Myxobolus pseudodispar Gorbunova, 1936 (Myxozoa) is capable of infecting and developing mature myxospores in several cyprinid species. However, M. pseudodispar isolates from different fish show up to 5% differences in the SSU rDNA sequences. This is an unusually large intraspecific difference for myxozoans and only some of the muscle-dwelling myxozoan species possess such a high genetic variability. We intended to study the correlation between the host specificity and the phylogenetic relationship of the parasite isolates, and to find experimental proof for the putatively wide host range of M. pseudodispar with cross-infection experiments and phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA. The experimental findings distinguished 'primary' and less-susceptible 'secondary' hosts. With some exceptions, M. pseudodispar isolates showed a tendency to cluster according to the fish host on the phylogenetic tree. Experimental and phylogenetic findings suggest the cryptic nature of the species. It is likely that host-shift occurred for M. pseudodispar and the parasite speciation in progress might explain the high genetic diversity among isolates which are morphologically indistinguishable., Barbara Forró, Edit Eszterbauer., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Third-stage larvae of the nematode Serpinema trispinosum (Leidy, 1852) were collected from the midgut of four of five species of adult damselflies (Zygoptera) from a non-irrigated restored semipermanent wetland located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. Of the four infected damselfly species, prevalence and mean abundance was highest for the southern spreadwing, Lestes disjunctus australis Walker (10%, 0.2 ± 0.8) and lowest for the familiar bluet, Enallagma civile (Hagen) (2.5%, 0.04 ± 0.3); whereas mean intensities were lowest for the citrine forktail, Ischnura hastata (Say) (1.5 ± 0.5) and the eastern forktail, Ischnura verticalis (Say) (1.0 ± 0). This is the first record of larvae of S. trispinosum from damselflies. Serpinema trispinosum adults have been reported from 18 species of North and Central American freshwater turtles, whereas microcrustaceans such as copepods serve as intermediate hosts and snails, fish and amphibians serve as paratenic hosts in this nematode's life cycle. However, dietary studies of the 18 species of freshwater turtles reported as definitive hosts for S. trispinosum indicate that aquatic insects including damselflies are more commonly reported in turtle diets than are fish or amphibians. Additionally, unlike snails and amphibians, larval damselflies predominantly feed on microcrustaceans, and our observation of S. trispinosum infecting damselflies may reflect the importance of these insects as paratenic hosts. In the present study, we provide new host information and measurements for third-stage larvae of S. trispinosum from damselfly hosts along with measurements for adult male and female S. trispinosum from turtle hosts from Oklahoma, USA., Crystal M. Wiles, Matthew G. Bolek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The lung-dwelling nematode Rhabdias engelbrechti sp. n. was found in five of eight examined banded rubber frogs in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The species is differentiated from species of Rhabdias Stiles et Hassall, 1905 occurring in the Afrotropical Realm based on the presence of a globular cuticular inflation at the anterior end, the buccal capsule walls being distinctly divided into anterior and posterior parts, the buccal capsule size (6-9 μm × 16-18 μm), and the body length (3.8-6.1 mm). Rhabdias engelbrechti is the tenth species of the genus found in Afrotropical anurans. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the complete sequences of the ITS region and partial sequences of large subunit (28S) gene of the nuclear ribosomal RNA demonstrates that the new species is more closely related to the Eurasian species Rhabdias bufonis (Schrank, 1788) than to two other species from sub-Saharan Africa represented in the tree. In addition, partial sequences of the mitochondrial protein coding cox1 and ribosomal 12S genes of the new species have shown significant differences from all previously published sequences of these genes from African species of Rhabdias., Yuriy Kuzmin, Ali Halajian, Sareh Tavakol, Wilmien J. Luus-Powell, Vasyl V. Tkach., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Monoclonal antibody specific for an epitope of cretory-secretory antigen protein of Opisthorchis felineus (Rivolta, 1884) (Trematoda: Opisthorchiidae) with a molecular weight of 28 kDa was used in a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for immobilisation of liver fluke specific antigen to the solid phase. Examination of human sera by this ELISA compared with commercial assays demonstrated that the monoclonal