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Mofokeng LS, Netherlands EC, Smit NJ, Cook CA. Developmental stages and molecular phylogeny of Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi (Dias 1953) (Adeleorina: Hepatozoidae) in tortoises Stigmochelys pardalis (Cryptodira: Testudinidae) and ticks of the genus Amblyomma (Acari: Ixodidae) from South Africa. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:314. [PMID: 39033269 PMCID: PMC11265056 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06398-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi (Dias, 1953) is a frequently found haemogregarine of southern African tortoises. At the time of this species' reassignment from the genus Haemogregarina to Hepatozoon, developmental stages such as sporocysts and sporozoites were observed in ticks associated with H. fitzsimonsi parasitised and non-parasitised tortoises. It was thus suggested that ticks may act as the potential vectors for this parasite. However, this earlier research was unable to confirm the identity of these sporogonic stages using molecular markers. In a separate study aimed at identifying tick species parasitising South African reptiles and molecularly screening these for the presence of Hepatozoon, that study identified H. fitzsimonsi in tortoise-associated ticks. Thus, the present study aimed to revisit the potential of ticks to act as vectors for H. fitzsimonsi in tortoises using a combined microscopy and molecular approach. METHODS Specimens of Kinixys natalensis, Kinixys spekii, Kinixys zombensis and Stigmochelys pardalis were collected from Bonamanzi and Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa. Upon capture, animals were examined for ticks, and these were collected along with blood and other tissues. Adult ticks were dissected and visceral impression slides were prepared along with thin blood and tissue smears on clean microscope slides. Smears and impression slides were stained with Giemsa, screened and micrographs of parasites were captured. Two primer sets were employed to target fragments of the 18S rRNA gene of parasites found in both tortoises and ticks and the resulting sequences were then compared with other known H. fitzsimonsi and haemogregarine sequences from the GenBank database. RESULTS Peripheral blood gamont and liver merogonic stages were observed in S. pardalis, while the sporogonic stages were observed in the haemocoel of Amblyomma ticks. Gamont and sporocyst stages compared morphologically with previous descriptions of H. fitzsimonsi, identifying them as this species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the blood and tick sequences obtained in this study clustered in a monophyletic clade comprising known H. fitzsimonsi. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides further support for ticks acting as the vectors of H. fitzsimonsi by molecularly identifying and linking observed developmental stages in tortoises (S. pardalis) with those in the invertebrate host (Amblyomma spp.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lehlohonolo S Mofokeng
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2531, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Private Bag X13, Phuthaditjhaba, 9866, South Africa
| | - Edward C Netherlands
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Nico J Smit
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2531, South Africa
| | - Courtney A Cook
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2531, South Africa.
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Zechmeisterová K, Gardner MG, Široký P. Unresolved haemosporidia of the Australian skink, Egernia stokesii. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:206. [PMID: 38713306 PMCID: PMC11076340 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08230-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The Australian skink Egernia stokesii had been recognised as a host of two species of Plasmodium, Plasmodium mackerrasae and P. circularis; nevertheless, molecular data are available for only a single haemosporidian species of this host. Its sequences are labelled as "Plasmodium sp." or "Plasmodium mackerrasae", but morphological characteristics of this isolate are unavailable. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences placed them into the clade of the genus Haemocystidium. In this study, blood samples of six E. stokesii were analysed by both, molecular and microscopic methods to clarify the haemosporidia of this lizard. Application of these approaches offered discordant results. Whereas sequence analysis clustered our isolates with lizard species of Haemocystidium, morphology of blood stages is more akin to Plasmodium than Haemocystidium. However, limited sampling, indistinguishable nuclei/merozoites and risk of possible hidden presence of mixed infection prevent reliable species identification of detected parasites or their description as new species of Haemocystidium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristína Zechmeisterová
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, Brno, 612 42, Czech Republic
| | - Michael George Gardner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia
| | - Pavel Široký
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, Brno, 612 42, Czech Republic.
- CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Parejo-Pulido D, Mora-Rubio C, Marzal A, Magallanes S. Molecular characterization of haemosporidian and haemogregarine diversity in southwestern Iberian amphibians and reptiles. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:1139-1149. [PMID: 36933067 PMCID: PMC10097751 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07814-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
The knowledge of the diversity and geographic distribution of parasite species is the first step towards understanding processes of global epidemiology and species conservation. Despite recent increases in research on haemosporidian and haemogregarine parasites of reptiles and amphibians, we still know little about their diversity and parasite-host interactions, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, where a few studies have been conducted. In this study, the haemosporidian and haemogregarine diversity and phylogenetic relationships of the parasites in southwestern Iberian amphibians and reptiles were assessed using PCR approaches on blood samples of 145 individuals from five amphibian and 13 reptile species. The amphibians did not present any of both groups of parasites studied. Regarding reptiles, five Hepatozoon, one Haemogregarina, and one Haemocystidum haplotypes were found infecting four different species, revealing new host records for these parasites. Among them, we found one new Haemocystidium haplotype and three new and a previously reported Hepatozoon haplotype from a north African snake. The latter finding suggests that some Hepatozoon parasites may not be host-specific and have large geographic ranges even crossing geographical barriers. These results increased the knowledge about the geographic distribution and the number of known host species of some reptile apicomplexan parasites, highlighting the great unexplored diversity of them in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Parejo-Pulido
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo, 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carlos Mora-Rubio
- Departamento de Anatomía Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Alfonso Marzal
- Departamento de Anatomía Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.,Grupo de Investigaciones en Fauna Silvestre, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Jr. Maynas 1777, 22021, Tarapoto, Perú
| | - Sergio Magallanes
- Departamento de Anatomía Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain. .,Department of Wetland Ecology (EBD-CSIC), Estación Biológica de Doñana, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
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Minozzo GA, da Silva Mathias B, Riediger IN, de Oliveira Guimarães L, dos Anjos CC, Monteiro EF, dos Santos AP, Biondo AW, Kirchgatter K. First Molecular Detection of Polychromophilus Parasites in Brazilian Bat Species. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061240. [PMID: 34200516 PMCID: PMC8230147 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood parasites of the Haemosporida order, such as the Plasmodium spp. responsible for malaria, have become the focus of many studies in evolutionary biology. However, there is a lack of molecular investigation of haemosporidian parasites of wildlife, such as the genus Polychromophilus. Species of this neglected genus exclusively have been described in bats, mainly in Europe, Asia, and Africa, but little is known about its presence and genetic diversity on the American continent. Here, we investigated 406 bats from sites inserted in remnant fragments of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes and urbanized areas from southern Brazil for the presence of Polychromophilus species by PCR of the mitochondrial cytochrome b encoding gene. A total of 1.2% of bats was positive for Polychromophilus, providing the first molecular information of these parasites in Myotis riparius and Eptesicus diminutus, common vespertilionid bats widely distributed in different Brazilian biomes, and Myotis ruber, an endangered species. A Bayesian analysis was conducted to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships between Polychromophilus recovered from Brazilian bats and those identified elsewhere. Sequences of Brazilian Polychromophilus lineages were placed with P. murinus and in a clade distinct from P. melanipherus, mainly restricted to bats in the family Vespertilionidae. However, the sequences were split into two minor clades, according to the genus of hosts, indicating that P. murinus and a distinct species may be circulating in Brazil. Morphological observations combined with additional molecular studies are needed to conclude and describe these Polychromophilus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Augusto Minozzo
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Paraná, São José dos Pinhais 83060-500, PR, Brazil; (G.A.M.); (I.N.R.)
| | - Bruno da Silva Mathias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (B.d.S.M.); (C.C.d.A.); (E.F.M.)
| | - Irina Nastassja Riediger
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Paraná, São José dos Pinhais 83060-500, PR, Brazil; (G.A.M.); (I.N.R.)
| | - Lilian de Oliveira Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo 01027-000b, SP, Brazil;
| | - Carolina Clares dos Anjos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (B.d.S.M.); (C.C.d.A.); (E.F.M.)
| | - Eliana Ferreira Monteiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (B.d.S.M.); (C.C.d.A.); (E.F.M.)
| | | | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 80035-050, PR, Brazil;
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (B.d.S.M.); (C.C.d.A.); (E.F.M.)
