Presence and identity of Babesia microti in Ireland.

Babesia microti is a tick-transmitted protozoan parasite of wildlife that can also cause serious disease in humans. It is now well established that B. microti represents an assemblage of different strains or species, only some of which are important zoonotic pathogens. Therefore, in order to assess the potential public health risk associated with B. microti in any given location, it is important to determine the strains that are present. This is the first study on the presence and identity of B. microti in Ireland. Overall, 314 wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), 243 bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and 634 questing Ixodes ricinus nymphs collected in various locations across Ireland were screened for the presence of B. microti by metabarcoding and nested PCR, respectively. Overall 8 rodent spleen samples (1.4%) were positive for B. microti, while all tick samples tested negative. Rodent isolates were identified as the 'Munich' strain which rarely causes human disease and is chiefly transmitted by the mouse tick, Ixodes trianguliceps. Together with reports from the UK these results suggest that B. microti does not represent a significant public health risk in Britain or Ireland.

Bank vole immunoheterogeneity may limit Nephropatia Epidemica emergence in a French non-endemic region.

Ecoevolutionary processes affecting hosts, vectors and pathogens are important drivers of zoonotic disease emergence. In this study, we focused on nephropathia epidemica (NE), which is caused by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) whose natural reservoir is the bank vole, Myodes glareolus. We questioned the possibility of NE emergence in a French region that is considered to be NE-free but that is adjacent to a NE-endemic region. We first confirmed the epidemiology of these two regions and we demonstrated the absence of spatial barriers that could have limited dispersal, and consequently, the spread of PUUV into the NE-free region. We next tested whether regional immunoheterogeneity could impact PUUV chances to circulate and persist in the NE-free region. We showed that bank voles from the NE-free region were sensitive to experimental PUUV infection. We observed high levels of immunoheterogeneity between individuals and also between regions. Antiviral gene expression (Tnf and Mx2) reached higher levels in bank voles from the NE-free region. During experimental infections, anti-PUUV antibody production was higher in bank voles from the NE-endemic region. These results indicated a lower susceptibility to PUUV for bank voles from this NE-free region, which might limit PUUV persistence and therefore, the risk of NE.

Photocatalytic abatement results from a model street canyon.

During the European Life+ project PhotoPAQ (Demonstration of Photocatalytic remediation Processes on Air Quality), photocatalytic remediation of nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone (O3), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and airborne particles on photocatalytic cementitious coating materials was studied in an artificial street canyon setup by comparing with a colocated nonactive reference canyon of the same dimension (5 × 5 × 53 m). Although the photocatalytic material showed reasonably high activity in laboratory studies, no significant reduction of NOx, O3, and VOCs and no impact on particle mass, size distribution, and chemical composition were observed in the field campaign. When comparing nighttime and daytime correlation plots of the two canyons, an average upper limit NOx remediation of ≤2% was derived. This result is consistent only with three recent field studies on photocatalytic NOx remediation in the urban atmosphere, whereas much higher reductions were obtained in most other field investigations. Reasons for the controversial results are discussed, and a more consistent picture of the quantitative remediation is obtained after extrapolation of the results from the various field campaigns to realistic main urban street canyon conditions.

Landscape features and helminth co-infection shape bank vole immunoheterogeneity, with consequences for Puumala virus epidemiology.

Heterogeneity in environmental conditions helps to maintain genetic and phenotypic diversity in ecosystems. As such, it may explain why the capacity of animals to mount immune responses is highly variable. The quality of habitat patches, in terms of resources, parasitism, predation and habitat fragmentation may, for example, trigger trade-offs ultimately affecting the investment of individuals in various immunological pathways. We described spatial immunoheterogeneity in bank vole populations with respect to landscape features and co-infection. We focused on the consequences of this heterogeneity for the risk of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) infection. We assessed the expression of the Tnf-α and Mx2 genes and demonstrated a negative correlation between PUUV load and the expression of these immune genes in bank voles. Habitat heterogeneity was partly associated with differences in the expression of these genes. Levels of Mx2 were lower in large forests than in fragmented forests, possibly due to differences in parasite communities. We previously highlighted the positive association between infection with Heligmosomum mixtum and infection with PUUV. We found that Tnf-α was more strongly expressed in voles infected with PUUV than in uninfected voles or in voles co-infected with the nematode H. mixtum and PUUV. H. mixtum may limit the capacity of the vole to develop proinflammatory responses. This effect may increase the risk of PUUV infection and replication in host cells. Overall, our results suggest that close interactions between landscape features, co-infection and immune gene expression may shape PUUV epidemiology.

