The Occurrence of Sarcocystis sp. in the Dog

SYNOPSIS. Cysts of Sarcocystis sp. are described from a dog. They are spherical to elongate, 110–250 μ in diameter, and contain numerous crescentic trophozoites measuring 4–5 × 1.5 μ. No septa were seen. This is the first report of Sarcocystis from a domestic carnivore.     

Wenyonella baghdadensis sp. n. from the Bandicoot Rat Nesokia indica in the Baghdad Area

SYNOPSIS. Oocysts of Wenyonella baghdadensis sp. n. were found in the feces of 2 of 12 bandicoot rats Nesokia indica Gray & Hardwicke from the Baghdad area. Sporulated oocysts were subspherical to broadly ellipsoidal, 25.4 (18–22) × 20.8 (15–28) μm, with a 2-layered wall, the outer wall being mammillated, without micropyle, micropylar cap, residuum, or polar granule. Sporozoites were ovoid, 11.8 (9–15) × 8.4 (6–10) μm, with Stieda body and residuum. Two sporozoites in each sporocyst were elongate, with granular cytoplasm and a refractile globule, the other 2 were bean-shaped, without granules or refractile globule. Sporulation time equalled 3 days at 22–24 C. Entamoeba coli and Giardia sp. cysts were also found in 3 rats each.     

Sarcocystis garnhami n. sp. in the Skeletal Muscle of an Opossum, Didelphis marsupialis

SYNOPSIS. Sarcocystis garnhami n. sp. is described from an opossum, Didelphis marsupialis. Its distinguishing characters are the spiny cyst wall, 6–8 μ thick, and the size of the spores, 5.3–6.9 μ in length and 1.3–1.9 μ in breadth. Sarcocystis darlingi , Brumpt 1913 is considered Besnoitia darlingi (Brumpt, 1913) n. comb.     

Life Cycle of Eimeria ferrisi Levine & Ivens, 1965 in the Mouse, Mus musculus

SYNOPSIS. The life cycle of Eimeria ferrisi is described from experimentally infected Mus musculus. The prepatent period was 3 days and the patent period was 3–4 days. The endogenous stages were found only in the cecum and colon. Three generations of schizonts were found. Mature 1st-generation schizonts first seen 24 hr postinoculation (PI) measured 10.9 (7–14) × 10.2 (6–13) μm and had 9.6 (7–14) merozoites. Some 2nd-generation schizonts had uninucleate merozoites and others had multinucleate merozoites. The former were first seen in small numbers 36 hr PI and were most abundant 48 hr PI. They measured 9.6 (5–13) × 7.9 (6–12) μm and had 18 (6–25) merozoites. Schizonts with multinucleate merozoites were seen 72 hr PI. Mature 3rd-generation schizonts were seen 72 hr PI. They measured 14.0 (12–18) × 11-0 (9–13) μm and had 12.5 (5–16) merozoites. Macrogamonts were first seen in 72 hr sections. Each young macrogamont had a large nucleus with a prominent nucleolus. Only one type of cytoplasmic granule appeared to be involved in the formation of the oocyst wall. Mature macrogamonts were 11.0 (5–14) × 10.0 (6–13) μm. Crescent-shaped bodies were observed in the parasitophorous vacuole of trophozoites and young macrogamonts. Early microgamonts were first recognized at 96 hr by the presence of darkly stained and irregularly shaped nuclei. Usually, mature microgametes were arranged in long, narrow whorls at the periphery of the microgamont or in whorls at the surface of 2–5 compartments.     

Molecular Phylogeny and Surface Morphology of Marine Archigregarines (Apicomplexa), Selenidium spp., Filipodium phascolosomae n. sp., and Platyproteum n. g. and comb. from North-Eastern Pacific Peanut Worms (Sipuncula)

ABSTRACT. The trophozoites of two novel archigregarines, Selenidium pisinnus n. sp. and Filipodium phascolosomae n. sp., were described from the sipunculid Phascolosoma agassizii . The trophozoites of S. pisinnus n. sp. were relatively small (64–100 μm long and 9–25 μm wide), had rounded ends, and had about 21 epicytic folds per side. The trophozoites of F. phascolosomae n. sp. were highly irregular in shape and possessed hair-like surface projections. The trophozoites of this species were 85–142 μm long and 40–72 μm wide and possessed a distinct longitudinal ridge that extended from the mucron to the posterior end of the cell. In addition to the small subunit (SSU) rDNA sequences of these two species, we also characterized the surface morphology and SSU rDNA sequence of Selenidium orientale , isolated from the sipunculid Themiste pyroides . Molecular phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that S. pisinnus n. sp. and S. orientale formed a strongly supported clade within other Selenidium and archigregarine-like environmental sequences. Filipodium phascolosomae n. sp. formed the nearest sister lineage to the dynamic, tape-like gregarine Selenidium vivax . Overall, these data enabled us to reassess the molecular systematics of archigregarines within sipunculid hosts and make the following revisions: (1) Filipodium was transferred from the Lecudinidae (eugregarines) to the Selenidiidae (archigregarines), and (2) Platyproteum n. g. was established for Platyproteum vivax n. comb. (ex. S. vivax ) in order to account for the highly divergent morphological features and better resolved phylogenetic position of this lineage.     