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo 01027-000b, SP, Brazil;
- Correspondence:
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Zechmeisterová K, Javanbakht H, Kvičerová J, Široký P. Against growing synonymy: Identification pitfalls of Hepatozoon and Schellackia demonstrated on North Iranian reptiles. Eur J Protistol 2021; 79:125780. [PMID: 34020115 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2021.125780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The analyses of molecular data represent an effective tool for increasing the credibility of taxonomy and facilitate the description of species. Nevertheless, in haemoprotozoa, the growing amount of available sequential data is not matched by the still limited number of well-defined species. We identified four protistan haemoparasites in North Iranian reptiles: two Hepatozoon and two Schellackia species. Hepatozoon colubri and Hepatozoon ophisauri were morphologically identified in their type hosts, their partial 18S rDNA was analyzed, and thorough literature data were included in their redescription. The scarce data on the detected Schellackia spp. did not allow for their formal species description. Using an integrative approach, including morphological and geographical features, host specificity, molecular data, and the data published thus far, we face the following main difficulties hindering reliable diagnosis. (1) The lack of molecular data on well-described and named species. (2) The insufficiency of using only morphological and biological features, or only sequential data without morphology, to perform an absolutely reliable species diagnosis. (3) Typical morphological features are more substantial than metric means. (4) High risk of synonymy is present in taxonomy of blood Protista. (5) Artefacts caused by blood smear processing further complicate the correct morphological determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristína Zechmeisterová
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, Brno 612 42, Czech Republic
| | - Hossein Javanbakht
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Jana Kvičerová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Široký
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, Brno 612 42, Czech Republic; CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
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Pacheco MA, Ceríaco LMP, Matta NE, Vargas-Ramírez M, Bauer AM, Escalante AA. A phylogenetic study of Haemocystidium parasites and other Haemosporida using complete mitochondrial genome sequences. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 85:104576. [PMID: 33002605 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporida are diverse vector-borne parasites associated with terrestrial vertebrates. Driven by the interest in species causing malaria (genus Plasmodium), the diversity of avian and mammalian haemosporidian species has been extensively studied, relying mostly on mitochondrial genes, particularly cytochrome b. However, parasites from reptiles have been neglected in biodiversity surveys. Reptilian haemosporidian parasites include Haemocystidium, a genus that shares morphological features with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Here, the first complete Haemocystidium mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes are studied. In particular, three mtDNA genomes from Haemocystidium spp. sampled in Africa, Oceania, and South America, are described. The Haemocystidium mtDNA genomes showed a high A + T content and a gene organization, including an extreme fragmentation of the rRNAs, found in other Haemosporida. These Haemocystidium mtDNA genomes were incorporated in phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses together with a representative sample of haemosporidian parasites from birds, mammals, and reptiles. The recovered phylogeny supported Haemocystidium as a monophyletic group apart from Plasmodium and other Haemosporida. Both the phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses yielded results consistent with a scenario in which haemosporidian parasites radiated with modern birds. Haemocystidium, like mammalian parasite clades, seems to originate from host switches by avian Haemosporida that allowed for the colonization of new vertebrate hosts. This hypothesis can be tested by investigating additional parasite species from all vertebrate hosts, particularly from reptiles. The mtDNA genomes reported here provide baseline data that can be used to scale up studies in haemosporidian parasites of reptiles using barcode approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA
| | - Luis M P Ceríaco
- Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Praça de Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Zoologia e Antropología (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nubia E Matta
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mario Vargas-Ramírez
- Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085-1699, USA
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA.
