Evidence for trophic transfer ofInodosporus octosporaandOvipleistophora arlon. sp. (Microsporidia) between crustacean and fish hosts

Abstract

Within aquatic habitats, the hyper-abundant Order Crustacea appear to be the predominant host group for members of the Phylum Microsporidia. The musculature, a common site of infection, provides access to biochemical (carbohydrate-rich) and physiological (mitochondria-rich) conditions conducive to prolific parasite replication and maturation. The significant proportion of body plan devoted to skeletal musculature in Crustacea provides the location for a highly efficient intracellular parasite factory. In this study, we utilize histological, ultrastructural and phylogenetic evidence to describe a previously known (Inodosporus octospora) and novel (Ovipleistophora arlo n. sp.) microsporidian parasites infecting the musculature of the common prawn (Palaemon serratus) from the same site, at the same time of year. Despite similar clinical signs of infection, both parasites are otherwise distinct in terms of pathogenesis, morphology and phylogeny. Based upon partial subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rDNA) sequence, we show that that I. octospora may be identical to a Kabatana sp. previously described infecting two-spot goby (Gobiusculus flavescens) in Europe, or at least that Inodosporus and Kabatana genera are synonyms. In addition, SSU rDNA sequence for O. arlo places it within a distinct clade containing Ovipleistophora mirandellae and Ovipleistophora ovariae, both infecting the oocytes of freshwater fish in Europe. Taken together, our data provide strong evidence for trophic-transfer between crustacean and fish hosts for two different microsporidians within clade 5 of the phylum. Furthermore, it demonstrates that morphologically and phylogenetically distinct microsporidians can infect the same tissues of the same host species to impart clinical signs which mimic infection with the other.

Dictyocoela microsporidia diversity and co-diversification with their host, a gammarid species complex (Crustacea, Amphipoda) with an old history of divergence and high endemic diversity

“…Also, even if relatively scarce, investigations in aquatic organisms other than amphipods or fish led to the discovery of several new microsporidian species, but not Dictyocoela (e.g. for the most recent [63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70]), contrasting with the studies made on amphipods of different clades where Dictyocoela were easily found (e.g. for the most recent [19,[26][27][28]38].…”

Isolation of the Parasite Enterocytospora artemiae From Chinese Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes sinensis)—First Report in Asia

“…In addition, microsporidia infect silkworms, bees, salmon, shrimp, and other economically important and farmed animals (Lom and Nilsen, 2003;Wang et al, 2006;Klee et al, 2007;Sokolova et al, 2015), and have caused significant economic losses to the agriculture and aquaculture industries (Stentiford et al, 2016). More than 63 genera have been reported infecting crustaceans (Bojko et al, 2020), of which at least 15, including Agmasoma, Ameson, Apotaspora, Enterocytozoon, Inodosporus, Myospora, Ovipleistophora, Paradoxium, Perezia, Pleistophora, Potaspora, Thelohania, Triwangia, Tuzetia, and Vavraia have been identified in shrimp (Wang et al, 2013;Stentiford et al, 2015;Ding et al, 2016;Sokolova and Overstreet, 2018;Stentiford et al, 2018). Microsporidia infections within economically important crustaceans can lead to slow growth, muscle turbidity, hepatopancreatic lesions, and loss of economic value-all of which can seriously endanger the crustacean aquaculture industry (Tourtip et al, 2009;Wang et al, 2017).…”

Widespread infection of Areospora rohanae in southern king crab ( Lithodes santolla ) populations across south Chilean Patagonia

“…What would be the consequences of this infection for king crab fisheries? In the Northern Hemisphere, a sharp decline in crab abundance has been observed in the last years due to microsporidian infections [4,14], notably affecting the economic activity [18,19]. In the Magellan region, L. santolla supports the most important fishery and their exports have increased over the years, reaching US$52 million in 2016 [42].…”

“…Pathogenic parasites can imperil diverse commercial activities, ranging from honeybee culture to fish and crustacean fisheries [1,2]. In recently described pathogenic parasites [3,4], the understanding of the pattern of infection is a mandatory first step to develop powerful predictive models. Considering that host attributes like sex and size may significantly influence the probability of infection of parasites [5,6], the assessment of the pathogenic potential of these species should include the associations (or lack thereof ) between prevalence, host sex and host size.…”