title: Multiple origin of the dihomoxenous life cycle in sarcosporidia.
abstract: Although their ssrRNA gene sequences are closely related, the lizard sarcosporidia (Apicomplexa, Sarcocystidae) Sarcocystis lacertae and Sarcocystis gallotiae posses heteroxenous and dihomoxenous life cycles, respectively. When aligned with available sarcosporidian ssrRNA genes, both species constitute a monophyletic clade that is only distantly related with sarcosporidia that have a viperid snake as their definitive host (Sarcocystis sp., Sarcocystis atheridis). To test the phyletic status of the dihomoxenous life style, Sarcocystis rodentifelis and Sarcocystis muris, two dihomoxenous parasites of mammals were included into this study. All studied species group together with former Frenkelia spp., Sarcocystis neurona and related marsupial and bird sarcosporidia in a monophyletic clade. However, the available dataset supports independent appearance of the dihomoxenous life cycle at least twice during the evolution of the Sarcocystidae.
authors: Department of Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackého 1-3, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic. slapetaj@vfu.cz
authors: J R
authors: JR
authors: Slapeta
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Modrý
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Votýpka
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Jirků
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Koudela
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Lukes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000235:genetics*; D008116:Lizards / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal