The occurrence and significance of triploidy in the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica.
Karyotyping of Fasciola hepatica samples from Britain and Ireland has identified a triploid isolate which is effectively aspermic, rendering it necessarily asexually reproducing. Considering the extensive presence of asexually reproducing diploid and triploid Fasciola in Asia it is suggested that facultative gynogenesis is widespread in this parasite. This has important implications for the population genetics and evolution of Fasciola, especially in relation to the development and spread of drug resistance, and must be considered in the mathematical modelling of this process.
Parasite Proteomics and Therapeutics Research Group, The Queen's University of Belfast, School of Biology and Biochemistry, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK. h.fletcher@qub.ac.uk
H L
HL
Fletcher
E M
EM
Hoey
N
N
Orr
A
A
Trudgett
I
I
Fairweather
M W
MW
Robinson
D000818:Animals; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000235:genetics*; D007621:Karyotyping; D011123:Polyploidy; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics