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Impact of a Novel, Feminising Microsporidium on its Crustacean Host
Author(s) -
Terry Rebecca S.,
Smith Judith E.,
Dunn Alison M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1998.tb05106.x
Subject(s) - microsporidia , biology , parasite hosting , host (biology) , zoology , microsporidiosis , transovarial transmission , nosema , crustacean , pathogen , larva , ecology , microbiology and biotechnology , spore , world wide web , computer science
We describe the transmission and pathogenic effects of a novel, feminising microsporidium, probably a Nasema species, on its crustacean host Gammarus duebeni. The parasite prevalence in the field was high (46% of females were infected) and the parasite was transovarially transmitted to 91% of embryos of infected females. The impact of the parasite on the host was assessed by means of a host breeding experiment. The parasite feminised 66% of infected host young and was transovarially transmitted by these individuals to the next host generation. The parasite differed from other feminising microsporidia in G. duebeni in that early embryos had a high parasite burden (288 parasites per embryo) and the infection was pathogenic, causing a reduction in both the growth rate of young hosts and in adult size. This study suggests that feminising microsporidia are a diverse group in which a variety of host/pathogen relationships have evolved.