title: First isolation and characterisation of Encephalitozoon cuniculi from a free-ranging rat (Rattus norvegicus).
abstract: The microsporidian species Encephalitozoon cuniculi can infect a wide variety of mammals including man. It is a common parasite in rabbits and several sporadic infections in laboratory rats have been described. Based on molecular data three E. cuniculi strains have been identified. Here we describe the first in vitro propagation of E. cuniculi, which was isolated from a free-ranging rat (Rattus norvegicus). The rat was one of three seropositive animals among 23 rats captured in the city of Zurich. The new isolate was further characterised as strain II ("mouse"-strain) based on the rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequence. Western blot analysis of this isolate revealed slight differences to other available strain II isolates originating from laboratory mice and farmed blue foxes. The new isolate caused disseminated infection in liver and lung upon oral inoculation of Brown Norway (BN) rats and was transmitted to sentinel rats. This rat-adapted isolate will be valuable to study the pathogenesis of Encephalitozoon infections in the rat model.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 266A, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Uwe Ulex
authors.initials: UU
authors.lastname: Müller-Doblies
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mathis
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deplazes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis*; D009670:Encephalitozoon cuniculi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013557:Switzerland
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal