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Host specificity of Hepatocystis infection in short-nosed fruit bats (Cynopterus brachyotis) in Singapore.

ABSTRACT: Haemosporidians infect a wide diversity of bat genera and species, yet little is known about their transmission cycles or epidemiology. Though several recent studies have focused on the genus Hepatocystis, an Old World parasite primarily infecting bats, monkeys, and squirrels, this group is still understudied with little known about its transmission and molecular ecology. These parasites lack an asexual erythrocytic stage, making them unique from the Plasmodium vertebrate life cycle. In this study, we detected a prevalence of 31% of Hepatocystis in short-nosed fruit bats (Cynopterus brachyotis) in Singapore. Phylogenetic reconstruction with a partial cytochrome b sequence revealed a monophyletic group of Hepatocystis from C. brachyotis in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. There was no relationship with infection and bat age, sex, location, body condition or monsoon season. The absence of this parasite in the five other bat species sampled in Singapore indicates this Hepatocystis species may be host restricted.

SUBMITTER: Low DHW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8081878 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundCynopterus brachyotis (Müller 1838) is a generalist and widespread fruit bat species which inhabits different types of habitats in Southeast Asia. This species plays an essential role as a seed disperser and pollinator. Morphological study and phylogenetic analysis using mtDNA markers (cyt-b and D-loop) revealed that this species had two different forms in peninsular Malaysia and Borneo and six lineages in Southeast Asia that lead to new species formation. In addition, this species is also reported to have high genetic diversity in Malaysia and Thailand based on the D-loop sequence. However, a phylogenetic and genetic variation study of C. brachyotis in Indonesia has not been conducted yet. These two studies are important as additional information for taxonomic and population genetic studies of this species. Thus, we performed the phylogenetic and genetic diversity analysis of the C. brachyotis population collected from seven habitats on Java island, including open-fragmented habitats (urban, coffee and rubber plantations, pine forest, secondary forest, mangrove forest) and closed habitats (natural forest) using the mtDNA D-loop marker.ResultsThe phylogenetic tree using the Bayesian inference (BI) and genetic distance using the Kimura-2 parameter (K-2P) demonstrated that 33 individuals of C. brachyotis from seven habitats on Java island overlapped between habitats and could not be distinguished according to their habitats and lineage. Intrapopulation and intraspecies analysis revealed high haplotype diversity of this species on Java island (Hd = 0.933-1.000). The haplotype network was split into two haplogroups, showing haplotype sharing between habitats. These phylogenetic and genetic variations analysis of C. brachyotis bats on Java island indicated that this species is widespread and adapt to different habitats.ConclusionsThis study of C. brachyotis on Java island collected from seven different habitats has overlapped and genetically close and has high genetic variation. Our results provide the first reported study of C. brachyotis on Java island and provide data to understand the phylogenetic and genetic diversity of this species in Indonesia.

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Host specificity of Hepatocystis infection in short-nosed fruit bats (Cynopterus brachyotis) in Singapore.

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