Amino acids in eight species of Monogenea

Abstract

The ethanol-extractable amino acids of several species of Monogenea were analysed. In the Monopisthocotylea levels were high ( greater than 1,200 micronmoles/g/ethanol extracted dry wt); in the Polyopisthocotylea lower amounts were present (196-562 micronmoles). High proline levels were present in parasites of hosts from a marine environment but low in freshwater forms. No correlation between diet and proline content was observed.

The morphology and distribution ofEupolystomaspecies (Monogenoidea) in Africa, with a description ofE. anterorchissp. n. fromBufo pardalisat the Cape

“…Further observations on the biology of the present new species of Eupolystoma are now in preparation. The parasite promises to be of great value in experimental and physiological investigations; in particular, the unusually large infestations provide excellent material for biochemical analysis and have already been employed in studies by Arme (1977).…”

Comparative analysis of amino acids of three species of Gangesia (Cestoda: Proteocephalata)

“…Since threonine has also been encountered in all the three species of Gangesia in this study (Tables I and III) it could be postulated that this amino acid is possibly involved in similar biosynthetic pathway in these proteocephalates. Several reports are on record (CHAPPELL & READ, 1973;VON BRAND, 1973;CHAPPELL, 1974 andARME, 1977) indicating involvement of proline and glycine from free pools of some ectoparasitic monogeneans and endoparasitic helminths in osmoregulation. The predominant presence of proline in three species of Gangesia and glycine in G. hanumanthai and G. sanehensis (Table III) may suggest that both these amino acids could be concerned with osmoregulation in these proteocephalates.…”

Effects of hypotonicity on amino acid release in adult Echinostoma caproni as determined by thin layer chromatography

“…Some studies, e.g., Kurelec and Rijavec (1966), suggested that high levels of amino acids in trematodes serve an osmoregulatory function. While studies have been done to analyze various effects of hypotonic media on some digeneans (Siddiqi et al 1974) and some monogeneans (Arme and Whyte 1975;Arme 1977), such information on echinostomatids is not available. While studies have been done to analyze various effects of hypotonic media on some digeneans (Siddiqi et al 1974) and some monogeneans (Arme and Whyte 1975;Arme 1977), such information on echinostomatids is not available.…”

“…Proline has also been identified as a major component of the free amino acid pool of monogenetic trematodes (Arme 1977). Barrett (1981) suggested that proline may be a product of acid catabolism in F. hepatica, but the biochemical role of proline in trematodes remains unknown.…”