 , 9 , 49 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As it seems, virtually every species of jaw-bearing vertebrates (Gnathostomata) can get infected, provided that intermediate hosts from jaw-bearing arthropods (Mandibulata) or parasitized gnathostomes belong to the diet. Humans infect themselves by taking up raw or insufficiently cooked hosts, which obviously played a greater role in prehistoric times than it does today (reviewed in [ 9 ]). In addition, acanthocephalans can cause major difficulties in human livestock including domestic pig [ 10 ], duck [ 11 ], and chicken [ 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Host-dependent impairment of parasite development and reproduction in the acanthocephalan model

et al. 2022

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Background A central question in parasitology is why parasites mature and reproduce in some host species but not in others. Yet, a better understanding of the inability of parasites to complete their life cycles in less suitable hosts may hold clues for their control. To shed light on the molecular basis of parasite (non-)maturation, we analyzed transcriptomes of thorny-headed worms (Acanthocephala: Pomphorhynchus laevis), and compared developmentally arrested worms excised from European eel (Anguilla anguilla) to developmentally unrestricted worms from barbel (Barbus barbus). Results Based on 20 RNA-Seq datasets, we demonstrate that transcriptomic profiles are more similar between P. laevis males and females from eel than between their counterparts from barbel. Impairment of sexual phenotype development was reflected in gene ontology enrichment analyses of genes having differential transcript abundances. Genes having reproduction- and energy-related annotations were found to be affected by parasitizing either eel or barbel. According to this, the molecular machinery of male and female acanthocephalans from the eel is less tailored to reproduction and more to coping with the less suitable environment provided by this host. The pattern was reversed in their counterparts from the definitive host, barbel. Conclusions Comparative analysis of transcriptomes of developmentally arrested and reproducing parasites elucidates the challenges parasites encounter in hosts which are unsuitable for maturation and reproduction. By studying a gonochoric species, we were also able to highlight sex-specific traits. In fact, transcriptomic evidence for energy shortage in female acanthocephalans associates with their larger body size. Thus, energy metabolism and glycolysis should be promising targets for the treatment of acanthocephaliasis. Although inherently enabling a higher resolution in heterosexuals, the comparison of parasites from definitive hosts and less suitable hosts, in which the parasites merely survive, should be applicable to hermaphroditic helminths. This may open new perspectives in the control of other helminth pathogens of humans and livestock.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host-dependent impairment of parasite development and reproduction in the acanthocephalan model

et al. 2022

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“…These dioecious parasites [2] are readily recognizable by their mostly reversible proboscis attachment organ armed with hooks at the anterior body pole. They occur worldwide, use mandibulate arthropods as intermediate hosts, and reach sexual maturity in the alimentary tract in a wide phylogenetic range of gnathostome vertebrates, especially actinopterygian fishes and tetrapods [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Insights on the Male and Female Reproductive Organs of Centrorhynchus globocaudatus (Acanthocephala), Intestinal Parasite of Birds of Prey

Sayyaf Dezfuli,

Pironi,

Rossetti

et al. 2024

Cells

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Acanthocephalans are dioecious parasites that gain sexual maturity in the alimentary canal of their definitive hosts (gnathostome vertebrates). This initial survey by light and transmission electron microscopy was conducted on the functional organization of the ovarian balls and uterine bell in mature females and on Saefftigen’s pouch and the copulatory bursa in males. We studied these structures via the example of Centrorhynchus globocaudatus (Palaeacanthocephala) in Falco tinnunculus and Buteo buteo, from the Province of Ferrara (Northern Italy). Our study confirms that the ovarian balls have surface microvilli and consist of a multinucleate supporting syncytium and a cellular region with oogonial syncytium, single germ cells, zygotes, and shelled eggs. Germ cells are embedded in the supporting syncytium. The ultrastructural features of these components and data on fertilization, shell formation, and release from the ovarian ball, alongside insights into the likely egg sorting function of the uterine bell, are provided. We also present light and electron microscopy observations of Saefftigen’s pouch and a suggestion regarding its hydrostatic functioning in the eversion of the copulatory bursa.

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“…Traditionally a stand-alone phylum, in more recent classifications it forms phylum Syndermata together with Rotifera (Protostomia: Spiralia: Gnathifera: Syndermata) [ 1 , 2 ]. All known acanthocephalans, or thorny-headed worms, are endoparasites with a complex lifecycle including at least two hosts: commonly an arthropod (Mandibulata) intermediate host and a vertebrate (Gnathostomata) definitive host [ 3 ]. The definitive host range is very wide, including amphibians, birds, and mammals, but the most common hosts are bony fishes (Osteichthyes).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mitochondrial genome of Heterosentis pseudobagri (Wang & Zhang, 1987) Pichelin & Cribb, 1999 reveals novel aspects of tRNA genes evolution in Acanthocephala

Gao¹,

Yuan²,

Jakovlić³

et al. 2023

BMC Genomics

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Background Acanthocephala is a clade of obligate endoparasites whose mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) and evolution remain relatively poorly understood. Previous studies reported that atp8 is lacking from acanthocephalan mitogenomes, and that tRNA genes often have nonstandard structures. Heterosentis pseudobagri (Arhythmacanthidae) is an acanthocephalan fish endoparasite for which no molecular data are currently available, and biological information is unavailable in the English language. Furthermore, there are currently no mitogenomes available for Arhythmacanthidae. Methods We sequenced its mitogenome and transcriptome, and conducted comparative mitogenomic analyses with almost all available acanthocephalan mitogenomes. Results The mitogenome had all genes encoded on the same strand and unique gene order in the dataset. Among the 12 protein-coding genes, several genes were highly divergent and annotated with difficulty. Moreover, several tRNA genes could not be identified automatically, so we had to identify them manually via a detailed comparison with orthologues. As common in acanthocephalans, some tRNAs lacked either the TWC arm or the DHU arm, but in several cases, we annotated tRNA genes only on the basis of the conserved narrow central segment comprising the anticodon, while the flanking 5’ and 3’ ends did not exhibit any resemblance to orthologues and they could not be folded into a tRNA secondary structure. We corroborated that these are not sequencing artefacts by assembling the mitogenome from transcriptomic data. Although this phenomenon was not observed in previous studies, our comparative analyses revealed the existence of highly divergent tRNAs in multiple acanthocephalan lineages. Conclusions These findings indicate either that multiple tRNA genes are non-functional or that (some) tRNA genes in (some) acanthocephalans might undergo extensive posttranscriptional tRNA processing which restores them to more conventional structures. It is necessary to sequence mitogenomes from yet unrepresented lineages and further explore the unusual patterns of tRNA evolution in Acanthocephala.

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Thorny-Headed Worms (Acanthocephala): Jaw-Less Members of Jaw-Bearing Worms That Parasitize Jawed Arthropods and Jawed Vertebrates

Cited by 14 publications

References 157 publications

Host-dependent impairment of parasite development and reproduction in the acanthocephalan model

Host-dependent impairment of parasite development and reproduction in the acanthocephalan model

New Insights on the Male and Female Reproductive Organs of Centrorhynchus globocaudatus (Acanthocephala), Intestinal Parasite of Birds of Prey

The mitochondrial genome of Heterosentis pseudobagri (Wang & Zhang, 1987) Pichelin & Cribb, 1999 reveals novel aspects of tRNA genes evolution in Acanthocephala

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