antibody epitope is located within this significant parasite protein. Anti-idiotypic antibody specific for the paratope of this monoclonal antibody was obtained by a hybridoma technique. Mimicking an epitope of excretory-secretory antigen of O. felineus, it had the capacity to bind specific antibody and elicit an antibody response. The value of anti-idiotypic antibody as a substitute for the liver fluke antigen was tested by ELISA using serum samples of infected dogs. Anti-idiotypic antibody proved to be of value in both an indirect-ELISA and a competitive-ELISA for diagnosis of opisthorchiasis. Mature trematodes were isolated from all infected animals. The faecal egg counts were negative in dogs with a relatively small number of parasites, despite finding antibodies in serum by ELISA. Substitution of parasite antigen with anti-idiotype avoids the use of experimental animals and also reduces time-consuming steps of antigen preparation., Aitbay K. Bulashev, Sergey N. Borovikov, Shynar S. Serikova, Zhanbolat A. Suranshiev, Vladimir S. Kiyan, Saule Z. Eskendirova., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Tissue samples from wildlife from South Africa were opportunistically collected and screened for haemoprotozoan parasites using nonspecific PCR primers. Samples of 127 individuals were tested, comprising over 50 different species. Haemogregarines were the most commonly identified parasites, but sarcocystids and piroplasmids were also detected. Phylogenetic analyses estimated from the 18S rDNA marker highlighted the occurrence of several novel parasite forms and the detection of parasites in novel hosts. Phylogenetic relationships, which have been recently reviewed, appear to be much more complex than previously considered. Our study highlights the high diversity of parasites circulating in wildlife in this biodiverse region, and the need for further studies to resolve taxonomic issues., D. James Harris, Ali Halajian, Joana L. Santos, Lourens H. Swanepoel, Peter John Taylor, Raquel Xavier., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Faecal samples from the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis jayakari Thomas) were collected from the Ibex Reserve in central Saudi Arabia. Eimerian oocysts, which are believed to represent a new species described here as Eimeria tamimi sp. n., were detected in 40 out of 93 samples. Oocysts were fully sporulated in 24-48 hours at 25 ± 2 °C. Sporulated oocysts of E. tamimi sp. n. were ovoid, measuring 35-42 × 19-25 μm (39 × 23 μm), a length/width ratio 1.5-2 (1.7). Oocyst wall was bilayered and measured 1.5 μm in thickness. Micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granules were not present. Sporocysts are elongate, measuring 12-18 × 9-12 μm (15 × 10 μm), with a length/width ratio 1.1-1.8 (1.5) prominent Stieda bodies and sporocyst residuum. Experimental infection of two clinically healthy rock hyraxes with sporulated oocysts of E. tamimi sp. n. resulted in shedding unsporulated oocysts 5-10 days post infection. Partial sequences of 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rDNA) and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (COI) regions were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rDNA using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods revealed that E. tamimi sp. n. grouped with Eimeria quokka Barker, O'Callaghan et Beveridge, 1988, E. mundayi Barker, O´Callaghan et Beveridge, 1988, E. potoroi Barker, O'Callaghan et Beveridge, 1988 and E. gaimardi Barker, O'Callaghan et Beveridge, 1988 marsupials. Eimerian species have been regarded as a paraphyletic group and the present investigation confirmed the conflict between phenotypic traits, used widely in the classification of this group of parasites., Osama B. Mohammed, Manei M. Aljedaie, M. S. Alyousif and Nabil Amor., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Une nouvelle méthode de classement thermique des météores permet de déterminer le type de visibilité et la composition de la plupart des météores faibles (> 1^m) dont on connait les altitudes d'apparition et de disparition. Le traitement statistique des trajectoires météoriques conduit à la détermination de différences entre les météores sporadiques et cométaires ainsi qu' à la détermination approchée du gradient de denstét entre 50 et 150 km d'altitude. and Pokračování a rozšíření práce uveřejněné v tomto časopise [2]. Cílem této práce je výzkum vysoké atmosféry pomocí meteorů a tepelná klasifikace meteorů. Pomocí tepelných konstant meteorů odvozených z laboratních dat je možno užitím Öpikovy theorie meteorů a jejího rozšíření v této práci odhadnouti gradient hustoty ve vysoké atmosféře mezi 50 až 150 km výšky. Ve velké většině lze z výšky zážehů zhasnutí meteoru odvoditi jeho typ a složení, zejména u slabších meteorů, kde nelze fotografovati jejich spektra.
