Integrative taxonomic approach of trypanosomes in the blood of rodents and soricids in Asian countries, with the description of three new species
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Trypanosoma lewisi (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) with a cosmopolitan distribution is the type species of
the subgenus Herpetosoma, which includes ca. 50 nominal species isolated mainly from rodents. Since members of Herpetosoma
in different host species have an almost identical morphology of bloodstream forms, these trypanosomes are referred to as
‘T. lewisi-like’, and the molecular genetic characterization of each species is necessary to verify their taxonomy. In the present
study, we collected blood samples from 89 murid rodents of 15 species and 11 soricids of four species in Indonesia, Philippines,
Vietnam, Taiwan, and mainland China for the detection of hemoprotozoan infection. T. lewisi and T. lewisi-like trypanosomes
were found in the blood smears of 10 murid animals, which included Bandicota indica (two rats), Rattus argentiventer (one rat),
and Rattus tiomanicus (two rats) in Indonesia; Rattus rattus (one rat) in the Philippines; and Niviventer confucianus (four rats) in
mainland China. Furthermore, large- or medium-sized non-T. lewisi-like trypanosomes were detected in two soricids, Crocidura
dracula in Vietnam and Anourosorex yamashinai in Taiwan, respectively. Molecular genetic characterization of the small subunit
(SSU) ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and glycosomal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gGAPDH) gene indicated
that the trypanosomes from all the murid hosts had identical SSU rDNA or gGAPDH gene nucleotide sequences except for those
in N. confucianus in mainland China. These N. confucianus-infecting trypanosomes also showed several unique morphological
features such as smaller bodies, anteriorly positioned nuclei, and larger rod-shaped kinetoplasts when compared with T. lewisi
trypomastigotes. Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) niviventerae n. sp. is erected for this new species. Similarly, based on morpho-
logical and molecular genetic characterization, Trypanosoma sapaensis n. sp. and Trypanosoma anourosoricis n. sp. are pro-
posed for the trypanosomes in C. dracula in Vietnam and A. yamashinai in Taiwan, respectively. More effort directed toward the morphological and molecular genetic characterization of the trypanosomes of rodents and soricids is required to fully understand
the real biodiversity of their hemoflagellates.
Description
Journal Article
Keywords
Trypanosoma lewisi, Trypanosoma niviventerae n. sp, Trypanosoma sapaensis n. sp, Trypanosoma anourosoricis n. sp, Rodent, Soricid, rDNA, gGAPDH, Asia