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González LP, Pacheco MA, Escalante AA, Jiménez Maldonado AD, Cepeda AS, Rodríguez-Fandiño OA, Vargas-Ramírez M, Matta NE. Haemocystidium spp., a species complex infecting ancient aquatic turtles of the family Podocnemididae: First report of these parasites in Podocnemis vogli from the Orinoquia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 10:299-309. [PMID: 31867209 PMCID: PMC6906830 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The genus Haemocystidium was described in 1904 by Castellani and Willey. However, several studies considered it a synonym of the genera Plasmodium or Haemoproteus. Recently, molecular evidence has shown the existence of a monophyletic group that corresponds to the genus Haemocystidium. Here, we further explore the clade Haemocystidium spp. by studying parasites from Testudines. A total of 193 individuals belonging to six families of Testudines were analyzed. The samples were collected in five localities in Colombia: Casanare, Vichada, Arauca, Antioquia, and Córdoba. From each individual, a blood sample was taken for molecular analysis, and peripheral blood smears were made, which were fixed and subsequently stained with Giemsa. The prevalence of Haemocystidium spp. was 1.55% (n = 3/193); all infected individuals belonged to Podocnemis vogli (Savanna Side-necked turtle) from the department of Vichada. This is the first report of Haemocystidium spp. in Colombia and in this turtle species. The phylogenetic analysis of a mitochondrial cytb fragment revealed Haemocystidium spp. as a monophyletic group and as a sister taxon of Haemoproteus catharti and the genus Plasmodium. Haemocystidium spp. are difficult to identify by morphology only. As a result, it is possible that some of the taxa, such as Haemocystidium (Simondia) pacayae, represent a species complex. The parasite found in our study is morphologically indistinguishable from Haemocystidium (Simondia) pacayae reported in Peru. However, the new lineage found in P. vogli shows a genetic distance of 0.02 with Hae. pacayae and 0.04 with Hae. peltocephali. It is proposed that this divergent lineage might be a new species. Nevertheless, additional molecular markers and ecological features could support this hypothesis in the future. Haemocystidium spp. now reported in Podocnemis vogli in Colombia. Haemocystidium spp. are cryptic species in Podocnemididae. Our data support that Haemocystidium is a monophyletic group that shares a recent common ancestor with the genus Plasmodium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leydy P González
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia.,Instituto de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - M Andreína Pacheco
- Department of Biology/Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ananías A Escalante
- Department of Biology/Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrés David Jiménez Maldonado
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia.,Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Axl S Cepeda
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Oscar A Rodríguez-Fandiño
- Fundación Universitaria-Unitrópico, Dirección de Investigación, Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas de la Orinoquía (GINBIO), Colombia
| | - Mario Vargas-Ramírez
- Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nubia E Matta
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
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Hofmannová L, Kvičerová J, Bízková K, Modrý D. Intranuclear coccidiosis in tortoises — discovery of its causative agent and transmission. Eur J Protistol 2019; 67:71-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Prevalence and Levels of Parasitemia of Hepatozoon sp. (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) in Four Gopher Tortoise ( Gopherus polyphemus) Populations of South FLORIDA, USA. J Wildl Dis 2018; 55:654-657. [PMID: 30566381 DOI: 10.7589/2018-02-034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Hepatozoon prevalence (occurrence) and parasitemia (intensity) levels were documented in 67 individuals of the threatened gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) for the first time in four South Florida, US, locations: Jonathan Dickinson State Park (JDSP), Pine Jog Preserve (PJP), Florida Atlantic University Preserve (FAUP), and Blazing Star Preserve (BSP). Sex ratios (males:females) per site were 0.44 at JDSP, 0.72 at PJP, 1.42 at FAUP, and 0.40 at BSP, but no significant differences in the carapace length were found between the two sexes (independent t-test; P=0.101). Hepatozoon sp. was found in 13% (9/67) of tortoises. Percentages of infected tortoises were 22% (5/23) males and 6% (2/33) females. Prevalence and parasitemia were low or nonexistent within sampled tortoises at each of the study sites, although the highest prevalence and parasitemia values were found in gopher tortoises at JDSP (23%, 4/17) which also harbored the highest infection levels, reaching 349/10,000 erythrocytes. No infection was detected within sampled gopher tortoises at PJP.
