title: Evolution of parasitism in kinetoplastid flagellates.
abstract: Kinetoplastid protists offer a unique opportunity for studying the evolution of parasitism. While all their close relatives are either photo- or phagotrophic, a number of kinetoplastid species are facultative or obligatory parasites, supporting a hypothesis that parasitism has emerged within this group of flagellates. In this review we discuss origin and evolution of parasitism in bodonids and trypanosomatids and specific adaptations allowing these protozoa to co-exist with their hosts. We also explore the limits of biodiversity of monoxenous (one host) trypanosomatids and some features distinguishing them from their dixenous (two hosts) relatives.
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic. Electronic address: jula@paru.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukeš
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skalický
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Týč
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Votýpka
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vyacheslav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yurchenko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D056986:Euglenozoa Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D016830:Kinetoplastida / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010271:Parasites / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: Diversity; Evolution; Parasitism; Phylogeny; Trypanosoma; Vectors