Abstract
Spores of Trachipleistophora extenrec, originally isolated from the muscles of the Madagascan insectivore Hemicentetes semispinosus and maintained by serial passage in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, were fed to larvae of the Egyptian cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis. Extensive infection of larval tissues ensued and caused larval and pupal mortality. The development of T. extenrec in the insect host, studied both by light and electron microscopy, followed generally the same life cycle as in the mammalian host. However, some differences in the fine structure of the parasite grown in both types of hosts were found. Spores isolated from the insect host caused infection of SCID mice when injected intramuscularly. Our results suggest that T. extenrec may be originally an insect microsporidian. This likelihood is corroborated by its structural similarity and phylogenetic relationship to two other microsporidia having insects either as unique hosts (Vavraia culicis) or being able to infect both mammalian and insect host (Trachipleistophora hominis).
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Ivan Gelbič for help in experiments with S. littoralis. This work was supported by the grants No. 2820/2006/G3 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and Nos. 524/03/H133 and 524/07/1003 of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic and research projects of the Institute of Parasitology, AS CR Z60220518. Mrs. E. Kirchmannová kindly prepared material for electron microscopy.
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Vávra, J., Kamler, M., Modrý, D. et al. Opportunistic nature of the mammalian microsporidia: experimental transmission of Trachipleistophora extenrec (Fungi: Microsporidia) between mammalian and insect hosts. Parasitol Res 108, 1565–1573 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2213-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2213-3