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Abstract
Morphological and molecular techniques were used to investigate the presence of hemogregarines and haemosporidians in biological samples of free-living Geoffroy's side-necked turtles (Phrynops geoffroanus) and Giant Amazon turtles (Podocnemis expansa) from Brazil. No evolutionary form of haemosporidians or hemogregarines were observed in the blood smears of 83 P. geoffroanus samples, and there were no meronts in the histological sections of 31 necropsied P. geoffroanus samples. All DNA samples extracted from P. geoffroanus tissues and blood aliquots were negative in haemosporidian PCR assays (based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene) and hemogregarine PCR assays (based on the 18S rRNA gene). In the analysis of blood smears of all seven Podocnemis expansa evaluated, gametocytes of hemogregarines were observed. The seven P. expansa were negative in the haemosporidian PCR assays. Moreover, hemogregarine DNA was detected in blood samples from all of the sampled P. expansa. The phylogenetic maximum likelihood inference and probabilistic Bayesian inference revealed five closely related genotypes that formed a monophyletic group. There was also a sister group to the lineage that consisted of Haemogregarina spp. of freshwater turtles from Canada, Italy, Mozambique, Kenya, Gabon, Vietnam, and China. The findings suggest that free-living P. expansa were parasitized by a new genotype or even a possible new species of the genus Haemogregarina. Haemosporidians and hemogregarines are not frequently found in P. geoffroanus in the studied region under the local conditions of that period.
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Oliveira JPD, André MR, Alves Júnior JRF, Lustosa APG, Werther K. Molecular detection of hemogregarines and haemosporidians in Brazilian free-living testudines. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2018; 7:75-84. [PMID: 30050752 PMCID: PMC6058349 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Morphological and molecular techniques were used to investigate the presence of hemogregarines and haemosporidians in biological samples of free-living Geoffroy's side-necked turtles (Phrynops geoffroanus) and Giant Amazon turtles (Podocnemis expansa) from Brazil. No evolutionary form of haemosporidians or hemogregarines were observed in the blood smears of 83 P. geoffroanus samples, and there were no meronts in the histological sections of 31 necropsied P. geoffroanus samples. All DNA samples extracted from P. geoffroanus tissues and blood aliquots were negative in haemosporidian PCR assays (based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene) and hemogregarine PCR assays (based on the 18S rRNA gene). In the analysis of blood smears of all seven Podocnemis expansa evaluated, gametocytes of hemogregarines were observed. The seven P. expansa were negative in the haemosporidian PCR assays. Moreover, hemogregarine DNA was detected in blood samples from all of the sampled P. expansa. The phylogenetic maximum likelihood inference and probabilistic Bayesian inference revealed five closely related genotypes that formed a monophyletic group. There was also a sister group to the lineage that consisted of Haemogregarina spp. of freshwater turtles from Canada, Italy, Mozambique, Kenya, Gabon, Vietnam, and China. The findings suggest that free-living P. expansa were parasitized by a new genotype or even a possible new species of the genus Haemogregarina. Haemosporidians and hemogregarines are not frequently found in P. geoffroanus in the studied region under the local conditions of that period. Hemogregarines was detected in blood samples of free-living Brazilian testudines. Gametocytes of hemogregarines were observed in Podocnemis expansa blood smears. Hemogregarines DNA fragments based on the 18S rRNA gene were detected in P. expansa. We propose that P. expansa were parasitized by a new genotype of Haemogregarina. Haemosporidians was not observed in either P. expansa or Phrynops geoffroanus samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Paula de Oliveira
- São Paulo State University (Unesp), School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Studies, Jaboticabal Campus, Via de Acesso Professor Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, 14.884-900, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- São Paulo State University (Unesp), School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Studies, Jaboticabal Campus, Via de Acesso Professor Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, 14.884-900, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Paula Gomes Lustosa
- Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), National Center for Research and Conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians (RAN), Rua 229, n 95, Setor Leste Universitário, 74.605-090, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Karin Werther
