The old and the new about the contractile vacuole of Trypanosoma cruzi

Osmoregulation is a conserved cellular process required for the survival of all organisms. In protists, the need for robust compensatory mechanisms that can maintain cell volume and tonicity within physiological range is even more relevant, as their life cycles are often completed in different environments. Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan pathogen responsible for Chagas disease, is transmitted by an insect vector to multiple types of mammalian hosts. The contractile vacuole complex (CVC) is an organelle that senses and compensates osmotic changes in the parasites, ensuring their survival upon ionic and osmotic challenges. Recent work shows that the contractile vacuole is also a key component of the secretory and endocytic pathways, regulating the selective targeting of surface proteins during differentiation. Here we summarize our current knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the osmoregulatory processes that take place in the vacuole, and we explore the new and exciting functions of this organelle in cell trafficking and signaling.

Bacterial and parasite co-infection in Mexican golden trout (Oncorhynchus chrysogaster) by Aeromonas bestiarum, Aeromonas sobria, Plesiomonas shigelloides and Ichthyobodo necator

Background

Bacterial infections are responsible of high economic losses in aquaculture. Mexican golden trout (Oncorhynchus chrysogaster) is a threatened native trout species that has been introduced in aquaculture both for species conservation and breeding for production and for which no studies of bacterial infections have been reported.

Case presentation

Fish from juvenile stages of Mexican golden trout showed an infectious outbreak in a farm in co-culture with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), showing external puntiform red lesions around the mouth and caudal pedunculus resembling furuncles by Aeromonas spp. and causing an accumulated mortality of 91%. Isolation and molecular identification of bacteria from lesions and internal organs showed the presence of Aeromonas bestiarum, Aeromonas sobria, Plesiomonas shigelloides and Ichthyobodo necator isolated from a single individual. All bacterial isolates were resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefazoline. P. shigelloides was resistant to third generation β-lactamics.

Conclusions

This is the first report of coinfection by Aeromonas bestiarum, Aeromonas sobria, Plesiomonas shigelloides and Ichthyobodo necator in an individual of Mexican golden trout in co-culture with rainbow trout. Resistance to β-lactams suggests the acquisition of genetic determinants from water contamination by human- or livestock-associated activities.

Epizootiology of the ectoparasitic protozoans Ichthyobodo salmonis and Trichodina truttae on wild chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta

Infestations of the ectoparasitic flagellate Ichthyobodo salmonis and the ciliate Trichodina truttae have caused acute mortalities of hatchery-reared juvenile chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta in Hokkaido, northern Japan. This study examined the epizootiology of I. salmonis and T. truttae on wild chum salmon as a possible infection source of the 2 parasitic protozoans in hatcheries. Infestations by both ectoparasites were detected on freshwater-adapted adult and juvenile chum salmon in all 4 rivers examined. This is the first study of an anadromous Pacific salmonid to report infestation of I. salmonis and T. truttae in adults returning for spawning. Among the marine-inhabiting phase of chum salmon, infestation with I. salmonis, but not T. truttae, was observed on adults and juveniles. The 2 protozoans were experimentally transmitted at the same time from wild to hatchery-reared chum salmon juveniles, and caused a high rate of mortality in the hatchery fish. In freshwater, the proliferation rate of T. truttae was greater than that of I. salmonis. These observations show that the euryhaline ectoparasite I. salmonis can infest chum salmon throughout their life cycle, in both river and ocean habitats, whereas T. truttae is able to infest these salmonids only in freshwater. Furthermore, wild chum salmon were shown to be a potential infestation source for both T. truttae and I. salmonis in hatchery fish.

Economic costs of protistan and metazoan parasites to global mariculture

Parasites have a major impact on global finfish and shellfish aquaculture, having significant effects on farm production, sustainability and economic viability. Parasite infections and impacts can, according to pathogen and context, be considered to be either unpredictable/sporadic or predictable/regular. Although both types of infection may result in the loss of stock and incur costs associated with the control and management of infection, predictable infections can also lead to costs associated with prophylaxis and related activities. The estimation of the economic cost of a parasite event is frequently complicated by the complex interplay of numerous factors associated with a specific incident, which may range from direct production losses to downstream socio-economic impacts on livelihoods and satellite industries associated with the primary producer. In this study, we examine the world's major marine and brackish water aquaculture production industries and provide estimates of the potential economic costs attributable to a range of key parasite pathogens using 498 specific events for the purposes of illustration and estimation of costs. This study provides a baseline resource for risk assessment and the development of more robust biosecurity practices, which can in turn help mitigate against and/or minimise the potential impacts of parasite-mediated disease in aquaculture.

Epidermal response of rainbow trout to Ichthyobodo necator: immunohistochemical and gene expression studies indicate a Th1-/Th2-like switch

Infections with the parasitic flagellate Ichthyobodo necator (Henneguy, 1883) cause severe skin and gill disease in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792) juveniles. The epidermal disturbances including hyperplasia and mucous cell exhaustion caused by parasitization are known, but no details on specific cellular and humoral reactions have been presented. By applying gene expression methods and immunohistochemical techniques, further details of immune processes in the affected skin can be presented. A population of I. necator was established in the laboratory and used to induce an experimental infection of juvenile rainbow trout. The course of infection was followed by sampling for parasite enumeration, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) on days 0, 5, 9 and 14 post-infection. IHC showed a significant increase in the occurrence of IgM-positive cells in the skin of the infected fish, whereas IgT-positive cells were eliminated and the number of CD8-positive cells declined. qPCR studies supported the IHC findings showing a significant increase in IgM and a decrease in the CD8 gene expression. In addition, genes encoding innate immune genes such as lysozyme, SAA and cathelicidin 2 were up-regulated. Expression of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-4/13A, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10), the cell marker CD4 and the transcription factor GATA3 showed a significant increase after infection. Cytokine profiling including up-regulation of IL-4/13A and IL-10 genes and transcription factor GATA3 connected to the proliferation of IgM producing lymphocytes suggests a partial shift towards a Th2 response associated with the I. necator infection.

