Novel insights into the genetic diversity of Balantidium and Balantidium-like cyst-forming Ciliates

0391449 - ÚBO 2014 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Pomajbíková, K. - Oborník, Miroslav - Horák, Aleš - Petrželková, Klára Judita - Grim, J. N. - Levecke, B. - Todd, A. - Mulama, M. - Kiyang, J. - Modrý, David
Novel insights into the genetic diversity of Balantidium and Balantidium-like cyst-forming Ciliates.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Roč. 7, č. 3 (2013), e2140. ISSN 1935-2735. E-ISSN 1935-2735
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/09/0927
Institutional support: RVO:68081766 ; RVO:60077344
Keywords : Troglodytella abrassarti * Intestinal parasites * Coli infection
Subject RIV: EG - Zoology
Impact factor: 4.489, year: 2013

Balantidiasis is considered a neglected zoonotic disease with pigs serving as reservoir hosts. However, Balantidium coli has been recorded in many other mammalian species, including primates. Here, we evaluated the genetic diversity of B. coli in non-human primates using two gene markers (SSrDNA and ITS1-5.8SDNA-ITS2). We analyzed 49 isolates of ciliates from fecal samples originating from 11 species of captive and wild primates, domestic pigs and wild boar. The phylogenetic trees were computed using Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood. Balantidium entozoon from edible frog and Buxtonella sulcata from cattle were included in the analyses as the closest relatives of B. coli, as well as reference sequences of vestibuliferids. The SSrDNA tree showed the same phylogenetic diversification of B. coli at genus level as the tree constructed based on the ITS region. Based on the polymorphism of SSrDNA sequences, the type species of the genus, namely B. entozoon, appeared to be phylogenetically distinct from B. coli. Thus, we propose a new genus Neobalantidium for the homeothermic clade. Moreover, several isolates from both captive and wild primates (excluding great apes) clustered with B. sulcata with high support, suggesting the existence of a new species within this genus. The cysts of Buxtonella and Neobalantidium are morphologically indistinguishable and the presence of Buxtonella-like ciliates in primates opens the question about possible occurrence of these pathogens in humans.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0220498