- São Paulo State University (Unesp), School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Studies, Jaboticabal Campus, Via de Acesso Professor Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, 14.884-900, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
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O'Donoghue P. Haemoprotozoa: Making biological sense of molecular phylogenies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2017; 6:241-256. [PMID: 28913164 PMCID: PMC5582378 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A range of protistan parasites occur in the blood of vertebrates and are transmitted by haematophagous invertebrate vectors. Some 48 genera are recognized in bood primarily on the basis of parasite morphology and host specificity; including extracellular kinetoplastids (trypanosomatids) and intracellular apicomplexa (haemogregarines, haemococcidia, haemosporidia and piroplasms). Gene sequences are available for a growing number of species and molecular phylogenies often link parasite and host or vector evolution. This review endeavours to reconcile molecular clades with biological characters. Four major trypanosomatid clades have been associated with site of development in the vector: salivarian or stercorarian for Trypanosoma, and supra- or peri-pylorian for Leishmania. Four haemogregarine clades have been associated with acarine vectors (Hepatozoon A and B, Karyolysus, Hemolivia) and another two with leeches (Dactylosoma, Haemogregarina sensu stricto). Two haemococcidian clades (Lankesterella, Schellackia) using leeches and mosquitoes (as paratenic hosts!) were paraphyletic with monoxenous enteric coccidia. Two major haemosporidian clades have been associated with mosquito vectors (Plasmodium from mammals, Plasmodium from birds and lizards), two with midges (Hepatocystis from bats, Parahaemoproteus from birds) and two with louse-flies and black-flies (Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon from birds). Three major piroplasm clades were recognized: one associated with transovarian transmission in ticks (Babesia sensu stricto); one with pre-erythrocytic schizogony in vertebrates (Theileria/Cytauxzoon); and one with neither (Babesia sensu lato). Broad comparative studies with allied groups suggest that trypanosomatids and haemogregarines evolved first in aquatic and then terrestrial environments, as evidenced by extant lineages in invertebrates and their radiation in vertebrates. In contrast, haemosporidia and haemococcidia are thought to have evolved first in vertebrates from proto-coccidia and then incorporated invertebrate vectors. Piroplasms are thought to have evolved in ticks and diversified into mammals. More molecular studies are required on more parasite taxa to refine current thought, but ultimately transmission studies are mandated to determine the vectors for many haemoprotozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter O'Donoghue
- Department of Parasitology, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia
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Prevalence and genetic diversity of blood parasite mixed infections in Spanish terrapins, Mauremys leprosa. Parasitology 2017. [PMID: 28641604 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017000889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Blood parasites such as haemogregarines and haemosporidians have been identified in almost all groups of vertebrates and may cause serious damages to their hosts. However, very little is known about biodiversity of these parasites and their effects on some groups of reptiles such as terrapins. Moreover, the information on virulence from blood parasites mixed infection is largely unknown in reptiles. With this aim, we investigated for the first time the prevalence and genetic diversity of blood parasites from one genus of haemoparasitic aplicomplexan (Hepatozoon) in two populations of Spanish terrapins (Mauremys leprosa), a semi-aquatic turtle from southwestern Europe with a vulnerable conservation status. We also examined the association between mixed blood parasite infection and indicators of health of terrapins (body condition, haematocrit values and immune response). Blood parasite infection with Hepatozoon spp was detected in 46·4% of 140 examined terrapins. The prevalence of blood parasites infection differed between populations. We found two different lineages of blood parasite, which have not been found in previous studies. Of the turtles with infection, 5·7% harboured mixed infection by the two lineages. There was no difference in body condition between uninfected, single-infected and mixed-infected turtles, but mixed-infected individuals had the lowest values of haematocrit, thus revealing the negative effects of blood parasite mixed infections. Immune response varied among terrapins with different infection status, where mixed infected individuals had higher immune response than uninfected or single-infected terrapins.
