Vertical transmission of a nematode from female lizards to the brains of their offspring
(2020) In American Naturalist 195(5). p.918-926- Abstract
Parasites have evolved a diversity of lifestyles that exploit the biology of their hosts. Some nematodes that parasitize mammals pass via the placenta or milk from one host to another. Similar cases of vertical transmission have never been reported in avian and nonavian reptiles, suggesting that egg laying may constrain the means of parasite transmission. However, here we report the first incidence of transovarial transmission of a previously undescribed nematode in an egg-laying amniote, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Nematodes enter the developing brain from the female ovary early in embryonic development. Infected lizard embryos develop normally and hatch with nematodes residing in their braincase. We present a... (More)
Parasites have evolved a diversity of lifestyles that exploit the biology of their hosts. Some nematodes that parasitize mammals pass via the placenta or milk from one host to another. Similar cases of vertical transmission have never been reported in avian and nonavian reptiles, suggesting that egg laying may constrain the means of parasite transmission. However, here we report the first incidence of transovarial transmission of a previously undescribed nematode in an egg-laying amniote, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Nematodes enter the developing brain from the female ovary early in embryonic development. Infected lizard embryos develop normally and hatch with nematodes residing in their braincase. We present a morphological and molecular phylogenetic characterization of the nematode and suggest that particular features of lizard biology that are absent from birds and turtles facilitated the evolutionary origin of this novel life history.
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- author
- Feiner, Nathalie LU ; De Souza-Lima, Sueli ; Jorge, Fátima ; Naem, Soraya ; Aubret, Fabien ; Uller, Tobias LU and Nadler, Steven A.
- organization
- publishing date
- 2020-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Lizards, Nematodes, Parasites, Prenatal infection, Transovarial transmission, Vertical transmission
- in
- American Naturalist
- volume
- 195
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 9 pages
- publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:32364782
- scopus:85084400499
- ISSN
- 0003-0147
- DOI
- 10.1086/708188
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 64114dda-446a-469d-9528-3735a6f179e0
- date added to LUP
- 2020-06-09 14:57:45
- date last changed
- 2024-04-03 08:30:09
@article{64114dda-446a-469d-9528-3735a6f179e0,
abstract = {{<p>Parasites have evolved a diversity of lifestyles that exploit the biology of their hosts. Some nematodes that parasitize mammals pass via the placenta or milk from one host to another. Similar cases of vertical transmission have never been reported in avian and nonavian reptiles, suggesting that egg laying may constrain the means of parasite transmission. However, here we report the first incidence of transovarial transmission of a previously undescribed nematode in an egg-laying amniote, the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Nematodes enter the developing brain from the female ovary early in embryonic development. Infected lizard embryos develop normally and hatch with nematodes residing in their braincase. We present a morphological and molecular phylogenetic characterization of the nematode and suggest that particular features of lizard biology that are absent from birds and turtles facilitated the evolutionary origin of this novel life history.</p>}},
author = {{Feiner, Nathalie and De Souza-Lima, Sueli and Jorge, Fátima and Naem, Soraya and Aubret, Fabien and Uller, Tobias and Nadler, Steven A.}},
issn = {{0003-0147}},
keywords = {{Lizards; Nematodes; Parasites; Prenatal infection; Transovarial transmission; Vertical transmission}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5}},
pages = {{918--926}},
publisher = {{University of Chicago Press}},
series = {{American Naturalist}},
title = {{Vertical transmission of a nematode from female lizards to the brains of their offspring}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/708188}},
doi = {{10.1086/708188}},
volume = {{195}},
year = {{2020}},
}