Taken to the limit--Is desiccation stress causing precocious encystment of trematode parasites in snails?

Parasitology International
Katie O'Dwyer, R Poulin

Abstract

When hosts experience environmental stress, the quantity and quality of resources they provide for parasites may be diminished, and host longevity may be decreased. Under stress, parasites may adopt alternative strategies to avoid fitness reductions. Trematode parasites typically have complex life cycles, involving asexual reproduction in a gastropod first intermediate host. A rare phenomenon, briefly mentioned in the literature, and termed 'precocious encystment' involves the next stage in the parasites' life cycle (metacercarial cyst) forming within the preceding stage (redia), while still inside the snail. In the trematode Parorchis sp. NZ using rocky shore snails exposed to long periods outside water, we hypothesised that this might be an adaptive strategy against desiccation, preventing parasite emergence from the snail. To test this, we first investigated the effect of prolonged desiccation on the survival of two species of high intertidal snails. Secondly, we measured the reproductive output (cercarial production) of the parasite under wet and dry conditions. Finally, we quantified the influence of desiccation stress on the occurrence of precocious encystment. Snail mortality was higher under dry conditions, indicating s...Continue Reading

References

Jun 25, 1998·The Korean Journal of Parasitology·W M Sohn
May 10, 2002·Trends in Parasitology·Robert Poulin, Thomas H Cribb
Jun 20, 2003·International Journal for Parasitology·P D OlsonD T J Littlewood
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Dec 15, 2010·Trends in Parasitology·David J Marcogliese, Michael Pietrock
Feb 19, 2011·International Journal for Parasitology·Kristin K Herrmann, Robert Poulin
Jan 9, 2015·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Thomas R RaffelJason R Rohr

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Citations

Nov 1, 2016·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Alyssa M GleichsnerDennis J Minchella
Oct 22, 2018·Parasitology Research·Sofia VielmaChristian Selbach
Sep 2, 2020·The Korean Journal of Parasitology·Jong-Yil ChaiWoon-Mok Sohn

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