Landscape genetics highlights the role of bank vole metapopulation dynamics in the epidemiology of Puumala hantavirus.

Rodent host dynamics and dispersal are thought to be critical for hantavirus epidemiology as they determine pathogen persistence and transmission within and between host populations. We used landscape genetics to investigate how the population dynamics of the bank vole Myodes glareolus, the host of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV), vary with forest fragmentation and influence PUUV epidemiology. We sampled vole populations within the Ardennes, a French PUUV endemic area. We inferred demographic features such as population size, isolation and migration with regard to landscape configuration. We next analysed the influence of M. glareolus population dynamics on PUUV spatial distribution. Our results revealed that the global metapopulation dynamics of bank voles were strongly shaped by landscape features, including suitable patch size and connectivity. Large effective size in forest might therefore contribute to the higher observed levels of PUUV prevalence. By contrast, populations from hedge networks highly suffered from genetic drift and appeared strongly isolated from all other populations. This might result in high probabilities of local extinction for both M. glareolus and PUUV. Besides, we detected signatures of asymmetric bank vole migration from forests to hedges. These movements were likely to sustain PUUV in fragmented landscapes. In conclusion, our study provided arguments in favour of source-sink dynamics shaping PUUV persistence and spread in heterogeneous, Western European temperate landscapes. It illustrated the potential contribution of landscape genetics to the understanding of the epidemiological processes occurring at this local scale.

Roles of capsule and lipopolysaccharide O antigen in interactions of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

In humans, Klebsiella pneumoniae is a saprophytic bacterium of the nasopharyngeal and intestinal mucosae that is also frequently responsible for severe nosocomial infections. Two major factors of virulence, capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen, are involved in mucosal colonization and the development of infections. These bacterial surface structures are likely to play major roles in interactions with the mucosal immune system, which are orchestrated by a network of surveillance based on dendritic cells (DCs). To determine the roles of K. pneumoniae CPS and LPS in the DC response, we investigated the response of immature human monocyte-derived DCs to bacterial challenge with a wild-type strain and its isogenic mutants deficient in CPS or LPS O-antigen production. As observed by flow cytometry and confocal laser microscopy, the rate of phagocytosis was inversely proportional to the amount of CPS on the bacterial cell surface, with LPS playing little or no role. The K. pneumoniae wild-type strain induced DC maturation with upregulation of CD83, CD86, and TLR4 and downregulation of CD14 and DC-SIGN. With CPS mutants, we observed a greater decrease in DC-SIGN, suggesting a superior maturation of DCs. In addition, incubation of DCs with CPS mutants, and to a lesser extent with LPS mutants, resulted in significantly higher Th1 cytokine production. Combined, our findings suggest that K. pneumoniae CPS, by hampering bacterial binding and internalization, induces a defective immunological host response, including maturation of DCs and pro-Th1 cytokine production, whereas the LPS O antigen seems to be involved essentially in DC activation.

Characterization and PCR multiplexing of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the whipworm Trichuris arvicolae, parasite of arvicoline rodents and their cross-species utilization in T. muris, parasite of murines.

Trichuris arvicolae and T. muris are gastro-intestinal nematodes of respectively arvicoline and murine rodents. We aim to investigate the ecology of these Trichuris species using population genetics. We sampled nematodes from rodents trapped in the East of France. After confirming the species identification of the nematodes using ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA sequences, we isolated and characterized twelve dinucleotide microsatellite loci in T. arvicolae. A multiplex panel was developed. Application to a set of 30 individuals allowed clear and easy characterization of allele sizes. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 6 per locus with observed heterozygosities ranging from 0 to 0.93. A test on eleven T. muris revealed that eight loci among twelve amplified, and five were polymorphic. These sets of microsatellite loci provide high throughput capacity for population genetic studies.

Multiple parasites mediate balancing selection at two MHC class II genes in the fossorial water vole: insights from multivariate analyses and population genetics.

