Abstract
Two groups ofParagonimus westermani (Tematoda: Platyhelminthes) exist in nature: diploids and triploids. Generally, these two groups live allopatrically, but in Kuandian, Liaoning Province, in the Republic of China, they live sympatrically. In our Chinese experiment onParagonimus we used metacercariae ofP. westermani, which we collected in Kuandian, Xigutai, and performed a cytological analysis. The results were as follows: (1) theP. westermani in Xigutai lived sympatrically as diploids and triploids; (2) all of the small metacercariae were diploids; (3) the large metacercariae were in large proportion triploids; (4) we found one tetraploid specimen in both the medium and the large metacercariae — this was the first time tetraploid lung flukes were discovered; (5) the somatic chromosomes of the tetraploids were different in numbers (4n=44), but we could not find any difference in the karyotype of haploid sets and that of the diploids and the triploids; (6) unlike the triploids, during their meiosis the tetraploids produced a chromosome pairing, and we found a tendency of the large chromosomes to become quadrivalent; and (7) also unlike the triploids, a great number of spermatids were found in the tetraploid testes. Because of these findings, we can consider tetraploids to be autotetraploids, and these are probably produced by the fertilization of diploids and triploids. We also think that the gametes of tetraploids have a fertilization capability.
References
Agatsuma T, Ho L, Jian H, Habe S, Terasaki K, Shibahara T, Sugiyama H, Kim D, Kawashima K (1992) Electrophoretic evidence of a hybrid origin for tetraploidParagonimus westermani discovered in northeastern China. Parasitol Res 78:537–538
Cho H, Sasada K, Takao Y (1977) Gametogenesis ofParagonimus westermani. Chromosome Inf Serv 23:29–30
He L, Chong H, Gao P, Li H, Xu Z (1982) Preliminary studies on chromosomes of 9 species and subspecies of lung fluke in China. Chin Med J [Engl] 95:404–408
Levan A, Fedga K, Sundberg A (1964) Nomenclature for centromeric position on chromosomes. Hereditas 52:201–220
Li D, Yun J, Ma Y, Ku Z, Zhou W (1985) Two types and geographical distribution ofParagonimus westermani in Kuandian prefecture, Liaoning Province, China (in Chinese). Chin J Zoonoses 1:4–8
Miyazaki I (1978) Two types of the lung fluke which has been calledParagonimus westermani (Kerbert, 1878) Med Bull Fukoka Univ 5:251–263
Miyazaki I, Chiu J (1980) On the so-called “Paragonimus westermani” in Taiwan (in Japanese). Med Bull Fukuoka Univ 7:277–279
Miyazaki I, Habe S, Terasaki K (1981) On the pairing of adult lung flukes (in Japanese). Med Bull Fukuoka Univ 8:159–167
Sakaguchi Y, Tada I (1976) Chromosomes of a lung flukeParagonimus westermani. Chromosome Inf Serv 20:23–24
Sakaguchi Y, Tada I (1980) Karyotypic studies of lung flukes,Paragonimus iloktsuenensis, P. sadoensis, P. westermani, with special reference to gametogenesis inP. westermani. Jpn J Parasitol 29:251–256
Terasaki K (1977) Studies on chromosomes of the lung flukes in Japan. Jpn J Parasitol 26:222–229
Terasaki K (1980a) Comparative observation on the development of germ cells betweenParagonimus westermani (Kerbert, 1878) andP. pulmonalis (Baelz, 1880). Jpn J Parasitol 29:127–136
Terasaki K (1980b) Comparative studies of the karyotype ofParagonimus westermani (s. str.) andP. pulmonalis. Jpn J Parasitol 29:239–243
Terasaki K (1980c) The karyotype ofParagonimus pulmonalis (Baelz, 1880) collected in Korea. Med Bull Fukuoka Univ 7:183–187
Terasaki K, Habe S, Ho L (1989) Ploidy of chromosomes in the lung fluke,Paragonimus westermani, from China — confirmation of tetraploids —. In: Kawashima K (ed)Paragonimus research Report 2. Shunpposha Photographic Printing Co. LTD, Fukuoka, Japan pp 26–33
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Terasaki, K., Habe, S., Ho, L. et al. Tetraploids of the lung flukeParagonimus westermani found in China. Parasitol Res 81, 627–630 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00932031
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00932031