Intraerythrocytic Mycoplasma-like organism diagnosed ultrastructurally as an agent of anaemia in laboratory-reared cyprinid hybrids

A study targeting the etiology of severe anaemia that sporadically occurred in laboratory-bred cyprinid hybrids resulted in a diagnosis of a Mycoplasma-like organism selectively invading the cytoplasm of erythrocytes. Despite the fact that there was a concurrent yeast infection in moribund anaemic hybrids, the primary role in the development of anaemia was assigned to the Mycoplasma-like organism due to its regular occurrence in erythrocytes of both the moribund hybrids and hybrids that were free of yeast infection yet showed early to advanced symptoms of the disease. Novel data on the Mycoplasma-like organism's cytoskeleton were obtained from ultrathin sections of affected erythrocytes. An ultrastructural study of the concurrent yeast infection in moribund hybrids manifesting the most advanced anaemia revealed the presence of Titan cells in ascitic fluid. The original findings presented in this study underline the diagnostic relevance of transmission electron microscopy in the research of similar infections.

Swim bladder as a primary site of mycobacterial infection in Nothobranchius 'belly sliders'

The swim bladder inflates early after fish hatching via its interconnection with the digestive tract (ductus pneumaticus). This interconnection may serve as a portal to foreign particles, including bacteria, causing deficiencies in primary swim bladder inflation. We histologically examined 134 African annual killifish (genus Nothobranchius) with secondary loss of swim bladder function ('belly sliders'). We demonstrate that these fish lost the ability of air regulation in their swim bladders likely due to Mycobacterium spp. infection at an individual-specific age. Nearly all examined belly sliders had thickened swim bladder walls, and their swim bladder was filled with material containing mycobacteria, cell debris, young monocytic cells and phagocyting macrophages. Mycobacterial infection was restricted to the swim bladder in juveniles, where mycobacteria likely enter the host through the ductus pneumaticus. Infection in adults was systemic and mycobacteria were present in all examined organs. Presence of mycobacteria in the epithelial lining and submucosal layers of the digestive tract of adults suggests that it may also serve as the entrance site of infection. We suspect 2 sources of Mycobacterium contamination: dietary (with bloodworms) and/or contaminated hatching substrate. These sources of contamination may be eliminated by use of laboratory dry feed and egg disinfection prior to hatching.

Testate amoeba Rhogostoma minus Belar, 1921, associated with nodular gill disease of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

The case study targeted to determine the aetiology of nodular gill disease (NGD) of farmed rainbow trout. The methods included microscopical examination of gill material in fresh, culturing of isolated organisms, histology, transmission electron microscopy and molecular biology identification. The results revealed an intravital colonization of fish gills by the testate amoeba Rhogostoma minus Belar, 1921. Rhogostoma infection was found in all fish examined microscopically (15/15); in contrast, naked amoebae related to fully developed NGD lesions were found in minority of these fish (5/15). They belonged to four genera, Acanthamoeba, Vermamoeba, Naegleria and Vannella. Results presented in this study contribute to the mosaic of findings that contrary to amoebic gill disease of marine fish turn attention to the possibility of the heterogeneous, multi-amoeba-species and multifactorial aetiology of NGD.

Chloromyxum reticulatum (Myxozoa, Myxosporea) in the liver of burbot (Lota lota L) and its migration to the final site of infection

The coelozoic myxosporean Chloromyxum reticulatum Lom, Dyková and Kepr, 1988 forms large sporogonic plasmodia in the gall bladder of burbot (Lota lota). Different, very small stages of the parasite were detected in the liver parenchyma. Their presence between the hepatocytes provoked no pathological changes and induced no host tissue reaction. They were concentrated beneath the epithelial layer of the proximal parts of the bile ducts, were wedged between the bile duct epithelial cells and also in the lumen. These findings indicate that, contrary to earlier assumptions, myxosporea reach the gall bladder via circulating blood, not directly from the intestine through the common bile duct. Thus the haematogenous spread of early myxosporean stages can be presumed in myxosporeans infecting all sites in the fish body.

