Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T19:57:27.473Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Molecular detection of Sarcocystis lutrae in the European badger (Meles meles) in Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2017

T. LEPORE ,
P. M. BARTLEY Open the ORCID record for P. M. BARTLEY [Opens in a new window] ,
F. CHIANINI ,
A. I. MACRAE ,
E. A. INNES  and
F. KATZER
T. LEPORE
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
P. M. BARTLEY
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
F. CHIANINI
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
A. I. MACRAE
Affiliation:
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
E. A. INNES
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
F. KATZER*
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK. E-mail: Frank.Katzer@moredun.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Neck samples from 54 badgers and 32 tongue samples of the same badgers (Meles meles), collected in the Lothians and Borders regions of Scotland, were tested using polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) directed against the 18S ribosomal DNA and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) region of protozoan parasites of the family Sarcocystidae. Positive results were obtained from 36/54 (67%) neck and 24/32 (75%) tongue samples using an 18S rDNA PCR. A 468 base pair consensus sequence that was generated from the 18S rDNA PCR amplicons (KX229728) showed 100% identity to Sarcocystis lutrae. The ITS1 PCR results revealed that 12/20 (60%) neck and 10/20 (50%) tongue samples were positive for Sarcocystidae DNA. A 1074 bp consensus sequence was generated from the ITS1 PCR amplicons (KX431307) and showed 100% identity to S. lutrae. Multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis support the finding that the rDNA found in badgers is identical to that of S. lutrae. This parasite has not been previously reported in badgers or in the UK. Sarcocystis lutrae has previously only been detected in tongue, skeletal muscle and diaphragm samples of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Norway and potentially in the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus).

Keywords

Sarcocystis lutraerDNAScotlandEuropean badgers (Meles meles)18S PCRITS1 PCRphylogenetic analysis
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 144 , Issue 11 , September 2017 , pp. 1426 - 1432
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bartley, P. M., Wright, S. E., Zimmer, I. A., Roy, S., Kitchener, A. C., Meredith, A., Innes, E. A. and Katzer, F. (2013). Detection of Neospora caninum in wild carnivorans in Great Britain. Veterinary Parasitology 192, 279–283. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.10.001.Google Scholar
Bartley, P. M., Hamilton, C., Wilson, C., Innes, E. A. and Katzer, F. (2016). Detection of Babesia annae DNA in lung exudate samples from Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain. Parasites & Vectors 9, 84. doi: 10.1186/s13071-016-1364-1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burrells, A., Opsteegh, M., Pollock, K. G., Alexander, C. L., Chatterton, J., Evans, R., Walker, R., McKenzie, C. A., Hill, D., Innes, E. A. and Katzer, F. (2016). The prevalence and genotypic analysis of Toxoplasma gondii from individuals in Scotland, 2006–2012. Parasites & Vectors 9, 324. doi: 10.1186/s13071-016-1610-6.Google Scholar
Dubey, J. P. and Lindsay, D. S. (2006). Neosporosis, toxoplasmosis, and sarcocystosis in ruminants. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 22, 645–671. doi: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2006.08.001.Google Scholar
Dubey, J. P., Speer, С. Α. and Fayer, R. (1989). Sarcocystosis of Animals and Man. CRC Press. Inc., Boca Raton, Florida.Google Scholar
Dubey, J. P., Lindsay, D. S., Saville, W. J., Reed, S. M., Granstrom, D. E. and Speer, C. A. (2001 a). A review of Sarcocystis neurona and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Veterinary Parasitology 95, 89–131.Google Scholar
Dubey, J. P., Rosypal, A. C., Rosenthal, B. M., Thomas, N. J., Lindsay, D. S., Stanek, J. F., Reed, S. M. and Saville, W. J. (2001 b). Sarcocystis neurona infections in sea otter (Enhydra lutris): evidence for natural infections with sarcocysts and transmission of infection to opossums (Didelphis virginiana). Journal of Parasitology 87, 1387–1393.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dubey, J. P., Lindsay, D. S., Rosenthal, B. M. and Thomas, N. J. (2003). Sarcocysts of an unidentified species of Sarcocystis in the sea otter (Enhydra lutris). Journal of Parasitology 89, 397–399. doi: 10.1645/0022-3395(2003)089[0397:SOAUSO]2.0.CO;2.Google Scholar
Dubey, J. P., Reichard, M. V., Torretti, L., Garvon, J. M., Sundar, N. and Grigg, M. E. (2010). Two new species of Sarcocystis (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) infecting the wolverine (Gulo gulo) from Nunavut, Canada. Journal of Parasitology. 96, 972–976. doi: 10.1645/GE-2412.1.Google Scholar
Dubey, J. P., Calero-Bernal, R., Rosenthal, B. M., Speer, A. and Fayer, R. (2015). Sarcocystosis of Animals and Humans, 2nd Edn. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, London, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gjerde, B. (2014). Molecular characterisation of Sarcocystis rileyi from a common eider (Somateria mollissima) in Norway. Parasitology Research 113, 3501–3509. doi: 10.1007/s00436-014-4062-y.Google Scholar
Gjerde, B. and Josefsen, T. D. (2015). Molecular characterisation of Sarcocystis lutrae n. sp. and Toxoplasma gondii from the musculature of two Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Norway. Parasitology Research 114, 873–886. doi: 10.1007/s00436-014-4251-8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gjerde, B. and Schulze, J. (2014). Muscular sarcocystosis in two Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) due to Sarcocystis arctica n. sp.: sarcocyst morphology, molecular characteristics and phylogeny. Parasitology Research 113, 811–821. doi: 10.1007/s00436-013-3711-x.Google Scholar
Kaltungo, B. Y. and Musa, I. W. (2013). A Review of some protozoan parasites causing infertility in Farm Animals. ISRN Tropical Medicine 2013, 1–6.Google Scholar
Kubo, M., Okano, T., Ito, K., Tsubota, T., Sakai, H. and Yanai, T. (2009). Muscular sarcocystosis in wild carnivores in Honshu, Japan. Parasitology Research 106, 213–219.Google Scholar
Miller, M. A., Barr, B. C., Nordhausen, R., James, E. R., Magargal, S. L., Murray, M., Conrad, P. A., Toy-Choutka, S., Jessup, D. A. and Grigg, M. E. (2009). Ultrastructural and molecular confirmation of the development of Sarcocystis neurona tissue cysts in the central nervous system of southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis). International Journal for Parasitology 39, 1363–1372. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2009.04.014.Google Scholar
Odening, K., Stolte, M., Walter, G. and Bockhardt, I. (1994 a). The European badger (Carnivora: Mustelidae) as intermediate host of further three Sarcocystis species (Sporozoa). Parasite Immunology 1, 23–30.Google Scholar
Odening, K., Stolte, M., Walter, G., Bockhardt, I. and Jakob, W. (1994 b). Sarcocysts (Sarcocystis sp.: Sporozoa) in the European badger, Meles meles . Parasitology 108, 421–424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tamura, K. and Nei, M. (1993). Estimation of the number of nucleotide substitutions in the control region of mitochondrial DNA in humans and chimpanzees. Molecular Biology and Evolution 10, 512–526.Google Scholar
Tamura, K., Stecher, G., Peterson, D., Filipski, A. and Kumar, S. (2013). MEGA6: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 6.0. Molecular Biology and Evolution 30, 2725–2729. doi: 10.1093/molbev/mst197.Google Scholar
Wendte, J. M., Miller, M. A., Nandra, A. K., Peat, S. M., Crosbie, P. R., Conrad, P. A. and Grigg, M. E. (2010). Limited genetic diversity among Sarcocystis neurona strains infecting southern sea otters precludes distinction between marine and terrestrial isolates. Veterinary Parasitology 169, 37–44. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.12.020.Google Scholar