Nuclear Genetic Diversity in Human Lice (Pediculus humanus) Reveals Continental Differences and High Inbreeding among Worldwide Populations

Ascunce, Marina S.; Toups, Melissa A.; Kassu, Gebreyes; Fane, Jackie; Scholl, Katlyn; Reed, David L.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057619

Cited by 49 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Primer sequences and reaction mixes were as described in supplementary Tables S1–3 in Ascunce et al . (). The PCR reactions were performed under the following conditions: initial denaturation at 95 °C for 5 min; 35 cycles of denaturation at 94 °C for 30 s; annealing at 52 °C for 45 s; extension at 72 °C for 45 s, and a final extension step at 72 °C for 40 min.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

The unusual reproductive system of head and body lice (Pediculus humanus)

Filia

Andrewes

Clark

et al. 2017

Medical Vet Entomology

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Insect reproduction is extremely variable, but the implications of alternative genetic systems are often overlooked in studies on the evolution of insecticide resistance. Both ecotypes of Pediculus humanus (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae), the human head and body lice, are human ectoparasites, the control of which is challenged by the recent spread of resistance alleles. The present study conclusively establishes for the first time that both head and body lice reproduce through paternal genome elimination (PGE), an unusual genetic system in which males transmit only their maternally derived chromosomes. Here, we investigate inheritance patterns of parental genomes using a genotyping approach across families of both ecotypes and show that heterozygous males exclusively or preferentially pass on one allele only, whereas females transmit both in a Mendelian fashion. We do however observe occasional transmission of paternal chromosomes through males, representing the first known case of PGE in which whole‐genome meiotic drive is incomplete. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of this finding for the evolution of resistance and invite the development of new theoretical models of how this knowledge might contribute to increasing the success of pediculicide‐based management schemes.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

The unusual reproductive system of head and body lice (Pediculus humanus)

Filia

Andrewes

Clark

et al. 2017

Medical Vet Entomology

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“…DNA extracts from the Netherlands human head lice were provided by Ascunce (see Ascunce et al 2013 for collection methods).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primates, Lice and Bacteria: Speciation and Genome Evolution in the Symbionts of Hominid Lice

Boyd

Allen

Nguyen

et al. 2017

Molecular Biology and Evolution

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Insects with restricted diets rely on symbiotic bacteria to provide essential metabolites missing in their diet. The blood-sucking lice are obligate, host-specific parasites of mammals and are themselves host to symbiotic bacteria. In human lice, these bacterial symbionts supply the lice with B-vitamins. Here, we sequenced the genomes of symbiotic and heritable bacterial of human, chimpanzee, gorilla, and monkey lice and used phylogenomics to investigate their evolutionary relationships. We find that these symbionts have a phylogenetic history reflecting the louse phylogeny, a finding contrary to previous reports of symbiont replacement. Examination of the highly reduced symbiont genomes (0.53–0.57 Mb) reveals much of the genomes are dedicated to vitamin synthesis. This is unchanged in the smallest symbiont genome and one that appears to have been reorganized. Specifically, symbionts from human lice, chimpanzee lice, and gorilla lice carry a small plasmid that encodes synthesis of vitamin B5, a vitamin critical to the bacteria-louse symbiosis. This plasmid is absent in an old world monkey louse symbiont, where this pathway is on its primary chromosome. This suggests the unique genomic configuration brought about by the plasmid is not essential for symbiosis, but once obtained, it has persisted for up to 25 My. We also find evidence that human, chimpanzee, and gorilla louse endosymbionts have lost a pathway for synthesis of vitamin B1, whereas the monkey louse symbiont has retained this pathway. It is unclear whether these changes are adaptive, but they may point to evolutionary responses of louse symbionts to shifts in primate biology.

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“…Phylogeographic studies of human-associated species-such as lice and rodents, as well as certain bacteria and viruses-have suggested, eliminated, and confirmed hypotheses about human history (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10). For example, these studies have provided details about the timing and nature of the original human migration out of Africa, the spread of humans within and among continents, and the domestication of large vertebrates.…”

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confidence: 99%

Global divergence of the human follicle mite Demodex folliculorum : Persistent associations between host ancestry and mite lineages

Palopoli

Fergus

Minot

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Microscopic mites of the genus Demodex live within the hair follicles of mammals and are ubiquitous symbionts of humans, but little molecular work has been done to understand their genetic diversity or transmission. Here we sampled mite DNA from 70 human hosts of diverse geographic ancestries and analyzed 241 sequences from the mitochondrial genome of the species Demodex folliculorum. Phylogenetic analyses recovered multiple deep lineages including a globally distributed lineage common among hosts of European ancestry and three lineages that primarily include hosts of Asian, African, and Latin American ancestry. To a great extent, the ancestral geography of hosts predicted the lineages of mites found on them; 27% of the total molecular variance segregated according to the regional ancestries of hosts. We found that D. folliculorum populations are stable on an individual over the course of years and that some Asian and African American hosts maintain specific mite lineages over the course of years or generations outside their geographic region of birth or ancestry. D. folliculorum haplotypes were much more likely to be shared within families and between spouses than between unrelated individuals, indicating that transmission requires close contact. Dating analyses indicated that D. folliculorum origins may predate modern humans. Overall, D. folliculorum evolution reflects ancient human population divergences, is consistent with an out-of-Africa dispersal hypothesis, and presents an excellent model system for further understanding the history of human movement.Demodex | phylogeography | symbiosis | coevolution H uman evolution did not take place in isolation but instead occurred alongside that of many closely associated species. Phylogeographic studies of human-associated species-such as lice and rodents, as well as certain bacteria and viruses-have suggested, eliminated, and confirmed hypotheses about human history (1-10). For example, these studies have provided details about the timing and nature of the original human migration out of Africa, the spread of humans within and among continents, and the domestication of large vertebrates.Mites of the genus Demodex live in the hair follicles and sebaceous glands of humans and provide a promising system with which to explore further the details of human evolution. The association between Demodex and Homo sapiens is likely to be an ancient one: The broad distribution of these mites across mammal species (11), coupled with the ancient date of divergence estimated between the two species known to be found on humans (12), suggests that Demodex originated and diversified with early mammals. Furthermore, Demodex seem likely to have been carried along whenever their hosts migrated, because they are ubiquitous inhabitants of human skin (13,14). Finally, in comparison with the other human associates that have been studied to date, Demodex mites are more tightly associated with human bodies than are lice, while their generation times are slower than those of bacteria and virus...

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Nuclear Genetic Diversity in Human Lice (Pediculus humanus) Reveals Continental Differences and High Inbreeding among Worldwide Populations

Cited by 49 publications

References 72 publications

The unusual reproductive system of head and body lice (Pediculus humanus)

The unusual reproductive system of head and body lice (Pediculus humanus)

Primates, Lice and Bacteria: Speciation and Genome Evolution in the Symbionts of Hominid Lice

Global divergence of the human follicle mite Demodex folliculorum : Persistent associations between host ancestry and mite lineages

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