title: Characterization of a coelomic gregarine parasite from Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) in the Tibetan Plateau.
abstract: Thitarodes pui, one of the host species of entomopathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, has great economic importance in the Tibetan Plateau. We report here, for the first time, a gregarine parasite found in the coelom of 7th instar and adults of T. pui. Gregarine gamonts (ovoid, ~15×8 μm) underwent syzygy to produce reproductive gametocysts in T. pui larval hemolymph. All infected T. pui carried 2-17 mature gametocysts filled with numerous oocysts (lemon-shaped, 17.17±0.73×6.49±0.4 μm). Transmission electron microscopy showed that these oocysts contained vacuoles of various sizes and amylopectin granules in the cytoplasm; scanning electron microscopy revealed a number of small bumps all over the surface of these oocysts. Small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence analysis showed a close relationship between the gregarine and the species of Ascogregarina (Eugregarinorida: Lecudinidae). Internal transcribed spacers and 5.8S ribosomal DNA from this gregarine exhibited 76% highest sequence identity with that from Ascogregarina culicis Ross.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
authors.forename: Zixuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qingyun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guren
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001483:Base Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009036:Moths / Q000469:parasitology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D018609:Tibet
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan