title: Perkinsus mediterraneus n. sp., a protistan parasite of the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis from the Balearic Islands, Mediterranean Sea.
abstract: A new species, Perkinsus mediterraneus, a protistan parasite of the European oyster Ostrea edulis (L.), farmed along the coast of the Balearic Islands, Mediterranean Sea, is described. Morphological examinations with light and transmission electron microscopy, DNA sequence-analysis and enlargement in Ray's fluid thioglycollate medium (RFTM) confirmed that this parasite belongs to the genus Perkinsus. Specific morphological and genetic characteristics indicated that it should be considered a new species in the genus. Sequencing of the small subunit ribosomal (ssu rRNA) gene confirmed that the parasite belongs to the genus Perkinsus, and sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) were distinct from any Perkinsus ITS sequences previously published and/or deposited in the GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ITS sequences of the new species formed a monophyletic group comprising a sister clade to the P. atlanticus/olseni group. In addition, morphological differences were observed between the new species and the other described Perkinsus spp.. After incubation in RFTM for 1 wk, the prezoosporangium had reached an extremely large size (97.4 +/- 1.99 microm) (mean +/- SE), and after 2 wk incubation had again almost doubled in size (167.1 +/- 8.09 microm). The discharge-tube length was one sixth the diameter of the zoosporangium, i.e. a ratio of 17.36:97.38, the lowest ratio observed for any Perkinsus species. At the ultrastructural level, zoosporangia and zoospores exhibited some differences compared to other Perkinsus species.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigacións Mariñas, Consellería de Pesca e Asuntos Marítimos, Xunta de Galicia, Apartado 13, 36620 Vilanova de Arousa, Spain.
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Kimberly S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Apakupakul
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villalba
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D013170:Spores / Q000502:physiology; D013864:Thioglycolates
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D013864:Thioglycolates