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Molecular and morphological analysis of a Caryospora-like isolate (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) (Latham, 1801) in Western Australia

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Abstract

A new Caryospora-like isolate is described from a magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) in Western Australia. Sporulated oocysts of the Caryospora-like isolate (n = 35) are subspherical with a shape index of 1.13 ((21.5 (19.7–23.6) × 19.0 (18.1–19.8) μm). The bilayered oocyst wall is smooth. Micropyle, polar granule and oocyst residuum are absent. The sporocyst is ellipsoidal, 18.9 (17.2–20.8) × 12.3 (11.9–12.8) μm, with a shape index (length/width) of 1.54. The sporocyst wall is bilayered. Stieda and substieda bodies are present, the Stieda body is small and flattened and the substieda is trapezoidal. Sporocyst with eight sporozoites arranged head to tail. The sporozoites are vermiform, 18.9 (17.2–20.8) × 12.3 (11.9–12.8) μm and have striations at the anterior end. Each sporozoite has both anterior and posterior refractile bodies. A sporocyst residuum is present. Molecular characterization of the isolated Caryospora-like oocysts was conducted at the 18S ribosomal RNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI) loci. At the 18S rRNA locus, the Caryospora-like isolate exhibited 88.8% to 96.5% similarity with other Caryospora spp. from different hosts. At the COI locus, it showed 91.5% similarity to Caryospora cf. bigenetica JB-2013 (KF859856) from the rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the veterinarians and staff at the WGVH for their expert treatment of the wildlife admitted to their practise. The authors also wish to thank all the volunteers at KWRC for their care of the animals admitted to the centre.

Funding

This work was partially supported by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD) and Jiangsu Government Scholarship for Overseas studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia

    Dandan Liu, Aileen Elliot, Una Ryan & Rongchang Yang

  2. Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Dandan Liu

  3. Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, 120 Gilchrist Road, Lesmurdie, Kalamunda, Western Australia, 6076, Australia

    Belinda Brice

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  1. Dandan Liu
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  2. Belinda Brice
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  3. Aileen Elliot
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  4. Una Ryan
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Correspondence to Rongchang Yang.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All experiments associated with animals were approved by the Murdoch University Animal Ethics Permit (Protocol No. 569).

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Liu, D., Brice, B., Elliot, A. et al. Molecular and morphological analysis of a Caryospora-like isolate (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) (Latham, 1801) in Western Australia. Parasitol Res 119, 611–621 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06546-w

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