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Parasitology research2022; 121(10); 2917-2926; doi: 10.1007/s00436-022-07616-2

Morphological and molecular characterization of a Sarcocystis species infecting donkeys from China.

Abstract: There is considerable confusion concerning the relationships among species of Sarcocystis found in donkeys and horses. Here, we describe a Sarcocystis species in Chinese donkeys (Equus asinus). Sarcocysts were found in 12 of 32 (37.5%) adult donkeys. By light microscopy, they were divided into two types, thin-walled and thick-walled. The thin-walled were macroscopic (up to 320 μm wide) and had short club-like protrusions (up to 2.7 μm long); the thick-walled were microscopic (up to 135 μm wide) and had villar protrusions (up to 5.4 μm long). Ultrastructures of the two types exhibited similar morphological characteristics, including bundled microtubules in the core of the villar protrusions penetrating diagonally into the ground substance, similar to wall type 11c. Three genetic markers, 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and mitochondrial cox1, obtained from the two morphotypes were sequenced and analyzed. The sequences of the three loci in the two morphotypes presented high intraspecific similarities of 97.2-99.5%, 97.8-99.6% and 99.0 - 99.9%, respectively. The most similar sequences in GenBank to the newly obtained 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA and cox1 sequences were those of Sarcocystis spp. in horses, with similarities of 90.0 - 97.5%, 94.7 - 95.1%, and 82.6 - 84.5%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis using the three genetic markers indicated that the Sarcocystis sp. in donkeys formed an individual clade most closely related to a clade encompassing Sarcocystis spp. in horses. Further studies are needed for taxonomic identification of sarcocysts in donkeys because the Sarcocystis species in donkeys and horses are not successfully cross transmissible despite morphological similarities.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
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Publication Date: 2022-08-09 PubMed ID: 35941324PubMed Central: 5967553DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07616-2Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This research analyses the morphological and molecular characteristics of the Sarcocystis species, a form of parasitic infection, found in Chinese donkeys, identifying two types of this species with comparisons to those found in horses. Exploration was conducted by microscopy and genetic analysis, noting high intraspecific similarities with hints towards further study for accurate taxonomy given observed morphological similarities are not indicative of cross transmissibility between horse and donkey Sarcocystis species.

Study of Sarcocystis in Donkeys

  • The researchers examined samples from adult Chinese donkeys (Equus asinus), and found Sarcocystis parasites in 37.5% of them. This indicates that the parasite is prevalent in this subset of donkeys.
  • Using light microscopy, the team categorized the Sarcocystis species into two types based on wall thickness with the differentiation being thin-walled and thick-walled. The difference between the two is that thin-walled are macroscopic that is large and visible, while the thick-walled are microscopic or tiny.
  • Despite the size difference, both types showed similar morphological characteristics at the ultrastructural level.

Genetic Analysis of the Sarcocystis Species

  • Three genetic markers were isolated from the two types of Sarcocystis species for sequencing and analysis. These markers include 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and mitochondrial cox1.
  • The sequences of these markers in both morphotypes related to the same species showed high intraspecific similarities, ranging from 97.2% to 99.9%.
  • The sequences were compared with those available on GenBank and identified that their 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and cox1 sequences were most similar to those of Sarcocystis species found in horses. The range of similarity here varied broadly from 82.6% to 97.5%, indicating a close yet discernable genetic difference between the species found in donkeys and those in horses.

Phylogenetic Analysis

  • The phylogenetic analysis showed that the Sarcocystis species in donkeys formed a separate clade, but it was closely related to a clade formed by Sarcocystis species in horses. This indicates a shared ancestral background, but divergence in recent evolutionary history.
  • The study ended by suggesting that additional research is necessary for a comprehensive taxonomic identification of the Sarcocystis species in donkeys.
  • This is particularly important because despite morphological similarities, the Sarcocystis species in donkeys and horses have not been found to be cross transmissible. Therefore, external characteristics may not fully reveal the genetic differences that exist between the two species.

Cite This Article

APA
Zhang M, Wei K, Wu Z, Sun J, Hu J, Deng S, Tao J. (2022). Morphological and molecular characterization of a Sarcocystis species infecting donkeys from China. Parasitol Res, 121(10), 2917-2926. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07616-2

Publication

Parasitology research
ISSN: 1432-1955
NlmUniqueID: 8703571
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 121
Issue: 10
Pages: 2917-2926

Researcher Affiliations

Zhang, Mingzhu
  • School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
Wei, Kaiwen
  • School of Biological Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
Wu, Zhipeng
  • School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
Sun, Jun
  • School of Biological Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
Hu, Junjie
  • School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China. jjhu@ynu.edu.cn.
Deng, Shuangsheng
  • School of Biological Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
Tao, Jianping
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Equidae
  • Genetic Markers
  • Horses
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
  • Sarcocystis
  • Sarcocystosis / epidemiology
  • Sarcocystosis / veterinary

Grant Funding

  • 2017YFD0500400 / National Key R&D Program of China
  • 31460557 / Natural Sciences Foundation of China

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Khan MZ, Li Y, Zhu M, Li M, Wang T, Zhang Z, Liu W, Ma Q, Wang C. Advances in Donkey Disease Surveillance and Microbiome Characterization in China. Microorganisms 2025 Mar 26;13(4).
    doi: 10.3390/microorganisms13040749pubmed: 40284586google scholar: lookup
  2. Šneideris D, Moskaliova D, Butkauskas D, Prakas P. The Distribution of Sarcocsytis Species Described by Ungulates-Canids Life Cycle in Intestines of Small Predators of the Family Mustelidae. Acta Parasitol 2024 Mar;69(1):747-758.
    doi: 10.1007/s11686-024-00814-1pubmed: 38413556google scholar: lookup
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