Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-25-2020
Publication Title
Journal of Parasitology
Keywords
Experimental infection, Neurophysiology, Fundulus parvipinnis, Euhaplorchis californiensis, Brain stem, Reproductive physiology, Parasite quantification
ISSN
0022-3395
Volume
106
Issue/No.
1
First Page
188
Last Page
197
Abstract
Some parasite species alter the behavior of intermediate hosts to promote transmission to the next host in the parasite's life cycle. This is the case for Euhaplorchis californiensis, a brain-encysting trematode parasite that causes behavioral changes in the California killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis). These manipulations increase predation by the parasite's final host, piscivorous marsh birds. The mechanisms by which E. californiensis achieves this manipulation remain poorly understood. As E. californiensis cysts reside on the surface of the killifish's brain, discerning regional differences in parasite distribution could indicate mechanisms for host control. In this study, we developed a method for repeated experimental infections. In addition, we measured brain-region specific density using a novel methodology to locate and quantify parasite infection. We show that E. californiensis cysts are non-randomly distributed on the fish brain, aggregating on the diencephalon/ mesencephalon region (a brain area involved in controlling reproduction and stress coping) and the rhombencephalon (an area involved in controlling locomotion and basal physiology). Determining causal mechanisms behind this pattern of localization will guide future research examining the neurological mechanisms of parasite-induced host manipulation. These findings suggest that parasites are likely targeting the reproductive, monoaminergic, and locomotor systems to achieve host behavioral manipulation.
Additional Comments
Research Council of Norway project #s: 240116, 250048
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
NSUWorks Citation
Siri H. Helland-Riise, Lauren E. Nadler, Marco A. Vindas, Erik Bengston, Andrew V. Turner, Ida B. Johansen, Kelly L. Weinersmith, Ryan F. Hechinger, and Øyvind Øverli. 2020. Regional Distribution of a Brain-Encysting Parasite Provides Insight on Parasite-Induced Host Behavioral Manipulation .Journal of Parasitology , (1) : 188 -197. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/1112.
ORCID ID
0000-0001-8225-8344
DOI
10.1645/19-86
Comments
©American Society of Parasitologists 2020. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.