Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids
Avian communities from South America harbor an extraordinary diversity of Leucocytozoon species (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae). Here, of 890 birds sampled, 10 (1.2%) were infected with Leucocytozoon parasites. Among them, two new species were discovered and described. Leucocytozoon grallariae sp. n...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224419300215 |
| _version_ | 1819053648685039616 |
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| author | Ingrid A. Lotta Gediminas Valkiūnas M. Andreína Pacheco Ananías A. Escalante Sandra Rocío Hernández Nubia E. Matta |
| author_facet | Ingrid A. Lotta Gediminas Valkiūnas M. Andreína Pacheco Ananías A. Escalante Sandra Rocío Hernández Nubia E. Matta |
| author_sort | Ingrid A. Lotta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Avian communities from South America harbor an extraordinary diversity of Leucocytozoon species (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae). Here, of 890 birds sampled, 10 (1.2%) were infected with Leucocytozoon parasites. Among them, two new species were discovered and described. Leucocytozoon grallariae sp. nov. and Leucocytozoon neotropicalis sp. nov. were found in non-migratory highland passeriforms belonging to the Grallaridae and Cotingidae, respectively. They both possess gametocytes in fusiform host cells. However, due to combining microscopic examination and molecular detection, it was revealed that these parasites were present in co-infections with other Leucocytozoon species, which gametocytes develop in roundish host cells, therefore exhibiting two highly distant parasite lineages isolated from the same samples. Remarkably, the lineages obtained by cloning the mtDNA genomes were not captured by the classic nested PCR, which amplifies a short fragment of cytochrome b gene. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the lineages obtained by the classic nested PCR clustered with parasites possessing gametocytes in roundish host cells, while the lineages obtained by the mtDNA genome PCR protocol were closely related to Leucocytozoon parasites possessing gametocytes in fusiform host cells. These findings suggest problems with the sensitivity of the molecular protocols commonly used to detect Leucocytozoon species. A detailed analysis of the primers used in the classic nested PCR revealed a match with DNA sequences from those parasites that possess gametocytes in roundish host cells (i.e., Leucocytozoon fringillinarum), while they differ with the orthologous regions in the mtDNA genomes isolated from the samples containing the two new species. Since these are mixed infections, none of the lineages detected in this study can be assigned accurately to the new Leucocytozoon morphospecies that develops in fusiform host cells. However, phylogenetic analyses allowed us to hypothesize their most probable associations. This study highlights the need for developing detection methods to assess the diversity of Leucocytozoon parasites accurately. Keywords: Andean mountains, Birds, Co-infection, New species, Cotingidae, Grallaridae, Passeriforms |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:39:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d48296f025af411f8d79d23ec89333a4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2213-2244 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:39:04Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| spelling | doaj.art-d48296f025af411f8d79d23ec89333a42022-12-21T19:03:50ZengElsevierInternational Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife2213-22442019-08-019159173Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoidsIngrid A. Lotta0Gediminas Valkiūnas1M. Andreína Pacheco2Ananías A. Escalante3Sandra Rocío Hernández4Nubia E. Matta5Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá- Facultad de Ciencias - Departamento de Biología - Grupo de Investigación Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia; Corresponding author. Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá- Facultad de Ciencias - Departamento de Biología - Grupo de Investigación Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia.Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius-21, LT, 08412, LithuaniaInstitute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USAInstitute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USAUniversidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá- Facultad de Ciencias - Departamento de Biología - Grupo de Investigación Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia; Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, MexicoUniversidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá- Facultad de Ciencias - Departamento de Biología - Grupo de Investigación Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia; Corresponding author.Avian communities from South America harbor an extraordinary diversity of Leucocytozoon species (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae). Here, of 890 birds sampled, 10 (1.2%) were infected with Leucocytozoon parasites. Among them, two new species were discovered and described. Leucocytozoon grallariae sp. nov. and Leucocytozoon neotropicalis sp. nov. were found in non-migratory highland passeriforms belonging to the Grallaridae and Cotingidae, respectively. They both possess gametocytes in fusiform host cells. However, due to combining microscopic examination and molecular detection, it was revealed that these parasites were present in co-infections with other Leucocytozoon species, which gametocytes develop in roundish host cells, therefore exhibiting two highly distant parasite lineages isolated from the same samples. Remarkably, the lineages obtained by cloning the mtDNA genomes were not captured by the classic nested PCR, which amplifies a short fragment of cytochrome b gene. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the lineages obtained by the classic nested PCR clustered with parasites possessing gametocytes in roundish host cells, while the lineages obtained by the mtDNA genome PCR protocol were closely related to Leucocytozoon parasites possessing gametocytes in fusiform host cells. These findings suggest problems with the sensitivity of the molecular protocols commonly used to detect Leucocytozoon species. A detailed analysis of the primers used in the classic nested PCR revealed a match with DNA sequences from those parasites that possess gametocytes in roundish host cells (i.e., Leucocytozoon fringillinarum), while they differ with the orthologous regions in the mtDNA genomes isolated from the samples containing the two new species. Since these are mixed infections, none of the lineages detected in this study can be assigned accurately to the new Leucocytozoon morphospecies that develops in fusiform host cells. However, phylogenetic analyses allowed us to hypothesize their most probable associations. This study highlights the need for developing detection methods to assess the diversity of Leucocytozoon parasites accurately. Keywords: Andean mountains, Birds, Co-infection, New species, Cotingidae, Grallaridae, Passeriformshttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224419300215 |
| spellingShingle | Ingrid A. Lotta Gediminas Valkiūnas M. Andreína Pacheco Ananías A. Escalante Sandra Rocío Hernández Nubia E. Matta Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| title | Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids |
| title_full | Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids |
| title_fullStr | Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids |
| title_short | Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids |
| title_sort | disentangling leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224419300215 |
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