The record is confirmed of a “Clariobranchus” hybrid Clarias gariepinus × Heterobranchus sp. specimen in the River Danube in Croatia. Clarias gariepinus was introduced to Europe for farming and research purposes. Because of their faster growth and short time to achieve market size, “Clariobranchus” hybrids have gained attention in European aquaculture. To date, no record has been found in the literature of “Clariobranchus” hybrid escapees in inland waters of Europe. The present finding suggests that the “Clariobranchus” hybrid escaped from an unprotected aquaculture system or open pond farm. The threat of establishment of a population of this hybrid in suitable environments, such as thermal ponds, cannot be ruled out.
In the parthenogenetic monogeneans of the genus Gyrodactylus Nordmann, 1832, the genetic diversity within or between hosts is determined by the relative roles of lateral transmission and clonal propagation. Clonality and limited transmission lead to high-amplitude metapopulation dynamics and strong genetic drift. In Baltic populations of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, the local mitochondrial diversity of Gyrodactylus arcuatus Bychowsky, 1933 is very high, and spatial differentiation weak. To understand the transmission dynamics in a single location, the transmission of the parasite from adults to next generation sticklebacks was investigated in a northern Baltic brackish water location. By sequencing 777 nt of cox1, as many as 38 separate mitochondrial haplotypes were identified. In August, the intensity of gyrodactylid infection on adult hosts was high, the haplotype diversity (h) was extreme and differentiation between fish was negligible (total h = 0.926, mean h = 0.938). In October, only 46% of the juvenile sticklebacks carried G. arcuatus. The number of parasites per young fish followed a Poisson distribution 0.92 ± 1.04 (mean ± SD) on October 2, and was clearly overdispersed 2.38 ± 5.00 on October 25. The total haplotype diversity of parasites on juveniles was nearly as high as in adults (h = 0.916), but the mean per fish was only h = 0.364 (FST = 0.60), due to low intensity of infection and rapid clonal propagation of early arrivals. The initial first come first served advantage of the first gyrodactylid colonisers will be lost during the host adulthood via continuous transmission. Nesting and polygamy are suggested as factors maintaining the high genetic diversity of the parasite population. The transmission dynamics and, consequently, the population structure of Baltic G. arcuatus is fundamentally different from that of G. salaris Malmberg, 1957, on the Baltic salmon Salmo salar Linnaeus., Jaakko Lumme, Marek S. Ziętara., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Myxobolus filamentum sp. n. was found infecting gill filaments of three of 39 Brycon orthotaenia Günther specimens examined (8%), which were taken from the river São Francisco in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Plasmodia of the parasite were white and long, measuring 5 mm in lenght. Mature spores of M. filamentum sp. n. were oval from the frontal view and biconvex from the lateral view, measuring 7.5-9.7 µm (9.0 ± 0.3 µm) in length and 5.2-7.3 µm (6.2 ± 0.4 µm) in width. The polar capsules were elongated and equal in size, measuring 3.8-5.5 µm (4.7 ± 0.3 µm) in length and 1.3-2.2 µm (1.7 ± 0.1 µm) in width. The development of the parasite led to compression of the adjacent tissues and inflammatory infiltrate with granulocytic cells. Ultrastructural observation revealed that the plasmodia were delimited by two membranes, which had numerous and extensive pinocytotic channels extending into the wide ectoplasm zone. The plasmodial wall exhibited abundant villi-like projections and a thin layer of granular material prevented direct contact between the plasmodial wall and the host tissue. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 18S rDNA, showed M. filamentum sp. n. as a sister species of Myxobolus oliveirai Milanin, Eiras, Arana, Maia, Alves, Silva, Carriero, Ceccarelli et Adriano, 2010, a parasite of other fish species of the genus Brycon Müller et Troschel from South America., Juliana Naldoni, Suellen A. Zatti, Kassia R.H. Capodifoglio, Tiago Milanin, Antônio A.M. Maia, Marcia R.M. Silva, Edson A. Adriano., and Obsahuje bibliografii