| Title |
Exo-erythrocytic development of avian malaria parasites and haemoproteids: completing the cycle / |
| Translation of Title |
Egzoeritrocitinis paukščių maliarinių parazitų ir hemoproteidų vystymasis: gyvenimo ciklo papildymas. |
| Authors |
Ilgūnas, Mikas |
| Full Text |
|
| Pages |
212 |
| Keywords [eng] |
birds ; Plasmodium ; Haemoproteus ; phanerozoites ; megalomeronts |
| Abstract [eng] |
Parasites belonging to the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are known to cause severe diseases and even death to their vertebrate hosts. These parasites have been extensively studied yet, information about complete life cycles for the vast majority of haemosporidians is lacking. This is particularly true for the exo-erythrocytic stage of the life cycle of these widespread pathogens. The objective of this PhD thesis was to gain new knowledge about the insufficiently investigated exo-erythrocytic development of Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasites, their virulence and pathologies caused in avian hosts. Results of this study have shown that malaria parasite P. homocircumflexum develops differently in various species of avian hosts resulting in different virulence. A newly discovered lineage pERIRUB01 was attributed to P. elongatum and its virulence was linked with the damage of stem bone marrow cells of the avian hosts by developing phanerozoites. It was proved experimentally that the susceptibility of different bird species to P. elongatum (lineage pGRW6) infection is variable and this parasite is of low virulence in wild adapted avian hosts. Megalomeronts of H. majoris (lineages hPHYBOR04 and hPARUS1) were discovered and it was shown that they are a normal stage in the life cycle of this haemoproteid. Two new species – P. delichoni n. sp. and H. ciconiae n. sp. as well as the new lineage pPHCOL01 of P. relictum were discovered and described molecularly and morphologically. |
| Dissertation Institution |
Gamtos tyrimų centras. |
| Type |
Doctoral thesis |
| Language |
English |
| Publication date |
2019 |