Ichthyobodo salmonis sp. n. (Ichthyobodonidae, Kinetoplastida), an euryhaline ectoparasite infecting Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA sequences have previously revealed the existence of 2 Ichthyobodo species able to infect Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). Ichthyobodo necator sensu stricto (s.s.) is assumed to be a freshwater parasite, while a genetically distinct but undescribed species, Ichthyobodo sp. II sensu Todal et al. (2004) have been detected on Atlantic salmon in both fresh- and seawater. In the present study a morphological description of Ichthyobodo sp. II from the gills of salmon reared in fresh-, brackish- and seawater is presented, using both light- and electron microscopy. Comparative morphometry show that Ichthyobodo sp. II from both freshwater and seawater displays a different cell shape, and is significantly smaller than I. necator s.s. Also, ultrastructural characteristics distinguish these two species, notably differences in the attachment region and the presence of spine-like surface projections in Ichthyobodo sp. II. Based on both unique SSU rDNA sequences and morphological characteristics, we conclude that Ichthyobodo sp. II. represents a novel species for which we propose the name Ichthyobodo salmonis sp. n.

Genetic relationships among members of the Ichthyobodo necator complex: implications for the management of aquaculture stocks

Abstract Ichthyobodo necator (costia) is a common and important flagellate parasite that infests the skin and gills of many freshwater and marine fish. Costia infestations are often fatal and cause significant aquaculture losses worldwide. Recently it has been demonstrated that Ichthyobodo is a multispecies complex with differing host preferences. Knowing if those species have broad or narrow host specificity has important implications for the management of costia. To address the question of host specificity, genomic DNA was isolated from Ichthyobodo trophonts collected from rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, koi, Cyprinus carpio, mirror carp, C. carpio, goldfish, Carassius auratus, channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri, and Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. The small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene from each isolate was analysed with previously published Ichthyobodo sequences using Bayesian phylogenetic methods. The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) from six isolates were also PCR-amplified, cloned and sequenced. Both the SSU rRNA phylogenetic analysis and the ITS rRNA sequence data support grouping the 22 Ichthyobodo isolates examined into a complex of nine different species. Many of these species were frequently isolated from multiple hosts, indicating that exchange of infested fish from one region to another has a high potential for spreading the disease. In one instance, the same species was obtained from marine and freshwater fish, further suggesting that certain Ichthyobodo species may not be limited by salinity.

Molecular taxonomy of the suborder Bodonina (Order Kinetoplastida), including the important fish parasite, Ichthyobodo necator

Ichthyobodo necator is an important fish ectoparasite with a broad host and ecological range. A novel method, involving the use of an anesthetic, allowed the collection of large numbers of parasites from the skin and gills of hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis male x M. chrysops female). Genomic DNA from these samples was used to amplify and clone the 18S rRNA gene. The 18S rRNA gene was similarly cloned from Bodo caudatus, Bodo edax, Bodo saltans, an unidentified Bodo species, and Dimastigella trypaniformis. The resulting sequences were aligned with other representative kinetoplastid species using pileup and similarities in secondary structure. Phylogenetic relationships within the suborder Bodonina and representatives of the suborder Trypanosomatina were determined using maximum-likelihood statistics. The phylogenetic analyses strongly supported the order Kinetoplastida as a monophyletic assemblage consisting of at least two major lineages. One lineage consisted exclusively of L. necator, indicating that it may represent a new suborder. The second lineage consisted of all other kinetoplastid species. This second lineage appeared to contain at least 8 bodonine sublineages, none of which correlated with currently recognized families. For three sublineages, there was a close correspondence between the 18S phylogeny and the classical taxonomy of Dimastigella, Rhynchobodo, and Rhynchomonas. In contrast, Bodo and Cryptobia were polyphyletic, containing species in two or more sublineages that may represent separate genera.

Morphology and ultrastructure of Cryptobia eilatica n. sp. (Bodonidae: Kinetoplastida), an ectoparasite from the gills of marine fish

A marine kinetoplastid flagellate, Cryptobia eilatica n. sp., is described from the gills of cultured gilt-head sea bream Sparus aurata L. and wild black-spot sea bream Diplodus noct (Valenciennes) in the Red Sea. The trophozoite is elongated and lacks a contractile vacuole and undulating membrane. The body averages 13.5 x 4.1 microns, anterior flagellum 9.7 microns and free portion of recurrent flagellum 15.2 microns. The ultrastructural features of the species exhibit great similarity to various previously studied Cryptobiids. Cryptobia eilatica trophozoites feed on bacteria, show a preference for the branchial interlamellar crypts, and attach to the host epithelium by means of the recurrent flagellum. Neither penetration into the epithelial cells, nor any direct damage to host tissue was observed. Cryptobia eliatica inhabits a purely marine habitat, but its trophozoite tolerates salinities as low as 10 ppt.