We investigated the factors mediating selection acting on two MHC class II genes (DQA and DRB) in water vole (Arvicola scherman) natural populations in the French Jura Mountains. Population genetics showed significant homogeneity in allelic frequencies at the DQA1 locus as opposed to neutral markers (nine microsatellites), indicating balancing selection acting on this gene. Moreover, almost exhaustive screening for parasites, including gastrointestinal helminths, brain coccidia and antibodies against viruses responsible for zoonoses, was carried out. We applied a co-inertia approach to the genetic and parasitological data sets to avoid statistical problems related to multiple testing. Two alleles, Arte-DRB-11 and Arte-DRB-15, displayed antagonistic associations with the nematode Trichuris arvicolae, revealing the potential parasite-mediated selection acting on DRB locus. Selection mechanisms acting on the two MHC class II genes thus appeared different. Moreover, overdominance as balancing selection mechanism was showed highly unlikely in this system.

Coevolutionary relationship between helminth diversity and MHC class II polymorphism in rodents.

Parasite-mediated selection on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes has mainly been explored at the intraspecific level, although many molecular studies have revealed trans-species polymorphism. Interspecific patterns of MHC diversity might reveal factors responsible for the long-term evolution of MHC polymorphism. We hypothesize that host taxa harbouring high parasite diversity should exhibit high levels of MHC genetic diversity. We test this assumption using data on rodent species and their helminth parasites compiled from the literature. Controlling for similarity due to common descent, we present evidence indicating that high helminth species richness in rodent species is associated with increased MHC class II polymorphism. Our results are consistent with the idea that parasites sharing a long-term coevolutionary history with their hosts are the agents of selection explaining MHC polymorphism.

Kinship, dispersal and hantavirus transmission in bank and common voles.

Hantaviruses are among the main emerging infectious agents in Europe. Their mode of transmission in natura is still not well known. In particular, social features and behaviours could be crucial for understanding the persistence and the spread of hantaviruses in rodent populations. Here, we investigated the importance of kinclustering and dispersal in hantavirus transmission by combining a fine-scale spatiotemporal survey (4 km2) and a population genetics approach. Two specific host-hantavirus systems were identified and monitored: the bank vole Myodes, earlier Clethrionomys glareolus--Puumala virus and the common vole Microtus arvalis--Tula virus. Sex, age and landscape characteristics significantly influenced the spatial distribution of infections in voles. The absence of temporal stability in the spatial distributions of viruses suggested that dispersal is likely to play a role in virus propagation. Analysing vole kinship from microsatellite markers, we found that infected voles were more closely related to each other than non-infected ones. Winter kin-clustering, shared colonies within matrilineages or delayed dispersal could explain this pattern. These two last results hold, whatever the host-hantavirus system considered. This supports the roles of relatedness and dispersal as general features for hantavirus transmission.

Density-related changes in selection pattern for major histocompatibility complex genes in fluctuating populations of voles.

Host-pathogen interactions are of particular interest in studies of the interplay between population dynamics and natural selection. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes of demographically fluctuating species are highly suitable markers for such studies, because they are involved in initiating the immune response against pathogens and display a high level of adaptive genetic variation. We investigated whether two MHC class II genes (DQA1, DRB) were subjected to contemporary selection during increases in the density of fossorial water vole (Arvicola terrestris) populations, by comparing the neutral genetic structure of seven populations with that estimated from MHC genes. Tests for heterozygosity excess indicated that DQA1 was subject to intense balancing selection. No such selection operated on neutral markers. This pattern of selection became more marked with increasing abundance. In the low-abundance phase, when populations were geographically isolated, both overall differentiation and isolation-by-distance were more marked for MHC genes than for neutral markers. Model-based simulations identified DQA1 as an outlier (i.e. under selection) in a single population, suggesting the action of local selection in fragmented populations. The differences between MHC and neutral markers gradually disappeared with increasing effective migration between sites. In the high-abundance year, DQA1 displayed significantly lower levels of overall differentiation than the neutral markers. This gene therefore displayed stronger homogenization than observed under drift and migration alone. The observed signs of selection were much weaker for DRB. Spatial and temporal fluctuations in parasite pressure and locus-specific selection are probably the most plausible mechanisms underlying the observed changes in selection pattern during the demographic cycle.

The intestinal nematode Trichuris arvicolae affects the fecundity of its host, the common vole Microtus arvalis.