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Boundenga L, Perkins SL, Ollomo B, Rougeron V, Leroy EM, Renaud F, Prugnolle F. Haemosporidian Parasites of Reptiles and Birds from Gabon, Central Africa. J Parasitol 2017; 103:330-337. [PMID: 28509658 DOI: 10.1645/16-118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Haemosporidian parasites are protozoans that infect many different vertebrate hosts. Re-examination of the diversity of haemosporidian parasites, using molecular tools, has generally led to rearrangements of traditional classifications. In this study, we explored the diversity of haemosporidian parasites infecting some species of reptile and birds living in the forests of Gabon, Central Africa, by analyzing a collection of 128 samples of reptiles and birds. We found that samples from 2 tortoise species (Pelusios castaneus and Kinixys erosa) and 3 bird species (Turtur afer, Ceratogymna atrata, and Agelastes niger) were infected by Haemocystidium spp. and Parahaemoproteus spp., respectively. From an ecological point of view, these lineages of parasites do not show host specificity because we have found them in several host species (2 tortoise and 3 bird species) that come from different areas of Gabon forest which are infected with these parasites. Also, our phylogenetic analyses revealed that the obtained lineages are related to isolates from other continents found in the same groups of vertebrates. Thus, our results show that haemosporidian parasites are also infecting central African vertebrates and that new lineages of these parasites are circulating in wild animals of the Gabon forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larson Boundenga
- Centre International de Recherche de Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Susan L Perkins
- Centre International de Recherche de Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Benjamin Ollomo
- Centre International de Recherche de Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Virginie Rougeron
- Centre International de Recherche de Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Eric M Leroy
- Centre International de Recherche de Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - François Renaud
- Centre International de Recherche de Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- Centre International de Recherche de Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769 Franceville, Gabon
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van As J, Cook CA, Netherlands EC, Smit NJ. A new lizard malaria parasite Plasmodium intabazwe n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Haemospororida: Plasmodiidae) in the Afromontane Pseudocordylus melanotus (Sauria: Cordylidae) with a review of African saurian malaria parasites. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:437. [PMID: 27502045 PMCID: PMC4977684 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1702-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Saurian malaria parasites are diverse apicomplexan blood parasites including the family Plasmodiidae Mesnil, 1903, and have been studied since the early 1900s. Currently, at least 27 species of Plasmodium are recorded in African lizards, and to date only two species, Plasmodium zonuriae (Pienaar, 1962) and Plasmodium cordyli Telford, 1987, have been reported from the African endemic family Cordylidae. This paper presents a description of a new malaria parasite in a cordylid lizard and provides a phylogenetic hypothesis for saurian Plasmodium species from South Africa. Furthermore, it provides a tabular review of the Plasmodium species that to date have been formally described infecting species of African lizards. Methods Blood samples were collected from 77 specimens of Pseudocordylus melanotus (A. Smith, 1838) from Platberg reserve in the Eastern Free State, and two specimens of Cordylus vittifer (Reichenow, 1887) from the Roodewalshoek conservancy in Mpumalanga (South Africa). Blood smears were Giemsa-stained, screened for haematozoa, specifically saurian malaria parasites, parasite stages were photographed and measured. A small volume was also preserved for TEM studies. Plasmodium and Haemoproteus primer sets, with a nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol, were employed to target a fragment of the cytochrome-b (cyt-b) gene region. Resulting sequences of the saurian Plasmodium species’ isolates were compared with each other and to other known Plasmodium spp. sequences in the GenBank database. Results The presence of P. zonuriae in both specimens of the type lizard host C. vittifer was confirmed using morphological characteristics, which subsequently allowed for the species’ molecular characterisation. Of the 77 P. melanotus, 44 were parasitised by a Plasmodium species, which when compared morphologically to other African saurian Plasmodium spp. and molecularly to P. zonuriae, supported its description as a new species Plasmodium intabazwe n. sp. Conclusions This is the first morphological and molecular account of Plasmodium species within the African endemic family Cordylidae from South Africa. The study highlights the need for molecular analysis of other cordylid Plasmodium species within Africa. Future studies should also include elucidating of the life-cycles of these species, thus promoting the use of both morphological and molecular characteristics in species descriptions of saurian malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johann van As
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State, QwaQwa campus, Free State, South Africa
| | - Courtney A Cook
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
| | - Edward C Netherlands
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.,Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nico J Smit
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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Prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. (Apicomplexa: Haemoproteidae) in tortoises in Brazil and its molecular phylogeny. Parasitol Res 2015; 115:249-54. [PMID: 26358101 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4741-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Captive terrestrial tortoises of the species Chelonoidis carbonaria (n = 17) and Chelonoidis denticulata (n = 37) in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, were examined for hematozoans by using a combination of microscopic and molecular methods. Microscopic examination revealed young intra-erythrocytic forms in blood smears from both species of tortoises. The results of PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that these parasites belonged to the Haemoproteus spp., whose observed prevalence was 17.6 % in C. carbonaria and 13.5 % in C. denticulata. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these sequences formed a clade that was grouped with other sequences of Haemoproteus spp. parasites in birds, separate from the clade formed by Haemoproteus spp. of reptiles. This study expands the information regarding the occurrence and distribution of hemosporidia in turtles and is the first study of blood parasites in C. carbonaria.
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