Publications

larval morphology, genetic divergence, and contrasting levels of host manipulation between forms of pomphorhynchus laevis (acanthocephala).	studies on parasite species with a wide geographic and ecological range may be confounded by still equivocal taxonomic identification. here, we investigated genetic polymorphism and behavioural changes induced in a common intermediate host, in two different forms of pomphorhynchus laevis based on the morphology of the larval infective stage (cystacanth). a 'smooth type' (s) and a 'wrinkled type' (w) of cystacanth were distinguished based on their surface and shape. we analysed sequence divergenc ...	2004	14711589
altered host behaviour and brain serotonergic activity caused by acanthocephalans: evidence for specificity.	manipulative parasites can alter the phenotype of intermediate hosts in various ways. however, it is unclear whether such changes are just by-products of infection or adaptive and enhance transmission to the final host. here, we show that the alteration of serotonergic activity is functionally linked to the alteration of specific behaviour in the amphipod gammarus pulex infected with acanthocephalan parasites. pomphorhynchus laevis and, to a lesser extent, pomphorhynchus tereticollis altered pho ...	2006	17015346
divergent location of ribosomal genes in chromosomes of fish thorny-headed worms, pomphorhynchus laevis and pomphorhynchus tereticollis (acanthocephala).	we studied distribution of ribosomal dna (rdna) sequences along with chromosomal location of the nucleolar organizer regions (nors) in males of two fish parasites, pomphorhynchus laevis and pomphorhynchus tereticollis (acanthocephala). fluorescence in situ hybridization with 18s rdna probe identified two clusters of rdna in each species, but revealed a remarkable difference in their location on chromosomes. in p. laevis, the rdna-fish signals were found in long arms of the first chromosome pair ...	2007	17143651
increased susceptibility to predation and altered anti-predator behaviour in an acanthocephalan-infected amphipod.	according to the 'parasitic manipulation hypothesis', phenotypic changes induced by parasites in their intermediate hosts are effective means of increasing trophic transmission to final hosts. one obvious prediction, although seldom tested, is that increased vulnerability of infected prey to an appropriate predator should be achieved by the parasite altering the anti-predator behaviour of its intermediate host. in this study, we tested this prediction using the fish acanthocephalan pomphorhynchu ...	2007	17258219
immune depression induced by acanthocephalan parasites in their intermediate crustacean host: consequences for the risk of super-infection and links with host behavioural manipulation.	parasite survival in hosts mainly depends on the capacity to circumvent the host immune response. acanthocephalan infections in gammarids are linked with decreased activity of the prophenoloxidase (propo) system, suggesting an active immunosuppression process. nevertheless, experimental evidence for this hypothesis is lacking: whether these parasites affect several immune pathways is unknown and the consequences of such immune change have not been investigated. in particular, the consequences fo ...	2009	18708062
re-establishment of the fish parasite fauna in the tisa river system (slovakia) after a catastrophic pollution event.	an extensive survey of helminth parasites in 1,316 freshwater fish representing 31 species from two aquatic ecosystems in southeastern slovakia characterized by different level of environmental pollution was carried out. the helminth species diversity was compared between the tisa river, heavily polluted with cyanides and heavy metals after a series of ecological disasters in 2000, and the less anthropogenically influenced latorica river. a parasitological survey found 31 gastrointestinal helmin ...	2009	19214574
telomere analysis of platyhelminths and acanthocephalans by fish and southern hybridization.	we examined the composition of telomeres in chromosomes of parasitic worms, representatives of the flatworm groups monogenea and cestoda (platyhelminthes), and thorny-headed worms (syndermata: acanthocephala) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (fish) with different telomeric repeat probes. our results show that the (ttaggg)n sequence, supposed to be the ancestral telomeric repeat motif of metazoa, is conserved in monogenea (paradiplozoon homoion) and cestoda (caryophyllaeus laticeps, caryophy ...	2009	19935913
interspecific differences in carotenoid content and sensitivity to uvb radiation in three acanthocephalan parasites exploiting a common intermediate host.	few endoparasite species are pigmented. acanthocephalans are an exception however, with several species being characterised by yellow to orange colouration both at the immature (cystacanth) and adult stages. however, the functional and adaptive significance of carotenoid-based colourations in acanthocephalans remains unclear. one possibility is that the carotenoid content of acanthocephalan cystacanths acts as a protective device against ultra-violet radiation (uvr) passing through the transluce ...	2011	20833172
are cryptic host species also cryptic to parasites? host specificity and geographical distribution of acanthocephalan parasites infecting freshwater gammarus.	many parasites infect multiple host species. in coevolving host-parasite interactions, theory predicts that parasites should be adapted to locally common hosts, which could lead to regional shifts in host preferences. we studied the interaction between freshwater gammarus (crustacea, amphipoda) and their acanthocephalan parasites using a large-scale field survey and experiments, combined with molecular identification of cryptic host and parasite species. gammarus pulex is a common host for multi ...	2011	21470578
pomphorhynchidae and quadrigyridae (acanthocephala), including a new genus and species (pallisentinae), from freshwater fishes, cobitidae and cyprinodontidae, in turkey.	during a survey of freshwater fishes from turkey two species of acanthocephala, one of them new, were found. pomphorhynchus tereticollis (pomphorhynchidae) is reported at 24% prevalence in 37 cobitis bilseli (cobitidae) from lake beysehir, konya, for the first time. the eoacanthoacaphalan triaspiron aphanii gen. n. et sp. n. (quadrigyridae), at a prevalence of 90%, is described from 29 aphanius mento (cyprinodontidae), from kirkgöz springs, antalya. the new genus most closely resembles raosentis ...	2012	23136795
invasive ponto-caspian amphipods and fish increase the distribution range of the acanthocephalan pomphorhynchus tereticollis in the river rhine.	non-indigenous species that become invasive are one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. in various freshwater systems in europe, populations of native amphipods and fish are progressively displaced by highly adaptive non-indigenous species that can perform explosive range extensions. a total of 40 ponto-caspian round gobies neogobius melanostomus from the rhine river near düsseldorf, north rhine-westphalia, germany, were examined for metazoan parasites and feeding ecology. three ...	2012	23300895
development and validation of a biodynamic model for mechanistically predicting metal accumulation in fish-parasite systems.	because of different reported effects of parasitism on the accumulation of metals in fish, it is important to consider parasites while interpreting bioaccumulation data from biomonitoring programmes. accordingly, the first step is to take parasitism into consideration when simulating metal bioaccumulation in the fish host under laboratory conditions. in the present study, the accumulation of metals in fish-parasite systems was simulated by a one-compartment toxicokinetic model and compared to un ...	2016	27548282
additive effects of temperature and infection with an acanthocephalan parasite on the shredding activity of gammarus fossarum (crustacea: amphipoda): the importance of aggregative behavior.	climate change can have critical impacts on the ecological role of keystone species, leading to subsequent alterations within ecosystems. the consequences of climate change may be best predicted by understanding its interaction with the cumulative effects of other stressors, although this approach is rarely adopted. however, whether this interaction is additive or interactive can hardly be predicted from studies examining a single factor at a time. in particular, biotic interactions are known to ...	2017	27591398