title: Hidden diversity and evolutionary trends in malacosporean parasites (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) identified using molecular phylogenetics.
abstract: Malacosporeans represent a small fraction of myxozoan biodiversity with only two genera and three species described. They cycle between bryozoans and freshwater fish. In this study, we (i) microscopically examine and screen different freshwater/marine fish species from various geographic locations and habitats for the presence of malacosporeans using PCR; (ii) study the morphology, prevalence, host species/habitat preference and distribution of malacosporeans; (iii) perform small subunit/large subunit rDNA and Elongation factor 2 based phylogenetic analyses of newly gathered data, together with all available malacosporean data in GenBank; and (iv) investigate the evolutionary trends of malacosporeans by mapping the morphology of bryozoan-related stages, host species, habitat and geographic data on the small subunit rDNA-based phylogenetic tree. We reveal a high prevalence and diversity of malacosporeans in several fish hosts in European freshwater habitats by adding five new species of Buddenbrockia and Tetracapsuloides from cyprinid and perciform fishes. Comprehensive phylogenetic analyses revealed that, apart from Buddenbrockia and Tetracapsuloides clades, a novel malacosporean lineage (likely a new genus) exists. The fish host species spectrum was extended for Buddenbrockia plumatellae and Buddenbrockia sp. 2. Co-infections of up to three malacosporean species were found in individual fish. The significant increase in malacosporean species richness revealed in the present study points to a hidden biodiversity in this parasite group. This is most probably due to the cryptic nature of malacosporean sporogonic and presporogonic stages and mostly asymptomatic infections in the fish hosts. The potential existence of malacosporean life cycles in the marine environment as well as the evolution of worm- and sac-like morphology is discussed. This study improves the understanding of the biodiversity, prevalence, distribution, habitat and host preference of malacosporeans and unveils their evolutionary trends.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: bartosova@paru.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Pavla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bartošová-Sojková
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hrabcová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pecková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Sneha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patra
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Alena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kodádková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jurajda
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tyml
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Astrid Sibylle
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Holzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D005075:Biological Evolution; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005399:Fishes / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055764:Myxozoa / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D020652:Peptide Elongation Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D020652:Peptide Elongation Factor 2; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; C065096:RNA, ribosomal, 26S
keywords: Bryozoa; Buddenbrockia; Cryptic; Diversity; Fish; Phylogeny; Tetracapsuloides; Worm