Molecular characterization of microsporidia indicates that wild mammals harbor host-adapted Enterocytozoon spp. as well as human-pathogenic Enterocytozoon bieneusi

Over 13 months, 465 beavers, foxes, muskrats, otters, and raccoons were trapped in four counties in eastern Maryland and examined by molecular methods for microsporidia. A two-step nested PCR protocol was developed to amplify a 392-bp fragment of the internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA ge...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2003-08, Vol.69 (8), p.4495-4501
Main Authors: Sulaiman, I.M, Fayer, R, Lal, A.A, Trout, J.M, Schaefer, F.W. III, Xiao, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal parasites and pests
Animals
Animals, Wild
Base Sequence
Biological and medical sciences
Castoridae
Enterocytozoon
Enterocytozoon - classification
Enterocytozoon - genetics
Enterocytozoon - isolation & purification
Enterocytozoon bieneusi
Female
foxes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
genes
genetic variation
Genotype
Humans
internal transcribed spacers
Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis
Lontra canadensis
Male
Microsporidia
microsporidiosis
Molecular Sequence Data
nucleotide sequences
Ondatra zibethica
Phylogeny
Procyon lotor
Protozoa
Public Health Microbiology
ribosomal RNA
rRNA
sequence alignment
wildlife
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Summary:Over 13 months, 465 beavers, foxes, muskrats, otters, and raccoons were trapped in four counties in eastern Maryland and examined by molecular methods for microsporidia. A two-step nested PCR protocol was developed to amplify a 392-bp fragment of the internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA gene of Enterocytozoon spp., with the use of primers complementary to the conserved regions of published nucleotide sequences. Fifty-nine PCR-positive samples were sequenced. Multiple alignments of these sequences identified 17 genotypes of Enterocytozoon spp. (WL1 to WL17); of these, 15 have not been reported before. Most of the genotypes were found in multiple species of wildlife and belonged to a major group consisting of all the previously described Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes from human and domestic animals. Some of the isolates from muskrats and raccoons formed two distinct groups. Results of this study indicate that fur-bearing mammals, especially those closely associated with surface water, can be a potential source of human-pathogenic E. bieneusi. However, there are also host-adapted Enterocytozoon genotypes in wildlife, which may represent species different from E. bieneusi and have no apparent public health significance. This is the first report of E. bieneusi in wildlife.
ISSN:0099-2240
1098-5336
DOI:10.1128/AEM.69.8.4495-4501.2003