Host range expansion of asexual parasite can be explained by loss of adaptions in Muller’s Ratchet
Sexual recombination is a hallmark of eukaryotic evolution. Without recombination, asexual eukaryotes should succumb to deleterious mutations and more rapidly evolving pathogens. Giardia duodenalis, a parasitic protist, sits within one of the earliest-branching eukaryotic lineages and has no known sexual stage. Whether Giardia are 'ancient asexuals' has been long explored but is unresolved. Here, we find clear evidence of sex in Giardia and also discover an asexual sublineage that has a broader host range than its sexual ancestor. This asexual lineage is not ancient, and is accumulating deleterious mutations. Unlike its sexual counterparts, its genetic variation lacks the signatures of selection and Red Queen coevolution. We propose a new hypothesis that explains how a mutational meltdown during Muller's Ratchet might enable asexual pathogens to expand their host ranges transiently. Fittingly, our results suggest that Giardia is not the last exception to, but rather further evidence of, the essentiality of eukaryotic sex.
Authors
- Brendan R. E. Ansell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0297-897X)
- Louise Baker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0716-6161)
- Marco Lalle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5168-2150)
- Simone M. Cacciò (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8561-1323)
- Staffan G. Svärd (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7392-1746)
- Aaron R. Jex (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1285-7947)
- Eva Nohýnková (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1420-988X)
- Myo Naung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8595-4310)
- Swapnil Tichkule (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2940-9961)
- Cock van Oosterhout (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5653-738X)
- Filip Weisz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5398-765X)
- Samantha J. Emery‐Corbin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2984-0620)
- Balu Balan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0651-4227)
- Robin B. Gasser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4423-1690)
Institutions
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- Uppsala University (SE)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (AU)
- Charles University (CZ)
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità (IT)
- Norwich Research Park (GB)
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-12-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65843-4
- Primary Topic
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Univerzita Karlova v Praze
- Australian Government
- Australian Society for Parasitology
- Earth and Life Systems Alliance
- Agentura Pro Zdravotnický Výzkum České Republiky
- Medical Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council