title: Phylogeny and Morphological Variability of Trypanosomes from African Pelomedusid Turtles with Redescription of Trypanosoma mocambicum Pienaar, 1962.
abstract: Little is known about host specificity, genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of African turtle trypanosomes. Using PCR targeting the SSU rRNA gene, we detected trypanosomes in 24 of 134 (17.9%) wild caught African pelomedusid turtles: Pelusios upembae (n=14), P. bechuanicus (n=1), P. rhodesianus (n=3) and P. subniger (n=6). Mixed infection of Trypanosoma species was confirmed by PCR in three specimens of P. upembae, and in one specimen each of P. bechuanicus, P. rhodesianus, and P. subniger. Microscopic examination of stained blood smears revealed two distinct forms (broad and slender) of trypomastigotes. The broad form coincided in morphology with T. mocambicumPienaar, 1962. Accordingly, we have designated this form as the neotype of T. mocambicum. In phylogenetic analysis of the SSU rRNA gene, all the new turtle trypanosome sequences grouped in a single clade within the strongly supported "aquatic" clade of Trypanosoma species. The turtle trypanosome clade was further subdivided into two subclades, which did not correlate with host turtle species or trypanosome morphology. This study provides the first sequence data of Trypanosoma species isolated from freshwater turtles from tropical Africa and extends knowledge on diversity of trypanosomes in the Afrotropical zoogeographical realm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: nelka@volny.cz.
authors.forename: Nela
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dvořáková
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 120 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Čepička
authors.affiliation: CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackého tř. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Moneeb A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Qablan
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v. v. i., Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Radim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blažek
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Široký
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014426:Turtles / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D016053:RNA, Protozoan
keywords: Pelusios; SSU rRNA gene.; Trypanosoma; phylogeny; polymorphism; turtle