Molecular systematics and evolutionary history of catenotaeniid cestodes (Cyclophyllidea)

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary history and systematics of tapeworms of the family Catenotaeniidae were studied using nucleotide sequences of the partial 28S nuclear rDNA (ca. 1,500 bp) and mitochondrial 12S–16S DNA (ca. 820 bp) genes. The tapeworm material consists of 29 species, including type species of the genera Catenotaenia Janicki, 1904, Catenotaenioides Haukisalmi, Hardman and Henttonen, 2010, Pseudocatenotaenia Tenora, Mas‐Coma, Murai and Feliu, 1980, Skrjabinotaenia Akhumyan, 1946, Meggittina Lynsdale, 1953, and Hemicatenotaenia Tenora, 1977. The basal phylogenetic structure of the Catenotaeniidae remains unresolved, but it is shown that most of the catenotaeniids in Eurasia and Africa comprise a large clade represented by species of Catenotaenia, Catenotaenioides, Skrjabinotaenia and Meggittina, parasitizing murid, cricetid, nesomyid and sciurid rodents. The results suggest that the divergence and early radiation of this clade have occurred in murid rodents (represented by Apodemus spp. and Mus musculus in the present material) in western Eurasia, followed by colonization of Africa, most likely independently of the colonization of their murid hosts between these continents. There is very little evidence of cophylogeny between hosts and parasites, suggesting that host transfers have played a major role in the divergence of catenotaeniids. In Africa, catenotaeniids have radiated in other murid and nesomyid rodents, and later colonized Madagascar and recolonized Eurasia. The results also show that the subfamily Skrjabinotaeniinae (including Skrjabinotaenia and Meggittina) is monophyletic, but the Catenotaeniinae (including Catenotaenia, Catenotaenioides, Pseudocatenotaenia and Hemicatenotaenia) is clearly non‐monophyletic. In addition, the genera Catenotaenia and Skrjabinotaenia were both found to be non‐monophyletic. Based on the phylogenetic and morphological evidence, several taxonomical changes, mainly new combinations, are proposed. Overall, the present results suggest that the family Catenotaeniidae is in need of major systematic revision.

Prevalence of intestinal cestode infections of conventionally maintained laboratory (albino) and house mice in Kalar district / Sulaymaniyah province

“…In this study, depending on observing the morphological characteristics, it has been reported two of unidentified species of cestodes from small intestine of house mice in Kalar district/ Iraq with the overall prevalence rate of 12.82 (15 out of 117). These species were potentially linked to the family Cataenotaenidae Spasskii, 1950 (Haukisalmi et al 2018;Owen 1976). It is a family of cyclophyllidean cestodes, which involves 37 species belonging to seven genera and they are parasites of rodent (host specific) and were not found to infect humans, reviewed in Haukisalmi et al (2018).…”

“…These species were potentially linked to the family Cataenotaenidae Spasskii, 1950 (Haukisalmi et al 2018;Owen 1976). It is a family of cyclophyllidean cestodes, which involves 37 species belonging to seven genera and they are parasites of rodent (host specific) and were not found to infect humans, reviewed in Haukisalmi et al (2018). Significant differences were observed in female than in male (P= 0.045), could be related to suppressed immune response of female during pregnancy (Engels et al 2017).…”

“…Significant differences were observed in female than in male (P= 0.045), could be related to suppressed immune response of female during pregnancy (Engels et al 2017). There is an apparent lack of morphological guides for the diagnoses of species belonging to this family (Haukisalmi et al 2018). Therefore, it was very difficult to explicitly identify the exact species based on the morphological characteristics of the isolated cestodes.…”

“…That may cause lethal cestodiasis (Olson et al 2003). In addition, several other species of cestodes belonging to the family Cataenotaenidae were found to infect these rodents but not humans (Haukisalmi et al 2018;Owen 1976). Hymenolepis nana is small cestode ranging between 1.5-4 cm long with a scolex characterizes by armed rostellum, while the length of H. diminuta varies between 20-60 cm long with an unarmed rostellum (CDC 2018).…”

“…The eggs hatch within the small intestine of the host and penetrate the intestinal villi and develop into cysticercus and ultimately an adult parasite (Baker 2008). While species belonging to the family Cataenotaenidae are host specific and found to infect different rodent hosts but not humans (Haukisalmi et al 2018). Cataenotaenia pusilla as an example, the worm's length reaches 3-16 cm long, the scolex is bearing four sucker and unarmed rostellum.…”