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Phylogenetic Relationships of Pleistophora‐like Microsporidia Based on Small Subunit Ribosomal DNA Sequences and Implications for the Source of Trachipleistophora hominis Infections
Author(s) -
CHENEY SARAH A.,
LAFRANCHITRISTEM NATHALIE J.,
CANNING ELIZABETH U.
Publication year - 2000
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.1550-7408.2000.tb00048.x
Subject(s) - biology , microsporidia , phylogenetic tree , ribosomal dna , ribosomal rna , microsporidiosis , evolutionary biology , zoology , phylogenetics , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , spore , gene
. The microsporidian Trachipleistophora hominis was isolated in vitro from the skeletal muscle of an AIDS patient. Since its discovery several more cases of myositis due to Trachipleistophora have been diagnosed but the source of infection is unknown. Morphologically, T. hominis most closely resembles Pleistophora and Vavraia , which undergo polysporous sporogony in sporophorous vesicles, but differs from these genera in the mode of formation of sporoblasts and in the morphology of the sporophorous vesicles. Alignment and analyses of the small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences of T. hominis and several other polysporoblastic genera indicated that its closest phylogenetic relationships were with species of the genera Pleistophora and Vavraia , in line with morphological predictions. The type species of the latter two genera are Pleistophora typicalis and Vavraia culicis ; these are parasites of fish and mosquitoes, respectively. These results suggest two possible routes and sources of infection to AIDS patients, these being perorally by ingestion of inadequately cooked fish or crustaceans or percutaneously during a bloodmeal taken by a haematophagous insect. Support for an insect source has been provided by recent detection of a microsporidium from mosquitoes in human corneal tissue.