Phylogenetic classification of haemosporidian parasites of Australian flying foxes (Pteropus spp.)
Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
Final Report Abstract
The objective of the research project was the first molecular characterization of malaria (haemosporidian) parasites in Australian flying foxes. Phylogenetic information of the close relatives of mammalian (including human-pathogenic) Plasmodium species provides important information to our understanding of the biology of malaria parasites. The five human-infecting Plasmodium species belong to a large group of about 500 haemosporidian parasites, which use diverse vertebrate hosts, including bats that are hosts to a large diversity of malaria parasites. In this study, we investigated the four Australian mainland flying fox species (Pteropus alecto, Pteropus conspicillatus, Pteropus scapulatus and Pteropus poliocephalus) and characterized their haemosporidian parasites by using a combination of microscopic and molecular methods. We detected Hepatocystis parasites (the closest relative of mammalian Plasmodium species) in all four bat species. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Hepatocystis parasites of Pteropus species from Australia and Asia form a distinct clade that is sister to all other Hepatocystis parasites of primates and bats from Africa and Asia. No patterns of host specificity were recovered within the Pteropus-specific parasite clade and the Hepatocystis sequences from all three Australian host species sampled fell into two divergent clades, not corresponding to described morphospecies of the parasites. Our findings underline the important role of bats in the evolutionary history of malaria parasites.
Publications
- 2018. Phylogeny of Hepatocystis parasites of Australian flying foxes reveals distinct parasite clade. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife. 7 (2), 207-212
Schaer J, L McMichael, AN Gordon, D Russell, K Matuschewski, SL Perkins, H Field, P Power
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.06.001) - Phylogenetic relationships of haemosporidian parasites of Australian flying foxes. 18th Australasian Bat Society Conference, Forum & AGM, Richmond, NSW, Australia, 03.- 06.04.2018
Schaer J, AN Gordon, L McMichael, D Russel, SL Perkins, K Matuschewski, C Smith, H Field, M Power
- Phylogenic relationships of haemosporidian parasites of Australian flying foxes. The annual meeting of the Australian Society for Parasitology, Novotel St Kilda Hotel, Melbourne, Australia 24.-27.09.2018
chaer J, AN Gordon, L McMichael, D Russell, SL Perkins, K Matuschewski, C Smith, H Field, M Power
