Clarification of Cercaria sevillana (Digenea : Microphallidae) life cycle using morphological and molecular data

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2007

Authors

Susana M R Pina (Author) Other; Fernanda Russell Pinto (Author) Other; Pedro Rodrigues (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Journal of Parasitology

Vol. 93

Pages: 318-322

ISSN: 0022-3395

Publisher: American Society of Parasitology

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 7 Citations

Scopus - 9 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-AZ7

DOI: 10.1645/ge-836r1.1

Abstract (EN): Cercaria sevillana is the cercaria larval stage that infects the gonads and the digestive gland of its first intermediate host, Nassarius reticulatus. In this study the decapodous crustacean Carcinus maenas was used to determine if it would serve as second intermediate host in the parasite's life cycle. The latter hypothesis was based on the knowledge that C. maenas is the second intermediate host of several other digenean species. After dissection, it was possible to observe encysted metacercariae in the antennal glands of the green crab. After biochemical excystment, the metacercariae were processed for light and scanning electron microscopy. The morphological features observed led us to conclude that this species was a microphallid fluke, and it was identified as Gynaecotyla longiintestinata. To establish a possible relationship between C. sevillana and this metacercariae, the ITS1 region was analyzed. Thus, DNA was extracted from C. sevillana and from the cysts isolated from the antennal glands. The ITS1 region was amplified and sequenced, and the alignment clearly demonstrated that the cercaria and the metacercariae belonged to the same species, G. longiintestinata.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 5