PARAFROGS

Emerging Protist Parasites of Frogs: Global prevalence and host/parasite interaction

Coordinatore	THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER    more  Organization address address: Northcote House, The Queen's Drive city: EXETER postcode: EX4 4QJ contact info Titolo: Dr. Nome: Enda Cognome: Clarke Email: send email Telefono: 441393000000 Fax: 441392000000
Nazionalità Coordinatore	United Kingdom [UK]
Totale costo	200˙371 €
EC contributo	200˙371 €
Programma	FP7-PEOPLE Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF
Funding Scheme	MC-IEF
Anno di inizio	2012
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2012-09-01   -   2015-02-28

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER  Organization address address: Northcote House, The Queen's Drive city: EXETER postcode: EX4 4QJ contact info Titolo: Dr. Nome: Enda Cognome: Clarke Email: send email Telefono: 441393000000 Fax: 441392000000	UK (EXETER)	coordinator	200˙371.80
2	NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM  Organization address address: CROMWELL ROAD city: LONDON postcode: SW7 5BD contact info Titolo: Mr. Nome: Oliver Cognome: Bacon Email: send email Telefono: +44 207 942 6690	UK (LONDON)	participant	0.00

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The causes of global decline of amphibian population is still unclear, however it is apparent that this animal group is susceptible to opportunistic infections. Two important infectious agents have been identified: a fungus and a virus, both of which are responsible for mass mortalities. However, since 2003, new mass mortality events have been recorded through out the USA and have been attributed to infection by a protist of the Superphylum Alveolata. This parasite preferentially infects liver tissue leading to the presence of hundred of thousand small spherical cells. In parallel, environmental sequencing of freshwater environments targeting the smallest size of eukaryotic plankton has revealed that this group of protists is globally distributed and has a free-living stage. We have performed a pilot test on 28 tadpoles specimens from the collection of the Natural History Museum of London (UK) in order to confirm the association between the protist and frogs and found three positive cases in distantly related frog taxa. We therefore hypothesise that this protist group represents a global threat to frogs and has a complex lifecycle involving both infectious and freeliving phases and has acquired cellular phenotypes and molecular innovations associated with host infection. Using a combination of molecular pathology of global tadpole samples, microscopy with cell biological staining, and comparative transcriptomics this project will identify the geographic and taxonomic prevalence of this pathogen and how and by what molecular mechanism it infects tadpole cells. As such the project will underpin advanced training in: collection management, histology, immuno-microscopy, comparative genomics and microbial parasitology of animal hosts. This project will provide information important for understanding the diversity of microbial eukaryotic forms, evolution of parasitic mechanisms and understanding disease threats to frogs in order to assists conservation planning.'