title: Evolutionary insights from bat trypanosomes: morphological, developmental and phylogenetic evidence of a new species, Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) erneyi sp. nov., in African bats closely related to Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi and allied species.
abstract: Parasites of the genus Trypanosoma are common in bats and those of the subgenus Schizotrypanum are restricted to bats throughout the world, with the exception of Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi that also infects other mammals and is restricted to the American Continent. We have characterized trypanosome isolates from Molossidae bats captured in Mozambique, Africa. Morphology and behaviour in culture, supported by phylogenetic inferences using SSU (small subunit) rRNA, gGAPDH (glycosomal glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) and Cyt b (cytochrome b) genes, allowed to classify the isolates as a new Schizotrypanum species named Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) erneyi sp. nov. This is the first report of a Schizotrypanum species from African bats cultured, characterized morphologically and biologically, and positioned in phylogenetic trees. The unprecedented finding of a new species of the subgenus Schizotrypanum from Africa that is closest related to the America-restricted Trypanosoma (Schizotrypanum) cruzi marinkellei and T. cruzi provides new insights into the origin and evolutionary history of T. cruzi and closely related bat trypanosomes. Altogether, data from our study support the hypothesis of an ancestor trypanosome parasite of bats evolving to infect other mammals, even humans, and adapted to transmission by triatomine bugs in the evolutionary history of T. cruzi in the New World.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Flávia Maia da
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Attias
authors.forename: Carmen S A
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Takata
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campaner
authors.forename: Wanderley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Patrick B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Marta M G
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D024601:Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (NADP+) / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009073:Mozambique; D010802:Phylogeny; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D045303:Cytochromes b; D024601:Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (NADP+)