Phylogeny and morphology of Glugea hertwigi from rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax found in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Infection of rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax with the microsporidian Glugea hertwigi was diagnosed for the first time in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The prevalence of infection was 24%, 45 infected out of 187 examined fish captured in February and March 2009. Both large and small xenomas of G. hertwigi observed within the submucosa of the gastrointestinal tract and along the mesentery of the host contained only mature spores. Advanced and degraded xenomas associated with host reaction were described using light and transmission electron microscopy. The first rDNA sequence of G. hertwigi prepared in the present study completed the set of sequences of Glugea spp. available for comparison. The high level of rDNA sequence identity between Glugea spp. suggests that these may be variants of a single species.

Development of a diagnostic PCR to detect Neoparamoeba perurans, agent of amoebic gill disease

The recent description of Neoparamoeba perurans as an aetiological agent of amoebic gill disease (AGD) advanced our understanding of the condition and has forced a re-evaluation of methods used for the diagnosis of AGD. Currently, there are no tools available that are both specific for N. perurans and suitable for a routine diagnostic procedure. Therefore, in this study we describe an assay to detect N. perurans. The assay, which utilizes PCR to amplify the N. perurans 18S rRNA gene, was shown to be specific and highly sensitive. Neoparamoeba perurans was detected in both gill samples and primary isolates of non-cultured gill-derived amoebae obtained during necropsy or biopsy from AGD-affected Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. The PCR-based assay provides a simple, flexible tool that will be a useful addition to the diagnostic repertoire for AGD. It may also be used for the genotypic screening of trophozoites during culture and could facilitate further epidemiological and ecological studies of AGD.

Neoparamoeba branchiphila n. sp., and related species of the genus Neoparamoeba Page, 1987: morphological and molecular characterization of selected strains

A total of 18 Neoparamoeba strains were characterized both morphologically and using the SSU rRNA gene sequences as molecular markers. Nine were isolated from gills of farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., six from sediments sampled in areas of sea-cage farms and three from net material of sea-cages. The newly obtained sequences extended substantially the dataset of Neoparamoeba strains available for phylogenetic analyses, which were used to infer taxonomic relatedness among 32 strains morphologically assigned to this genus. In addition to the N. pemaquidensis and N. aestuarina clades, phylogenetic analyses clearly distinguished a third clade with sequences from six strains. Members of this clade are characterized as representatives of a new species, N. branchiphila n. sp. The diagnostic primers for the identification of this species are introduced.

Raphidascaris acus (Bloch, 1779) larvae infections of the stone loach, Barbatula barbatula (L.), from the River Haná, Czech Republic

The stone loach, Barbatula barbatula (L.), is a typical and dominant intermediate host of Raphidascaris acus in lowland streams of Central Europe. The prevalence of infection of R. acus in B. barbatula from the River Haná ranged throughout the year from 73.3 to 100%. The abundance and the mean intensity of infection also varied throughout the year with a peak in September. Larvae were located mainly in the liver parenchyma. High numbers of larvae and their migration through the tissue caused cyst- or abscess-like formations in the host parenchyma. The severity of the disease condition ranged from mild to severe. We speculate that the infection of stone loach by R. acus larvae regulates the population density and abundance of the intermediate host in lowland streams where natural predators are absent.

Theloiania contejeani Henneguy, 1892: dimorphic life cycle and taxonomic affinities, as indicated by ultrastructural and molecular study

Thelohania contejeani is a dimorphic species with two simultaneous routes for sporogony. In the first, diplokaryotic sporonts produce 8 uninucleate spores with 9-10 turns of polar tube, within a sporophorous vesicle wall. The episporontal space contains two kinds of tubules and a spongiform mass. In the second, single diplokaryotic sporonts produce small membrane-bound compartments in which they transform into mature diplokaryotic spores with 5-6 turns of polar tube. Analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA revealed two copies of 16S-like rDNA, one of them 1,311 bp, the other 1,361 bp long, with an overall identity of 93%. The majority of sequence differences were located in a 120-bp stretch between positions 336 and 456, with only 40.5% identity between the sequences. Careful consideration suggests that the shorter sequence represents a pseudogene. According to the SSU rDNA sequence, T. contejeani is not closely related to any of the microsporidians where this sequence is available and could not be unambiguously placed in the 16S phylogenetic tree.

Identity of Naegleria strains isolated from organs of freshwater fishes

Eighteen Naegleria strains were isolated from organs of freshwater fishes belonging to 5 species. Morphometric study allowed the separation of the Naegleria strains from the non-vahlkampfiid amoeboflagellates, but was inadequate for species determination. Six strains, representatives of groups that had a slightly different cyst size, were selected and corresponding derived clones were subjected to sequence analysis and riboprinting restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes. One strain isolated from the brain of a fish with systemic infection was characterised by an intronless 2 kb long SSU rRNA gene and was identified as N. australiensis. Another 5 strains had a 1.3 kb long group I intron in their SSU rRNA gene and, based on the SSU rRNA sequences and riboprints, RFLP-PCR patterns appeared in phylogenetic trees to be closely related to Naegleria clarki.

Histopathology of Kabatana arthuri (Microspora) infection in sutchi catfish, Panagasius sutchi

The microsporidian Kabatana arthuri (Lom, Dyková et Shaharom, 1990) induced severe regressive changes in trunk muscles of Pangasius sutchi (Fowler) from Thailand. Necrotic changes developed in muscle fibres around the developmental stages and on the periphery of giant aggregates of spores. The main feature of the host defence reaction was the phagocytic activity of macrophages. Inflammatory reaction was only exceptionally observed. Spore-laden macrophages were found in various tissues and organs; their infiltration in epidermis including its outermost layers may effectively enhance the spread of infection while the hosts still live.

Ultrastructural justification for the transfer of Pleistophora anguillarum Hoshina, 1959 to the genus Heterosporis Schubert, 1969

This study presents the ultrastructure of the microsporidian infecting the trunk musculature of Anguilla japonica and originally described as Pleistophora anguillarum Hoshina, 1959. All stages develop within a special structure, the sporophorocyst (SPC), which is equipped with a thick dense wall. This wall grows along with the growth of the parasites within it. Meronts are uni- to binucleate, which divide and steadily give rise to sporonts. During transition to sporonts the cell coat of the meronts increases its thickness, temporarily featuring thick irregular projections. Eventually a uniformly thick sporont wall is formed, then the sporont cells detach themselves from the wall (= future wall of the sporophorous vesicle, SPV) and start a series of divisions to produce sporoblasts. The SPV wall is compact, has no pores and consists of 2 layers. The presence of the SPC justifies the transfer of the species into the genus Heterosporis. Spores from disrupted SPCs are ingested by macrophages and within them are spread into various body tissues including the outermost layers of the epidermis. From here, they can easily be released to the outside and can contaminate the environment while the host is still alive.

Neoparamoeba Page, 1987: light and electron microscopic observations on six strains of different origin

Although amoebic gill disease (AGD) has emerged as one of the most severe health problems in the fish industry, proof of the identity of AGD agents from various localities is still missing. Six strains of amoebae designated until recently as Paramoeba species (the agents of AGD) were studied in cultures by light and electron microscopy. Although they were isolated from gills of different hosts (Dicentrarchus labrax and Scophthalmus maximus) and from distant localities, their morphology was identical. The strains differed from Paramoeba eilhardi, the type species of the genus, in that they lacked the boat-shaped microscales on the cell surface but could be safely identified as belonging to the genus Neoparamoeba Page, 1987. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of a symbiotic organism, Perkinsiella amoebae Hollande, 1980, in all strains under study. The only difference among the strains examined was found in the size of trophozoites, which could be attributed to the different origins of the strains, but until more refined diagnostic methods are available, in addition to N. pemaquidensis, the closely related species N. aestuarina also has to be taken into consideration as the agent of AGD.