Parasites have detrimental effects on host fitness. Consequently, they play a major role for host population dynamics. In this study, we investigated experimentally the impact of the nematode Trichuris arvicolae on the reproduction of its host, the common vole Microtus arvalis. Wild common voles were trapped in east of France and reared in standardized conditions before being experimentally infected. Infection with Trichuris arvicolae did not affect host consumption of food or water. Parasitized females gave birth to slightly less pups (mean 3.36 +/- 0.38) than unparasitized females (mean 3.60 +/- 0.40). Controlling for natal litter size using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), T. arvicolae infection had a significant effect on the individual mass at birth, with pups from parasitized females having significantly lower mass (2.11 g +/- 0.01) than pups from unparasitized females (2.20 g +/- 0.01). Other measures of host reproductive outputs (time to first reproduction, mass of pups at weaning, litter survival) were not affected by maternal parasite infection. We discuss how these changes in M. arvalis reproductive investments associated with T. arvicolae infection must now be investigated in the context of physiological trade-offs.

Migration and recovery of the genetic diversity during the increasing density phase in cyclic vole populations.

In cyclic populations, high genetic diversity is currently reported despite the periodic low numbers experienced by the populations during the low phases. Here, we report spatio-temporal monitoring at a very fine scale of cyclic populations of the fossorial water vole (Arvicola terrestris) during the increasing density phase. This phase marks the transition from a patchy structure (demes) during low density to a continuous population in high density. We found that the genetic diversity was effectively high but also that it displayed a local increase within demes over the increasing phase. The genetic diversity remained relatively constant when considering all demes together. The increase in vole abundance was also correlated with a decrease of genetic differentiation among demes. Such results suggest that at the end of the low phase, demes are affected by genetic drift as the result of being small and geographically isolated. This leads to a loss of local genetic diversity and a spatial differentiation among demes. This situation is counterbalanced during the increasing phase by the spatial expansion of demes and the increase of the effective migration among differentiated demes. We provide evidences that in cyclic populations of the fossorial water voles, the relative influence of drift operating during low density populations and migration occurring principally while population size increases interacts closely to maintain high genetic diversity.

Duplication, balancing selection and trans-species evolution explain the high levels of polymorphism of the DQA MHC class II gene in voles (Arvicolinae).

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes play important role in host-parasite interactions and parasites are crucial factors influencing the population dynamics of hosts. We described the structure and diversity of exon 2 of the MHC class II DQA gene in three species of voles (Arvicolinae) exhibiting regular multi-annual fluctuations of population density and analysed the processes leading to the observed MHC polymorphism. By using cloning-sequencing methodology and capillary electrophoresis-single strand conformation polymorphism, we described seven sequences in the water, eight in the common, and seven in the bank voles coming from an area of 70 km(2) around the Nozeroy canton in the Jura Mountains (Franche Comté, France). All exon 2 sequences translate to give unique amino acid sequences and positive selection was found to act very intensively on antigen binding sites. We documented the presence of recombination at vole DQA region but its importance in generating allelic polymorphism seems to be relatively limited. For the first time within rodents, we documented the duplication of the DQA gene in all three species with both copies being transcriptionally active. Phylogenetic analysis of allelic sequences revealed extensive trans-species polymorphism within the subfamily although no alleles were shared between species in our data set. We discuss possible role of parasites in forming the recent polymorphism pattern of the DQA locus in voles.

Influence of geographical scale on the detection of density dependence in the host-parasite system, Arvicola terrestris and Taenia taeniaeformis.

Infection by the cestode Taenia taeniaeformis was investigated within numerous cyclic populations of the fossorial water vole Arvicola terrestris sampled during 4 years in Franche-Comté (France). The relative influence of different rodent demographic parameters on the presence of this cestode was assessed by considering (1) the demographic phase of the cycle; (2) density at the local geographical scale (<0.1 km2); (3) mean density at a larger scale (>10 km2). The local scale corresponded to the rodent population (intermediate host), while the large scale corresponded to the definitive host population (wild and feral cats). General linear models based on analyses of 1804 voles revealed the importance of local density but also of year, rodent age, season and interactions between year and season and between age and season. Prevalence was significantly higher in low vole densities than during local outbreaks. By contrast, the large geographical scale density and the demographic phase had less influence on infection by the cestode. The potential impacts of the cestode on the fitness of the host were assessed and infection had no effect on the host body mass, litter size or sexual activity of voles.

A long-term genetic survey of an ungulate population reveals balancing selection acting on MHC through spatial and temporal fluctuations in selection.

