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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Parasitol / Morphological and molecular characteristics of Sarcocystis b...
Veterinary parasitology2018; 252; 89-94; doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.01.024

Morphological and molecular characteristics of Sarcocystis bertrami from horses and donkeys in China.

Abstract: While Sarcocystis parasites from the muscles of donkey and horse have been characterized as different species, similarities between the parasites in these host raises questions about this assignment (Levine and Tadros, 1980; Matuschka, 1983; Odening et al., 1995b). To resolve this, we examined the tissue cysts of Sarcocystis collected from donkeys and horses were studied by morphological and molecular methods. Morphological studies performed by light microscopy (LM) revealed that each of two types of cysts were present in samples from each host type. Under LM, villar protrusions (VP) were sometimes observed on the larger (Type I) and smaller (Type II) of these cyst types; when present, these were sometimes short and sometimes long. By electron microscopy (EM), VPs from both horse and donkey cysts were found to share similar structures, appearing to be typical of 'type 11a' VPs found on the Sarcocystis wall of Sarcocystis fayeri as described by Dubey et al., 1977. The VP of cysts in both horses and donkeys contained microtubules extending from the villar tips to the ground substance (GS). Ovoid, osmiophilic bodies (OB) were found along the length of the microtubules within the villi, but this feature was not found in all VP. To understand the phylogeny of the parasites, a portion of the coxI gene was sequenced from 22 isolated cysts (9 from donkeys and 13 from horses). Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed from these sequences and the closest homologues available in GenBank, revealing that all of the samples, regardless of host origin or morphological appearance under LM, grouped in one clade. Ours is the first attempt to combine morphological measurements with coxI sequences in assessing such equine parasites; the results confirm a close relationship of the parasites from horse and donkey with S. fayeri. Further, the data suggest that the cysts in each host likely belong to the same species. As the first named species was Sarcocystis bertrami, we propose S. bertrami (syn. Sarcocystis fayeri) as the descriptor for this parasite of both horses and donkeys. Ultimately, this finding will only be validated by cross-transmission infection experiments that score the ability of parasite isolates from one Equus to infect the other.
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2018-02-02 PubMed ID: 29559158PubMed Central: PMC9650612DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.01.024Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study investigates the morphological and molecular similarities between Sarcocystis parasites found in horses and donkeys, concluding that they likely belong to the same species, Sarcocystis bertrami.

Study Objectives and Methods

  • The goals of this study were to closely examine Sarcocystis parasites obtained from donkeys and horses and to determine whether they are of the same species or different ones.
  • The primary tools used in this investigation were morphological and molecular methods, analyzing the physical characteristics of the parasites and sequencing specific parts of their genetic material.
  • The researchers took samples from each type of host animal and studied them under a light microscope (LM) and an electron microscope (EM).
  • A section of the coxI gene was sequenced from 22 isolated cysts, 9 from donkeys and 13 from horses. These sequences were compared with the closest homologues available in GenBank.

Morphological Observations

  • Under the light microscope, the researchers observed that each animal host had two types of cysts present in their samples.
  • Both larger (Type I) and smaller (Type II) cysts sometimes exhibited villar protrusions (VP), which varied in length.
  • The investigators found that the VPs on the cysts from both types of host animals exhibited similar structures when observed under the electron microscope.
  • The researchers also identified microtubules extending from the tips of the villi to the ground substance (GS), as well as oval, osmiophilic bodies (OB) within the villi. However, these features were not found in all VPs.

Molecular Studies & Findings

  • Phylogenetic relationships were constructed from the sequenced coxI samples and their closest homologues.
  • All the samples, regardless of their host origin or their appearance under the LM, were grouped in one clade, indicating a close genetic relationship among them.
  • The molecular study supports the theory that the parasites from horses and donkeys are closely related to S. fayeri, and that they likely belong to the same species.
  • Given these findings, the researchers propose to use Sarcocystis bertrami as the descriptor for this parasite for both horses and donkeys.

Implications and Further Research

  • This study is the first to combine morphological measurements with coxI sequences to assess these types of equine parasites.
  • The findings suggest that the Sarcocystis parasites in the two host animals are likely the same species.
  • The authors point out that ultimate verification of their findings would require cross-transmission infection experiments to determine the ability of parasites from one type of Equus to infect the other.

Cite This Article

APA
Zeng W, Sun L, Xiang Z, Li N, Zhang J, He Y, Li Q, Yang F, Song J, Morris J, Rosenthal BM, Sun L, Liu H, Yang Z. (2018). Morphological and molecular characteristics of Sarcocystis bertrami from horses and donkeys in China. Vet Parasitol, 252, 89-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.01.024

Publication

Veterinary parasitology
ISSN: 1873-2550
NlmUniqueID: 7602745
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 252
Pages: 89-94
PII: S0304-4017(18)30036-0

Researcher Affiliations

Zeng, Weilin
  • Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Sun, Ling
  • Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Xiang, Zheng
  • Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Li, Na
  • Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Zhang, Jie
  • Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
He, Yongshu
  • Department of Cell Biology and Medical Genetics, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Li, Qing
  • Department of Cell Biology and Medical Genetics, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Yang, Fang
  • Department of Cell Biology and Medical Genetics, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Song, Jingling
  • Electronical Microscopy Department, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Morris, James
  • Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, SC, USA.
Rosenthal, Benjamin M
  • Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, BARC East Building, 1180 Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
Sun, Le
  • Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Liu, Huaie
  • Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
Yang, Zhaoqing
  • Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China. Electronic address: zhaoqingy92@hotmail.com.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • China / epidemiology
  • Equidae / parasitology
  • Genes, Mitochondrial / genetics
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horses / parasitology
  • Microscopy
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Muscles / parasitology
  • Phylogeny
  • Sarcocystis / classification
  • Sarcocystis / genetics
  • Sarcocystis / isolation & purification
  • Sarcocystis / ultrastructure
  • Sarcocystosis / epidemiology
  • Sarcocystosis / parasitology
  • Sarcocystosis / veterinary

Grant Funding

  • P20 GM109094 / NIGMS NIH HHS

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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