Phylogenetic relationships of three species within the family Heligmonellidae (Nematoda; Heligmosomoidea) from Japanese rodents and a lagomorph based on the sequences of ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers, ITS-1 and ITS-2

Nematodes of the family Heligmonellidae (Heligmosomoidea; Trichostrongylina) reside in the digestive tracts of rodents and lagomorphs. Although this family contains large numbers of genera and species, genetic information on the Heligmonellidae is very limited. We collected and isolated adult worms of three species in Japan that belong to the family Heligmonellidae, namely Heligmonoides speciosus (Konno, 1963) Durette-Desset, 1970 (Hs) from Apodemus argenteus, Orientostrongylus ezoensis Tada, 1975 (Oe) from Rattus norvegicus and Lagostrongylus leporis (Schulz, 1931) (Ll) from Pentalagus furnessi, and sequenced the entire internal transcribed spacer regions, ITS-1 and ITS-2 of ribosomal DNA. ITS-1 of Hs, Oe and Ll was 426, 468 and 449 bp in length, and had a G+C content of about 41, 41 and 37 %, respectively. ITS-2 of Hs, Oe and Ll was 297, 319 and 276 bp in length and had a G+C content of about 38, 40 and 28%, respectively. The data of Hs, Oe and Ll were compared with those of two other known species within the family Heligmonellidae, Calorinensis minutus (Dujardin, 1845) (Cm) and Nippostrogylus brasiliensis (Travassos, 1914) (Nb), and with those of two species of Heligmosomidae (Heligmosomoidea), Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri and Ohbayashinema erbaevae. Phylogenetic analysis placed Hs, Oe and Ll in the same clade with Cm and Nb, forming a Heligmonellidae branch in both ITS-1 and ITS-2, separate from the Heligmosomoidea branch. These results demonstrated that the ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences are useful for differentiating the Heligmonellidae nematode species. This study is the first to describe the ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences of Hs, Oe and Ll.

Isolation of sporocyst broodsacs of the genus Leucochloridium (Leucochloridiidae: Trematoda) from the intermediate host, Succinea lauta, in Japan

Green- or brown-striped trematode sporocyst broodsacs typical of Leucochloridium infecting the ocular tentacles of a land snail, Succinea lauta, were collected in Abashiri, Hokkaido in northern Japan (N43 degrees 59', E144 degrees 14') in June of 2000 and 2001. The metacercariae isolated from the sporocyst broodsac were morphologically identified as Leucochloridium spp. (Leucoclhoridiidae Poche). This report is the first to describe evidential specimens of the sporocyst broodsac of the genus Leucochloridium Carus, 1835, infecting the intermediate host in Japan, suggesting that Leucochloridium spp. completes their life cycle in Hokkaido, Japan.

PCR-based Species-Specific Amplification of ITS of Mecistocirrus digitatus and Its Application in Identification of GI Nematode Eggs in Bovine Faeces

Differential diagnosis of Mecistocirrus digitatus infection relies on morphological examination of either eggs in faecal samples or L3 larvae developed in vitro. Technical limitations hinder the practicability of these approaches. Hence, in order to develop a specific diagnostic measure for M. digitatus infection, we determined the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of its ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and designed primers for PCR-based species-specific amplification of the ITS to differentiate between M. digitatus and other common gastrointestinal (GI) nematode species. The newly designed primers amplified a single specific 520 base pair (bp) fragment from the M. digitatus ITS, and its detection limit was as low as 0.001 ng. Further, this sensitivity suggested that the specific fragment could be amplified even from a unicellular egg that collected directly from uteri of an adult M. digitatus female. In fact, we designed a method that employs a small piece of a cover slip and a filter paper by which we could differentially amplify a PCR fragment from a unicellular egg. The reliability of the specific PCR assay was also demonstrated with 10 oval samples that collected from bovine faeces by using sugar flotation method. These data suggested that the specific PCR assay of the ITS region of M. digitatus rDNA could be useful for the identification of GI nematodes.

Effects of irradiation on surface carbohydrates of larvae of Schistosoma mansoni

Ultra-violet irradiated larvae of Schistosoma mansoni stimulate high levels of resistance to challenge infection in experimental animals. In the experiments presented here, the binding patterns of antisera specific for the cercarial glycocalyx, and of various lectins, demonstrate that u.v. irradiation causes a pronounced modification of the carbohydrate antigens expressed at the surface of cercariae and newly transformed schistosomula. These alterations were dependent on the irradiation dose, and on the batch of cercariae used in each experiment. Our results strongly suggest that the changes in carbohydrate antigens consequent upon u.v. irradiation may be important in generating the enhanced immunogenicity of irradiated cercariae.