Acanthamoeba strains isolated from organs of freshwater fishes

Contrary to data on Acanthamoeba infections in humans, little is known about infections in fishes. The present study combines the description of strains isolated from fishes with presentation of an improved method for subgeneric classification. Acanthamoeba spp. were isolated aseptically from tissues of 14 (1.7%) of 833 asymptomatic fishes collected in rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. Acanthamoebae successfully cloned from 10 of the 14 isolated strains were examined here. Morphology of these isolates was evaluated using light optics plus scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Cyst morphology, which varied extensively within and among clones, was most like morphological group II, but species-level classification was considered impossible. A distance analysis based on 442 bases in an 18S rDNA polymerase chain reaction fragment of about 460 bp placed the isolates in a clade composed of sequence types T3, T4, and T11, the 3 subdivisions of morphological group II. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using oligonucleotide probes indicated that all isolates belong to a single subdivision of group II, the T4 sequence type. It has been concluded that the fish isolates are most closely related to strains commonly isolated from human infections, especially Acanthamoeba keratitis. The shorter diagnostic fragment sequences have proved nearly as useful as complete 18S rDNA sequences for identification of Acanthamoeba isolates.

Epizoic amoebae from the gills of turbot Scophthalmus maximus

Species of amoebae belonging to the genera Platyamoeba Page, 1969, Vannella Bovee, 1965 and Flabellula Schaeffer, 1926 were found to accompany Paramoeba sp., the agent of amoebic gill disease (AGD), in clinically diseased turbots. The same community of epizoic gymnamoebae was found on the gills of turbots which revealed no gill abnormalities but slight behavioral signs indicative of suboptimal health status. The assemblage of the above-mentioned free-living amoebae capable of colonizing gill tissue of turbots was supplemented with species recognized in samples fixed from primary isolates for transmission electron microscopy. The pathogenic potential of epizoic gill amoebae in turbots is discussed.

Kabataia gen. n., a new genus proposed for Microsporidium spp. infecting trunk muscles of fishes

Based on a fine structural study, a new genus, Kabataia gen. n., is proposed for Microsporidium arthuri Lom, Dyková and Shaharom, 1990. It develops in trunk muscles of a South-East Asian freshwater fish, Pangasius sutchi. The genus has nuclei isolated throughout the cycle, merogony stages are multinucleate, sporogony proceeds in 2 steps: multinucleate sporont segments into sporoblast mother cells which produce 2 sporoblasts. Sporoblasts and early spores are characterized by a dense globule at the site of the posterior vacuole. Mature spores are of a rather variable shape. Their exospore is raised into small, irregular fields. The polaroplast is relatively small and its posterior part consists of flat vesicles with dense contents. The polar tube makes a small number (4 to 6) of turns. A congeneric species is Kabataia seriolae (Egusa, 1982) comb. nov. from cultured marine yellowtails Seriola quinqueradiata. Kabataia inflicts heavy damage on muscle tissue. The sarcoplasm within which Kabataia develops is reduced to an amorphous mass with tubule-like fibrils, microfibrils and small vesicles.

Fish trypanosomes: their position in kinetoplastid phylogeny and variability as determined from 12S rRNA kinetoplast sequences

Fish trypanosomes have traditionally been classified according to the host species from which they were isolated, each isolate being regarded as a distinct species. To test the soundness of this practice, the genetic variabilities of the kinetoplast 12S rRNA-encoding genes of different fish trypanosomes isolates were compared. The DNAs were extracted from trypanosomes cloned from blood samples of 15 donors representing ten different fish species in four orders from waters of three major river systems of Central and Northern Europe. Comparison with other trypanosomatid sequences revealed that the fish trypanosomes form a monophyletic group with Trypanosoma brucei as a sister group. Pairwise comparisons of genetic distances yielded a wide range of continuous variation with no indication of any discontinuities attributable to barriers to gene flow. The genetic distances did not correlate with either the identity of the host species or geography. The host specificity of fish trypanosomes appears to be limited.

Nosema notabilis (Microsporidia), its ultrastructure and effect on the myxosporean host Ortholinea polymorpha

Nosema notabilis Kudo, 1939 produces chain-forming meronts with a dense cell coat in direct contact with the host cell cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic microtubules and membranaceous whorls could be observed in meront cytoplasm. Sporonts differ in that they have a thicker cell wall and more conspicuous endoplasmic reticulum (ER) cisternae. Sporoblasts have an externally ridged cell wall. Spores have an apically located anchoring disc, an isofilar polar tube with 6 to 9 turns and polyribosomal strands in the sporoplasm. Diplokarya occur in all stages. Heavily infected plasmodia of Ortholinea polymorpha (Davis, 1917) reveal marked pathological signs. The most prominent are reduction of surface projections and/or pinocytosis, inflated mitochondria with altered inner structures, affected vegetative nuclei, damage to generative cells and occurrence of various anomalous formations in the plasmodium cytoplasm. The damage may result in complete disintegration of the plasmodium. However, the development of the microsporidian is affected by a remarkably high percentage of teratological stages revealing membranaceous and tubular structures.

Cochliopodium minus, a scale-bearing amoeba isolated from organs of perch Perca fluviatilis

A scale-bearing amoeba isolated from gills and other organs of perch Perca fluviatilis Linnaeus, 1758 was identified as Cochliopodium minus Page, 1976. This assignment was suggested by light microscopy and confirmed by ultrastructural study of both the strain isolated from perch and the environmental strain of C. minus (CCAP 1537/1A) serving as a control. This has been the first electron-microscopic definition of C. minus and, in addition, the first identification of an amoeba with a theca-like cover found to infect fish. The ability of the fish strain of C. minus to colonize gills and also internal body organs was proved experimentally.

Paramoeba sp., an agent of amoebic gill disease of turbot Scophthalmus maximus

Amoebic gill disease of turbot Scophthalmus maximus L. associated with mortalities was repeatedly diagnosed at culture facilities in NW Spain. The agent was assigned to the genus Paramoeba Schaudin, 1896. Trophozoites found in the gill tissue as well as those cultured displayed most of the principal characteristics of P. pemaquidensis Page, 1970. The identity with P. pemaquidensis, known as an agent of gill diseases of salmonids, is yet to be assessed using non-morphological criteria.

Cultivation of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma carassii, a common parasite of freshwater fish

Trypanosoma carassii (syn. T. danilewskyi) is a widespread parasite of carp and other cyprinid as well as some noncyprinid freshwater fish. It lives extracellularly in the blood and tissues of its hosts, causing chronic infections. In this paper the isolation of T. carassii from fish blood and the propagation and cloning of bloodstream forms in vitro are described. By several criteria, cultured and fish-derived trypomastigotes are indistinguishable. The culture system should be useful for the biochemical characterization of this trypanosome and its interaction with the fish immune system.

Vexillifera expectata sp. n. and other non-encysting amoebae isolated from organs of freshwater fish

Four strains of non-encysting amoebae were isolated from organs of freshwater fishes and characterized using light and electron microscope. Morphology of three clonal strains was consistent with amoebae which had already been described from water habitats. Two strains, one isolated from kidney tissue of common goldfish, Carassius auratus (Linnaeus, 1758), and the second one from brain of chub, Leuciscus cephalus Linnaeus, 1758, were identified with Vannella platypodia (Gläser, 1912) Page, 1976. Both strains were identical, except for the length of glycostyles. The strain isolated from the liver of perch, Perca fluviatilis (Linnaeus, 1758), was assigned to the genus Vexillifera Schaeffer, 1926 as Vexillifera expectata sp. n. The taxonomic position of the fourth non-encysting strain could not be safely established, although it shares some trophic cell structures with protostelids (Protostelia, Eumycetozoea). We present its detailed description here also to demonstrate that amoeba stages of this type of organisms are capable to infect fishes.

Light and electron microscopic observations on the swimbladder stages of Sphaerospora renicola, a parasite of carp (Cyprinus carpio)

The developmental cycle of stages of Sphaerospora renicola, proliferating in the walls of the swimbladder in carp fry and responsible for swimbladder inflammation (= SBI stages) is described. The initial stage, a primary cell containing two secondary cells, grows in size while the secondary cells divide and produce two tertiary cells each by endogenous division. After a supposed disintegration of the grown primary cell, the cell triplets are released to repeat the cycle. The cell divisions are asynchronous and the development of the whole formation may be quite irregular. The cytology of these stages is closely reminiscent of the blood stages of S. renicola and also shares common features with the parasite's sporogonic stages. The SBI stages show typical features of myxosporean organisation, i.e., a "cell-within-cell" arrangement in which the primary cell contains secondary cell(s) in membrane-bound vacuoles and many free ribosomes, in the absence of centrioles. Other salient features of SBI stages are partitions in the nuclei; a small amount of cytoplasm in the early secondary cells; distinct, age-dependent changes in morphology of the nucleus; and atypically shaped Golgi bodies in the cytoplasm or integrated with the nuclear envelope. The cytological features and significance of swimbladder stages are discussed in detail.

Sporogenesis and spore structure in Kudoa lunata (Myxosporea, Multivalvulida)

The multivalvulid myxosporean Kudoa lunata Lom, Dyková and Lhotáková, 1983 forms large polysporic trophozoites within the myocytes of scaldfish, Arnoglossus imperialis and A. laterna. The spores arise by the division of generative cells that produce a number of sporogonic cells necessary to complete a sporoblast. The development of some of the sporogonic cells can take place in isolation from other sporoblast cells, as shown by aberrant cases of polar capsule formation. Pansporoblast formation does not exist in Kudoa, at variance with large polysporic trophozoites of other myxosporean genera. The genus Kudoa also includes species with small trophozoites producing just one or two spores without pansporoblasts, as in Sphaerospora. Perhaps this type of sporogenesis was preserved in the species of Kudoa that have large trophozoites. Kudoa spores have a unique type of sporoplasm, comprising an outer cell enveloping an inner one; these differ in their contents of ribosomes and glycogen granules. This type of sporoplasm is reminiscent of the basic unit of all types of myxosporean development, i.e., the primary (vegetative) cell enclosing an inner (generative) cell. The canals for filament discharge extend through the apical spore projections and are of a length unmatched in other myxosporea.

Sphaerospora renicola n.sp., a Myxosporean from carp kidney, and its pathogenicity

Sphaerospora renicola n.sp. is a common parasite of carp in Czechoslovakia. Its life cycle involves intracellular stages in the epithelial cells of renal tubuli and trophozoite stages proliferating in the tubular lumen, transforming ultimately into pansporoblasts, each having one pansporoblast nucleus and producing two spores. The spores are almost globular with an average size of 7.3 X 7.2 microns, with polar capsules of equal size, and may have two slightly protruding tubercles on their shell valves. Differential diagnosis from other Sphaerospora species infecting carp, as well as from Mitraspora cyprini Fujita, is made. Intracellular stages of S. renicola cause swelling and hyperplasia of the epithelium in renal tubuli followed by dystrophic changes. Accumulation of developmental stages in the tubular lumen provokes pronounced regressive changes of the epithelium, which may be followed by necrosis.

Lymph nodes of red deer infected with subcutaneous filariae Wehrdikmansia cervipedis (Wehr et Dikmans, 1935) and Onchocerca flexuosa (Wedl, 1856)

Histological examinations of the Lnn. cervicales superficiales and subilici in red deer infested with subcutaneous filariae ( Wehrdikmansia cervipedis and Onchocerca flexuosa) revealed microfilariae in several of these nodes. These were located in the sinuses (mainly the marginal), septa, trabeculae, and frequently close to blood vessels or in their wall. These microfilariae evoked a chronic sclerosing lymphadenitis; in one instance there was thrombo-lymphadenitis of an afferent lymphatic vessel. No significant difference was found in the reaction of the nodes to infection by W. cervipedis and to a mixed invasion of W. cervipedis and O. flexuosa.