A5016886831- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Algebraic structures and combinatorial models
- Homotopy and Cohomology in Algebraic Topology
- Algebraic Geometry and Number Theory
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Advanced Algebra and Geometry
- Advanced Topics in Algebra
- Plant Disease Resistance and Genetics
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
- Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- Finite Group Theory Research
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Orthoptera Research and Taxonomy
- Helminth infection and control
- Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- RNA modifications and cancer
- Polyamine Metabolism and Applications
- Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
University of Exeter
2013-2024
University of British Columbia
2008-2022
British Columbia Children's Hospital
2022
Royal Adelaide Hospital
2017-2018
University of Tsukuba
2013
LAC+USC Medical Center
2011-2013
University of Southern California
2013
Vancouver Island University
2012
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
2003-2008
Natural History Museum
1999-2003
Coccolithophores have influenced the global climate for over 200 million years. These marine phytoplankton can account 20 per cent of total carbon fixation in some systems. They form blooms that occupy hundreds thousands square kilometres and are distinguished by their elegantly sculpted calcium carbonate exoskeletons (coccoliths), rendering them visible from space. Although coccolithophores export organic matter calcite to sea floor, they also release CO2 calcification process. Hence, a...
The authors (GDS, KS) acknowledge funding administered by the British Council under Newton Fund Researcher Links Programme, for a UK-Thailand bilateral workshop entitled Scientific, technological and social solutions sustainable aquaculture in Thailand: key player global aquatic food supply, Bangkok, March 2016. Further support is acknowledged from European Commission (EC) UK Department Environment, Food Rural Affairs (Defra) contracts C6928 FB002 (to GDS DB); Royal Society University...
Hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) caused by Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is an important disease of cultivated shrimp. Heavy infections may lead to retarded growth and unprofitable harvests. Existing PCR detection methods target the EHP small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene (SSU-PCR). However, we discovered that they can give false positive test results due cross reactivity SSU-PCR primers with DNA from closely related microsporidia infect other aquatic organisms. This...
Abstract Some protists with microsporidian‐like cell biological characters, including Mitosporidium , Paramicrosporidium and Nucleophaga have SSU rRNA gene sequences that are much less divergent than canonical Microsporidia. We analysed the phylogenetic placement environmental diversity of lineages group near base fungal radiation show they in a clade metchnikovellids microsporidians, to exclusion Rozella line what is currently known their morphology biology. These results scope...
Glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation are the fundamental pathways of ATP generation in eukaryotes. Yet microsporidia, endoparasitic fungi living at limits cellular streamlining, has been lost: energy is obtained directly from host or, during dispersive spore stage, via glycolysis. It was therefore surprising when first sequenced genome Enterocytozoonidae - a major family human animal-infecting microsporidians appeared to have lost genes for Here, we sequence analyse genomes additional...
Microsporidia are intracellular parasites that infect a variety of animals, including humans. As highly specialized parasites, they characterized by number unusual adaptations, many which manifested as extreme reduction at the molecular, biochemical, and cellular levels. One interesting aspect is mitochondrion. were long considered to be amitochondriate, but recently tiny mitochondrion-derived organelle called mitosome was detected. The molecular function this remains poorly understood. has...
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites with the smallest known eukaryotic genomes. Although they increasingly recognized as economically and medically important parasites, molecular basis of microsporidian pathogenicity is almost completely unknown no genetic manipulation system currently available. The fish-infecting Spraguea lophii shows one most striking host cell manipulations for these converting nervous tissue into swollen spore factories xenomas. In order to investigate...
The gene density of eukaryotic nuclear genomes is generally low relative to prokaryotes, but several lineages (many parasites or endosymbionts) have independently evolved highly compacted, gene-dense genomes. best studied these are the microsporidia, adapted fungal parasites, and nucleomorphs, relict nuclei endosymbiotic algae found in cryptomonads chlorarachniophytes. These systems now models for effects compaction on form dynamics genome. Here we report a large-scale investigation...
The microsporidian Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a spore-forming, intracellular parasite that causes an economically debilitating disease (hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis or HPM) in cultured shrimp. HPM characterized by growth retardation and wide size variation can result economic loss for shrimp farmers. Currently, the infection mechanism of EHP poorly understood, especially at level host-parasite interaction. In other microsporidia, spore wall proteins have been reported to be...
Microsporidia are well known models of extreme nuclear genome reduction and compaction. The smallest microsporidian genomes have received the most attention, but different species range in size from 2.3 Mb to 19.5 nature larger remains unknown.Here we undertaken sequence surveys two diverse microsporidia, Brachiola algerae Edhazardia aedis. In both find very large intergenic regions, many transposable elements, a low gene-density, all contrast small, model genomes. We also no recognizable...
Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular parasitic eukaryotes that were considered to be amitochondriate until the recent discovery highly reduced mitochondrial organelles called mitosomes. Analysis complete genome Encephalitozoon cuniculi revealed set proteins in organelle, mostly related assembly iron-sulphur clusters. Oxidative phosphorylation and Krebs cycle absent, keeping with notion microsporidia their mitosomes anaerobic, as is case for other mitosome bearing eukaryotes,...
Abstract Translational control is an essential process for the cell to adapt varying physiological or environmental conditions. To survive adverse conditions such as low nutrient levels, translation can be shut down almost entirely by inhibiting ribosomal function. Here we investigated eukaryotic hibernating ribosomes from microsporidian parasite Spraguea lophii in situ a combination of electron cryo-tomography and single-particle cryo-microscopy. We show that spores contain are locked...
Nosema locustae is a microsporidian parasite of grasshopper pests that used as biological control agent, and one the emerging model systems for microsporidia. Due largely to its diplokaryotic nuclei, N. has been classified in genus Nosema, large with members infect wide variety insects. However, some molecular studies have cast doubt on validity certain species, taxonomic position locustae. To clarify affinities this important insect we sequenced part rRNA operon conducted phylogenetic...
Trachipleistophora hominis was isolated from an HIV/AIDS patient and is a member of highly successful group obligate intracellular parasites.Here we have investigated the evolution parasite interplay between host gene expression using transcriptomics T. hominis-infected rabbit kidney cells.T. has about 30% more genes than small-genome microsporidians. Highly expressed include those involved in growth, replication, defence against oxidative stress, large fraction uncharacterised genes....