Identification of a Clinical Spirometra mansoni Plerocercoid Isolate Using Molecular and Morphological Data.

Sparganosis has been a neglected parasitic zoonosis for a long time. The accurate identification of Spirometra tapeworms in clinical practice is poorly understood. A case of breast sparganosis was reported in Henan Province of central China. One plerocercoid approximately 3.5 cm in length was collected from the patient. The clinical isolate was identified as Spirometra mansoni based on the barcoding sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1). Finally, the epidemiology of sparganosis in central China was reviewed. Comprehensive public health education should be carried out, and the risky habit of eating live tadpoles must be discouraged in Henan Province.

Comparative analysis of phosphorylated proteomes between plerocercoid and adult Spirometra mansoni reveals phosphoproteomic profiles of the medical tapeworm.

BACKGROUND: Plerocercoid larvae of the tapeworm Spirometra mansoni can infect both humans and animals, leading to severe parasitic zoonosis worldwide. Despite ongoing research efforts, our understanding of the developmental process of S. mansoni remains inadequate. To better characterize posttranslational regulation associated with parasite growth, development, and reproduction, a comparative phosphoproteomic study was conducted on the plerocercoid and adult stages of S. mansoni. METHODS: In this study, site-specific phosphoproteomic analysis was conducted via 4D label-free quantitative analysis technology to obtain primary information about the overall phosphorylation status of plerocercoids and adults. RESULTS: A total of 778 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were detected between adults and plerocercoids, of which 704 DAPs were upregulated and only 74 were downregulated. DAPs involved in metabolic activity were upregulated in plerocercoid larvae compared with adults, whereas DAPs associated with binding were upregulated in adults. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) analyses indicated that most DAPs involved in signal transduction and environmental information processing pathways were highly active in adults. DAPs upregulated in the plerocercoid group were enriched mainly in metabolic activities. The kinases PKACA, GSK3B, and smMLCK closely interact, suggesting potential active roles in the growth and development of S. mansoni. CONCLUSIONS: The dataset presented in this study offers a valuable resource for forthcoming research on signaling pathways as well as new insights into functional studies on the molecular mechanisms of S. mansoni.

Phylomitogenomic Analyses Provided Further Evidence for the Resurrection of the Family Pseudoacanthocephalidae (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchida).

The phylum Acanthocephala is an important monophyletic group of parasites, with adults parasitic in the digestive tracts of all major vertebrate groups. Acanthocephalans are of veterinary, medical, and economic importance due to their ability to cause disease in domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. However, the current genetic data for acanthocephalans are sparse, both in terms of the proportion of taxa surveyed and the number of genes sequenced. Consequently, the basic molecular phylogenetic framework for the phylum is still incomplete. In the present study, we reported the first complete mitochondrial genome from a representative of the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae Petrochenko, 1956. The mitogenome of Pseudoacanthocephalus bufonis (Shipley, 1903) is 14,056 bp in length, contains 36 genes (12 protein-coding genes (PCGs) (lacking atp8), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes (rrnL and rrnS)) and two non-coding regions (NCR1 and NCR2), and displayed the highest GC-skew in the order Echinorhynchida. Phylogenetic results of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) using the amino acid sequences of 12 protein-coding genes in different models provided further evidence for the resurrection of the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae and also supported that the order Echinorhynchida is paraphyletic. A monophyletic clade comprising P. bufonis and Cavisoma magnum suggests a close affinity between Pseudoacanthocephalidae and Cavisomatidae. Our phylogenetic analyses also showed that Polymorphidae has a closer relationship with Centrorhynchidae than Plagiorhynchidae in the monophyletic order Polymorphida.

Morphology and molecular characterization of Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis Chowhan, Gupta & Khera, 1987 (Acanthocephala: Gyracanthocephala: Quadrigyridae) from the common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in Pakistan.

Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis Chowhan, Gupta & Khera, 1987 is a poorly known acanthocephalan species reported from the reba carp Cirrhinus reba (Hamilton) (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in India. In the present study, the detailed morphology of A. (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis were studied using light microscopy and, for the first time, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), based on newly collected specimens from the common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) in Pakistan. The SEM observations revealed the outer shell of eggs with numerous remarkable protuberances and the gonopore of female located at a discoid protrusion surrounded by some very small spines. This is the first time that A. (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis was reported in Pakistan, and the common carp represents a new host for this species. In addition, the molecular characterization of the 18S and 28S rDNA of A. (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis is provided for the first time. There was no intraspecific genetic variation detected in the 18S and 28S regions between different individuals of A. (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis, but high level of interspecific nucleotide divergence was found in the 18S (4.15-16.7%) and 28S regions (3.60-15.4%). Phylogenetic results based on the 18S, 28S and 18S + 28S sequence data, respectively, all revealed the Quadrigyridae, Pallisentinae and the genus Neoechinorhynchus are not monophyletic groups, and the genera Acanthogyrus and Pallisentis have far relationship. The systematic status of the genus Acanthogyrus and some species of Neoechinorhynchus need further clarify based on different mtDNA and nuclear DNA data including broader representatives of the class Eoacanthocephala.

Morphology, molecular characterization and phylogeny of Bolbosoma nipponicum Yamaguti, 1939 (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), a potential zoonotic parasite of human acanthocephaliasis.

Human acanthocephaliasis is a rare parasitic zoonosis mainly caused by acanthocephalans belonging to the genera Acanthocephalus, Bolbosoma, Corynosoma, Macracanthorhynchus, and Moniliformis. In the present paper, the juveniles of Bolbosoma nipponicum Yamaguti, 1939 collected from the northern fur seal Callorhinus ursinus (Linnaeus) (Mammalia: Carnivora) in Alaska, USA were precisely identified based on morphological characters and genetic data. Their detailed morphology was studied using light and, for the first time, scanning electron microscopy. The molecular characterization of the nuclear genes [small ribosomal subunit (18S) and large ribosomal subunit (28S)] and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) sequence data of B. nipponicum are provided for the first time. Moreover, in order to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Bolbosoma and the other genera in the family Polymorphidae, phylogenetic analyses were performed integrating different nuclear (18S + ITS+28S) and mitochondrial (cox1) sequence data using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI). The phylogenetic results showed that Bolbosoma has a sister relationship with Corynosoma, and also revealed that Southwellina is sister to Ibirhynchus + Hexaglandula. Our molecular phylogeny also indicated a possible host-switch pattern during the evolution of the polymorphid acanthocephalans. The ancestors of polymorphid acanthocephalans seem to have originally parasitized fish-eating waterfowl in continental habitats, then extended to fish-eating marine birds in brackish water and marine habitats, and finally, opportunistically infected the marine mammals.