A5057832799- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Gut microbiota and health
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Helminth infection and control
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Mercury impact and mitigation studies
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Myxozoan Parasites in Aquatic Species
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Microbial infections and disease research
- Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Malaria Research and Control
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
University of Glasgow
2016-2025
Fisheries Society of the British Isles
2022
Heriot-Watt University
2022
John Wiley & Sons (United Kingdom)
2022
University of the West of Scotland
2022
Lancaster University
2022
Swansea University
2022
Département Santé Animale
2020-2022
University College Cork
2021
Université Laval
2014-2020
Trypanosoma cruzi is the most important parasitic infection in Latin America and also genetically highly diverse, with at least six discrete typing units (DTUs) reported: Tc I, IIa, IIb, IIc, IId, IIe. However, current six-genotype classification likely to be a poor reflection of total genetic diversity present this undeniably ancient parasite. To determine whether epidemiologically information “hidden” sub-DTU level, we developed 48-marker panel polymorphic microsatellite loci investigate...
Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, which affects more than 9 million people in Latin America. We have generated a draft genome sequence TcI strain Sylvio X10/1 and compared it to TcVI reference CL Brener identify lineage-specific features. found virtually no differences core gene content by presence/absence analysis, but 6 open reading frames from were missing X10/1. Several multicopy families, including DGF, mucin, MASP GP63 contain substantially fewer genes X10/1,...
Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, can be subdivided into six discrete typing units (DTUs), TcI, TcIIa, TcIIb, TcIIc, TcIId or TcIIe, each having distinct epidemiologically important features. Dozens genetic markers are available to determine DTU which a T. cruzi isolate belongs, but there is no consensus on should used. We selected five assays: three polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphisms based single nucleotide (SNPs) in HSP60, Histone H1,...
Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is highly genetically diverse. Numerous lines evidence point to existence six stable genetic lineages or DTUs: TcI, TcIIa, TcIIb, TcIIc, TcIId, and TcIIe. Molecular dating suggests that T. cruzi likely have been an endemic infection neotropical mammalian fauna for many millions years. Here we applied a panel 49 polymorphic microsatellite markers developed from online genome document diversity among 53 isolates belonging lineage so...
The single celled eukaryote Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite transmitted by numerous species of triatomine bug in the Americas, causes Chagas disease humans. T. cruzi generally reproduces asexually and appears to have clonal population structure. However, two six major circulating genetic lineages, TcV TcVI, are TcII-TcIII inter-lineage hybrids that frequently isolated from humans regions where chronic is particularly severe. Nevertheless, prevalent view hybridisation events were evolutionarily...
Aquatic organisms are increasingly exposed to lowering of environmental pH due anthropogenic pressure (e.g. acid rain, mine drainages). Such acute variations trigger imbalance fish-associated microbiota, which in turn favour opportunistic diseases. We used the tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), an Amazonian fish tolerant significant variation its natural environment, assess response endogenous microbiota short-term stress. 36 specimens tambaquis acidic water (pH 4.0) over 2 consecutive weeks...
Abstract Interactions between parasite, host and host-associated microbiota are increasingly understood as important determinants of disease progression morbidity. Salmon lice, including the parasitic copepod Lepeophtheirus salmonis related species, perhaps most problem facing Atlantic aquaculture after feed sustainability. lice parasitize surface fish, feeding off mucus, scales underlying tissue. Secondary bacterial infections a major source associated In this study we tracked diversity...
Background Mitochondrial DNA is a valuable taxonomic marker due to its relatively fast rate of evolution. In Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent Chagas disease, mitochondrial genome has unique structural organization consisting 20–50 maxicircles (∼20 kb) and thousands minicircles (0.5–10 kb). T. cruzi an early diverging protist displaying remarkable genetic heterogeneity recognized as complex six discrete typing units (DTUs). The majority infected humans are asymptomatic for life while...
Venezuela's tumbling economy and authoritarian rule have precipitated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Hyperinflation rates now exceed 45,000%, health system is in free fall. The country experiencing a massive exodus of biomedical scientists qualified healthcare professionals. Reemergence arthropod-borne vaccine-preventable diseases has sparked serious epidemics that also affect neighboring countries. In this article, we discuss the ongoing measles diphtheria Venezuela their...
A growing number of studies have examined variation in the microbiome to determine role modulating host health, physiology, and ecology. However, ecology microbial colonization is not fully understood rarely tested. The continued increase production farmed Atlantic salmon, coupled with increased farmed-wild salmon interactions, has accentuated need unravel potential adaptive function distinguish resident from transient gut microbes. Between compartments a system, we found majority...
Trypanosoma cruzi exhibits remarkable genetic heterogeneity. This is evident at the nucleotide level but also structurally, in form of karyotypic variation and DNA content differences between strains. Although natural populations T. are predominantly clonal, hybrid lineages (TcIId TcIIe) have been identified hybridisation has demonstrated vitro, raising possibility that exchange may continue to shape evolution this pathogen. The mechanism laboratory unusual, apparently involving fusion...
Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) is a powerful and highly discriminatory method for analysing pathogen population structure epidemiology. Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan agent of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), has remarkable genetic ecological diversity. A standardised MLST protocol that suitable assignment T. cruzi isolates to lineage higher resolution diversity studies not been developed.We have sequenced diplotyped nine single copy housekeeping genes assessed their value as...
Background Molecular epidemiology at the community level has an important guiding role in zoonotic disease control programmes where genetic markers are suitably variable to unravel dynamics of local transmission. We evaluated molecular diversity Trypanosoma cruzi, etiological agent Chagas disease, southern Ecuador (Loja Province). This kinetoplastid parasite traditionally been a paradigm for clonal population structure pathogenic organisms. However, presence naturally occurring hybrids,...
Abstract Clonal propagation is considered to be the predominant mode of reproduction among many parasitic protozoa. However, this assumption may overlook unorthodox, infrequent or cryptic sexuality. Trypanosoma cruzi , which causes Chagas disease, known undergo non‐Mendelian genetic exchange in laboratory. In field, evidence extant limited. study, we undertook intensive sampling T. Discrete Typing Unit I endemic eastern Colombia. Using Fluorescence‐activated cell sorting, generated 269...
Chagas disease is an endemic zoonosis native to the Americas and caused by kinetoplastid protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The also highly genetically diverse, with six discrete typing units (DTUs) reported TcI – TcVI. These DTUs broadly correlate several epidemiogical, ecological pathological features of disease. In this manuscript we report most comprehensive evaluation date genetic diversity T. cruzi in Venezuela. dataset includes 778 samples collected genotyped over last twelve years...