The life cycle of Dollfusinus frontalis, a brachylaimid trematode of small mammals (Insectivora and Rodentia)

Mas‐Coma, Santiago; Montoliu, Isabel

doi:10.1016/0020-7519(87)90159-7

Cited by 13 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…Additionally, Brachylaimidae are biologically peculiar. While the great majority of digenean trematodes follow an aquatic life cycle [13], brachylaimids are one of the very few trematode groups (the only other one is Dicrocoeliidae) that have succeeded in colonizing the terrestrial milieu, in some instances even very arid, xerophilic habitats [14]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Brachylaimid species of the three subfamilies Brachylaminae, Ityogoniminae and Panopistinae [15] share the same three-host life cycle pattern including (i) a terrestrial gastropod snail (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora) as first intermediate host, (ii) an additional mollusc individual belonging to another (or sometimes the same) terrestrial gastropod species as second intermediate host, and (iii) an endothermic vertebrate as definitive host [13,14,16-18]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first snail host is very specific, as brachylaimid species use only one or a very small number of closely related mollusc species inhabiting the local area [14,16,17]. This mollusc becomes infected by eating embryonated fluke eggs shed in faeces by the definitive host.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cercariae penetrate through orifices of the body and migrate to the intramolluscan microhabitat where they will develop into an unencysted metacercarial stage. The microhabitat of metacercariae appears to be very specific [14,16,17]. The location of metacercariae is the kidney for most of the brachylaimid species, although pericardial cavity and rarely pedal glands are microhabitats for a few species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only a very few species present an adult stage infecting other parts of the digestive tract or organs directly related or connected to the digestive tract: Brachylaima oesophagei and B. fulvus in the oesophagus and stomach [34,35], Scaphiostomum species in ducts of liver and pancreas [36], and Dollfusinus frontalis in nasal and frontal sinuses [14,37]. Exceptions are the lumen of the kidney sac as final microhabitat for Parabrachylaima [32], and the urinary system for species of Zeylanurotrema [29,38], although a species of the latter, Z. sphenomorphi , has been described from the host’s intestine [30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Life cycle of Renylaima capensis, a brachylaimid trematode of shrews and slugs in South Africa: two-host and three-host transmission modalities suggested by epizootiology and DNA sequencing

et al. 2012

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BackgroundThe life cycle of the brachylaimid trematode species Renylaima capensis, infecting the urinary system of the shrew Myosorex varius (Mammalia: Soricidae: Crocidosoricinae) in the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, South Africa, has been elucidated by a study of its larval stages, epizootiological data in local snails and mammals during a 34-year period, and its verification with mtDNA sequencing.MethodsParasites obtained from dissected animals were mounted in microscope slides for the parasitological study and measured according to standardized methods. The mitochondrial DNA cox1 gene was sequenced by the dideoxy chain-termination method.ResultsThe slugs Ariostralis nebulosa and Ariopelta capensis (Gastropoda: Arionidae) act as specific first and second intermediate hosts, respectively. Branched sporocysts massively develop in A. nebulosa. Intrasporocystic mature cercariae show differentiated gonads, male terminal duct, ventral genital pore, and usually no tail, opposite to Brachylaimidae in which mature cercariae show a germinal primordium and small tail. Unencysted metacercariae, usually brevicaudate, infect the kidney of A. capensis and differ from mature cercariae by only a slightly greater size. The final microhabitats are the kidneys and ureters of the shrews, kidney pelvis and calyces in light infections and also kidney medulla and cortex in heavy infections. Sporocysts, cercariae, metacercariae and adults proved to belong to R. capensis by analysis of a 437-bp-long cox1 fragment, which was identical except for three mutations in metacercariae, of which only one silent. Epizootiological studies showed usual sporocyst infection in A. nebulosa and very rare metacercarial infection in A. capensis, which does not agree with high prevalences and intensities in the shrews.ConclusionsThe presence of monotesticular adult forms and larval prevalences and intensities observed suggest that R. capensis may use two transmission strategies, a two-host life cycle by predation of A. nebulosa harbouring intrasporocystic cercariae may be the normal pattern, whereas a second mollusc host is just starting to be introduced. In shrews, a tissue-traversing, intraorganic migration followed by an interorganic migration to reach and penetrate the outer surface of either of both kidneys should occur. For first slug infection, the fluke takes advantage of the phenomenon that M. varius always urinate during defaecation. Consequently, in Brachylaimidae, the second intermediate mollusc host should evolutionarily be seen as a last addition to the cycle and their present adult stage microhabitat restricted to digestive tract and related organs as a loss of the tissue-traversing capacity of the metacercaria.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%