Molecular characterization of the unique Mesostephanus appendiculatus (Trematoda: Cyathocotylidae) by small ribosomal RNA from Egypt

Prevalence and identification of cyathocotylid trematodes infecting African catfish in Egypt

The trematode family Cyathocotylidae infects various hosts worldwide, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. However, the lack of molecular data from adult worms hinders phylogenetic, epidemiological, and host association studies. This study aims to identify the common cyathocotylid trematodes infecting African catfish in Egypt using morphological and molecular evidence. Out of 142 Clarias gariepinus, 123 fish (86.6%) harbored cyathocotylid metacercariae, with a mean metacercarial intensity of 201 ± 38.5/g. Cyathocotylid metacercariae prevalence gradually rose as host size increased. Although there was no significant difference between groups, larger fish had a higher mean metacercarial intensity. The prevalence and intensity were unrelated to the fish gender. Histopathological examination of metacercariae-infected catfish revealed varying degrees of degenerative changes, including intermuscular edema leading to muscle fiber dispersion and atrophy, involving 11% to over 81% of muscle sections. We identified three cyathocotylid metacercariae and eight cyathocotylid adult species from experimental infection using morphometric and molecular data, including internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and/or mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) sequences. We determined the phylogenetic position of these cyathocotylid samples. The ITS sequence analysis linked the isolated Cyathocotylidae sp. 1 and 2 metacercariae to Prohemistomum vivax adults. Mesostephanus appendiculatoides and Paracoenogonimus ovatus were reported for the first time in Egypt. These findings may provide valuable genetic data for future molecular epidemiological and phylogenetic studies of cyathocotylid trematodes.

Identification and prevalence investigation of cyathocotylid trematode (Trematoda: Digenea: Cyathocotylidae) in Carassius auratus in Wuhu, China

The family Cyathocotylidae trematode is a world-widely distributed parasite whose adults are mainly found in fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals in both freshwater and marine environments. However, little is known of the prevalence of these trematode in China. For the first time, we found Cyathocotylidae trematode in the Wuhu area. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of metacercariae in Carassius auratus from Zhang Lake, Kui Lake, Qingyi River, and Yangtze River (Wuhu Section) in Wuhu area. A total of 392 one-year-old C. auratus were tested in January, April, July, and October 2019, respectively. After the fish were euthanized, the back, chest, and tail muscles were used for preliminary screening for the presence of metacercariae by direct compression method. Metacercariae were isolated by the artificial digestion method and then morphologically and molecularly identified by cox1 (642 bp) and ITS2 (418 bp) sequences amplification by PCR. Based on morphological features and sequence analysis, they were identified as cyathocotylid metacercariae. The four water sources have different degrees of prevalence throughout the year, the prevalence ranges from 28.45% (29/102) in Yangtze River to 50.55% (46/91) in Zhang Lake, with an average prevalence of 40.56% (159/392). There were also differences in the prevalence in different months: The highest occurred in July, which was 81.63% (80/98), while the lowest occurred in January, which was 8.89% (8/90). This study can provide basic data for the prevention and control of cyathocotylid trematode in this area.

Immune pathogenesis in pigeons during experimental Prohemistomum vivax infection

Prohemistomum vivax is a small trematode belonging to the family Cyathocotylidae, infecting fish-eating birds and mammals, including humans. However, no data on molecular identification and immune pathogenesis are available, challenging effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Here, we identified P. vivax based on combined morphological and molecular data and examined histopathological lesions and the differential cytokines expression in experimentally infected pigeons. Pigeons were orally infected with 500 prohemistomid metacercariae. Intestinal and spleen tissues were harvested 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post-infection (dpi). Gene expression levels of eleven cytokines (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-15, IL-18, IFN-γ, and TGF-β3) were assessed using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). We identified the recovered flukes as Prohemistomum vivax based on morphological features and the sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), 5.8 ribosomal RNA, and ITS2 region. Histopathological lesions were induced as early as 2 dpi, with the intensity of villi atrophy and inflammatory cell infiltration increasing as the infection progressed. An early immunosuppressive state (2 and 4 dpi), with TGF-β3 overexpression, developed to allow parasite colonization. A mixed Th1/Th2 immune response (overexpressed IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5) was activated as the infection progressed from 7 to 28 dpi. Inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-18, and IL-15) were generally overexpressed at 7–28 dpi, peaking at 7 or 14 dpi. The upregulated Treg IL-10 expression peaking between 21 and 28 dpi might promote the Th1/Th2 balance and immune homeostasis to protect the host from excessive tissue pathology and inflammation. The intestine and spleen expressed a significantly different relative quantity of cytokines throughout the infection. To conclude, our results presented distinct cytokine alteration throughout P. vivax infection in pigeons, which may aid in understanding the immune pathogenesis and host defense mechanism against this infection.

Molecular phylogeny of the Cyathocotylidae (Digenea, Diplostomoidea) necessitates systematic changes and reveals a history of host and environment switches

The Cyathocotylidae is a globally distributed family of digeneans parasitic as adults in fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals in both freshwater and marine environments. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of interrelationships among cyathocotylids is lacking with only a few species included in previous studies. We used sequences of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene to examine phylogenetic affinities of 11 newly sequenced taxa of cyathocotylids and the closely related family Brauninidae collected from fish, reptiles, birds, and dolphins from Australia, Southeast Asia, Europe, North America and South America. This is the first study to provide sequence data from adult cyathocotylids parasitic in fish and reptiles. Our analyses demonstrated that the members of the genus Braunina (family Brauninidae) belong to the Cyathocotylidae, placing the Brauninidae into synonymy with the Cyathocotylidae. In addition, our DNA sequences supported the presence of a second species in the currently monotypic Braunina. Our phylogeny revealed that Cyathocotyle spp. from crocodilians belong to a separate genus (Suchocyathocotyle, previously proposed as a subgenus) and subfamily (Suchocyathocotylinae subfam. n.). Morphological study of Gogatea serpentum indicum supported its elevation to species as Gogatea mehri. The phylogeny did not support Holostephanoides within the subfamily Cyathocotylinae; instead, Holostephanoides formed a strongly supported clade with members of the subfamily Szidatiinae (Gogatea and Neogogatea). Therefore, we transfer Holostephanoides into the Szidatiinae. DNA sequence data revealed the potential presence of cryptic species reported under the name Mesostephanus microbursa. Our phylogeny indicated at least two major host switching events in the evolutionary history of the subfamily Szidatiinae which likely resulted in the transition of these parasites from birds to fish and snakes. Likewise, the transition to dolphins by Braunina represents another major host switching event among the Cyathocotylidae. In addition, our phylogeny revealed more than a single transition between freshwater and marine environments demonstrated in our dataset by Braunina and some Mesostephanus.