We explored a 13-year genetic survey of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and neutral loci of the Soay sheep population of St Kilda to test the existence and causes of balancing selection at the MHC. The sheep population experiences demographic fluctuations, partly driven by the nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta. The spatial differentiation detected at the MHC was comparable to that at neutral loci between 1988 and 1996, but significantly lower between 1996 and 2000. The rate of temporal genetic differentiation was higher at the MHC, but within the Eastern heft only. These comparisons of spatial and temporal divergence at MHC and non-MHC loci provide strong evidence of balancing selection at the MHC, acting through spatial and temporal heterogeneity in selection pressure. This heterogeneity could be due to fluctuations in the selection imposed by parasites, either directly, because the prevalence in T. circumcincta varies in space and time, or indirectly, because the fitness costs of infection may vary with resource availability.

Genetic structure of the cyclic fossorial water vole (Arvicola terrestris): landscape and demographic influences.

Genetic structure can be strongly affected by landscape features and variation through time and space of demographic parameters such as population size and migration rate. The fossorial water vole (Arvicola terrestris) is a cyclic species characterized by large demographic fluctuations over short periods of time. The outbreaks do not occur everywhere at the same time but spread as a wave at a regional scale. This leads to a pattern of large areas (i.e. some hundreds of km2), each with different vole abundances, at any given time. Here, we describe the abundance and genetic structures in populations of the fossorial water vole. We use the data to try to understand how landscape and demographic features act to shape the genetic structure. The spatial variability of vole abundance was assessed from surface indices, collected in spring 2002 (April) in eastern central France. Genetic variability was analysed using eight microsatellite loci at 23 localities sampled between October 2001 and April 2002. We found some congruence between abundance and genetic structures. At a regional scale, the genetic disruptions were associated with both sharp relief and transition between an area of low abundance and another of high abundance. At a local scale, we observed a variation of the isolation-by-distance pattern according to the abundance level of vole populations. From these results we suggest that the dispersal pattern in cyclic rodent populations varies throughout the demographic cycle.

The influence of mating system, demography, parasites and colonization on the population structure of Biomphalaria pfeifferi in Madagascar.

Current evolutionary forces and historical processes interact to shape the distribution of neutral genetic variability within and among populations. Focusing on the genetics of recently introduced organisms offers a good opportunity to understand the relative importance of these factors. This study concerns variation at 8 polymorphic microsatellite loci in 30 populations of Biomphalaria pfeifferi. The sampling area spans most of the species' range in Madagascar where it was probably introduced recently. Extremely low variation was found within all populations studied, which may partly result from high selfing rates. However, this cannot account for the variance of variation across populations, which is better explained by habitat openness (that reflects environmental stochasticity), the prevalence of the parasitic trematode Schistosoma mansoni and historical demography (colonization and subsequent bottlenecks). Large global differentiation was also observed, suggesting that current gene flow among populations is limited to small distances, within watersheds and to few individuals. Our data set also allowed us to test several hypotheses regarding colonization, based on bottleneck and admixture tests. The observed pattern requires at least two independent introductions from slightly differentiated genetic sources in the western part of Madagascar. Another introduction, from a very different genetic origin, should also be postulated to explain the genetic composition of eastern populations. That this introduction occurred recently suggests that the colonization of Madagascar by B. pfeifferi is an ongoing process.

A spatial and temporal approach to microevolutionary forces affecting population biology in the freshwater snail Biomphalaria pfeifferi.

The limitations of both population demography and genetics highlight the need to combine these approaches when inferring the influence of demographic processes and modes of migration on genetic structure. The aim of this study was to use spatiotemporal genetic and demographic surveys to reveal the microevolutionary forces acting on the metapopulation dynamics of the freshwater snail Biomphalaria pfeifferi. We also analyzed the consequences of population turnover on temporal genetic differentiation, an aspect that has been little explored. Genetic drift was revealed by both the demographic survey, which indicated severe bottlenecks or extinction during the rainy (resp. dry) season in open (resp. closed) habitats, and the genetic approach, which indicated high selfing rates and strong temporal differentiation. Genetic reassignments and temporal differentiation both confirmed the results of the demographic survey, which suggests that migration occurs in closed (resp. open) habitats during the hot and dry (resp. rainy) season, and indicated that source-sink functioning may be envisaged. A propagule pool mode of colonization was inferred in the open habitats during the rainy season and a migrant pool in the closed habitats during the dry season. Our study also suggests that selection might be inferred from patterns of neutral genetic markers when recombination is limited.