Light and electron microscopical study on sarcocysts from muscles of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), Baboon (Papio cynocephalus) and Tamarin (Saguinus(=Oedipomidas) oedipus).

Sarcocystis cysts from muscles of monkeys (baboon, tamarin and rhesus monkey) were studied by means of light and electron microscopy. The differences in the morphology of the cyst wall and parasites clearly indicate that the three monkey species examined were each parasitized by at least a specific Sarcocystis species being not identical with S. nesbitti or S. kortei. The large numbers of cysts found within the muscle fibres point out the important role that have these monkeys as intermediate hosts in the life cycle of Sarcocystis species, where the final hosts are still unknown.     

Sarcocystis Infection in Wild Reindeer (Rangifer Tarandus) From Hardangervidda in Southern Norway: with a Description of The Cysts of Sarcocystis Hardangeri N. Sp.

Fresh preparations of micro-isolated sarcosysts from skeletal muscle of 5 wild reindeer were examined by light microscopy. Slender, spindelshaped cysts measuring 821 × 60 µm, and having short knob-like cyst wall protrusions were found in all animals. In 1 animal cysts different in structure from the cysts of the 4 previously known Sarcocystis spp. of reindeer were found, These cysts are considered to be cysts of a new Sarcocystis sp. of reindeer, for which the name Sarcocystis hardangeri has been proposed. S. hardangeri n. sp. had macroscopic, ovoid to cylindrical cysts measuring 1667 (900–2570) × 819 (450–1575) µm. The cysts were surrounded by a 8–10 µm thick layer of fibrillar material. After removal of this layer, relatively few and irregularly spaced, slanting protrusions became visible. The 20–30 µm long protrusions were tongue-like, and were lying close to the surface of the cyst. Cysts of S. grueneri, S. rangiferi and S. tarandi were not demonstrated in the 5 wild reindeer examined.     

A Light Microscopic Comparison of The Cysts of Four Species of Sarcocystis Infecting The Domestic Reindeer (Rangifer Tarandus) in Northern Norway

Fresh preparations of micro-isolated sarcocysts from skeletal and cardiac muscle of 12 reindeer were examined by light microscopy. On the basis of cyst structure and cyst wall structure 4 Sarcocystis spp. could be differentiated. New names have been proposed for 2 previously unnamed Sarcocystis spp. of reindeer, and S. grueneri has been redefined. S. rangiferi n. sp. had macroscopic cysts in skeletal muscle measuring 2106×403 µm. The cyst wall protrusions were finger-like and measured 13.2×6.7 µm. The cysts were surrounded by a layer of fibrillar material. S. tarandi n. sp. had micro- to macroscopic cysts primarily in skeletal muscle, but a few cysts were found in the heart of one animal. In skeletal muscle the cysts measured 999×75µm; in the heart the cysts were shorter and wider. The cyst wall protrusions were fingerlike and measured 9.2×2.2 µm. S. grueneri had micro- to macroscopic cysts in cardiac muscle measuring 581×137 µm. The cyst wall was thin and relatively smooth with no visible protrusions. Sarcocystis sp. had micro- to macroscopic, slender cysts in skeletal muscle measuring 916×64 µm. The cyst wall had tightly packed, short, knob-like protrusions. The cysts of this species were previously classified as cysts of S. grueneri.     

Eimeria procyonis sp. n., an Isospora sp., and a Redescription of E. nuttalli Yakimoff and Matikaschwili, 1932 (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) from the American Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

SYNOPSIS. Thirty-two of 48 raccoons examined were infected with a previously undescribed species of Eimeria which is herein named E. procyonis. Of the 32 infected animals, 10 also harbored E. nuttalli and 1 had Isospora sp. oocysts.
The ellipsoid to ovoid oocysts of E. procyonis measured 23.4 × 18.0 (16–29 × 13–24) μm; its sporocysts measured 12.1 × 9.3 (11.5–15 × 7–10) μm, each containing a slightly flattened substiedal body. The sporocyst residuum consisted of numerous scattered granules each ∼1 μm in diameter. The oocyst wall was double-layered. The outer layer appeared rough and pitted, measuring 1.5 μm, except at the micropyle where it was 1 μm thick.
The oocysts of the Isospora sp. measured 16.8 × 13.7 (16–18.5 × 12.5–15.5) μm. The wall consisted of a single layer ∼0.5 μm thick. The sporocysts measured 11.2 × 9.1 (9.5–11.5 × 8–10) μm, and each contained 4 elongate sporozoites. The oocysts of E. nuttalli measured 17.5 × 13.6 (12-21 × 11-15) μm, with a smooth single-layered wall approximately 0.7 μm thick. The sporocysts measured 12.2 × 7.1 (9-13 × 5.5–11) μm. Each sporocyst had a thin, dark, Stieda body and the sporocyst residuum consisted of many fine granules.     

Sarcocystis dubeyella n. sp. and Sarcocystis phacochoeri n. sp. (Protozoa: Sarcocystidae) from the Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) in South Africa

ABSTRACT Sarcocystis dubeyella n. sp. and S. phacochoeri n. sp. from muscle fibers of the skeletal musculature of two warthogs in South Africa are described by light and and electron microscopy. Sarcocystis dubeyella sarcocysts are macroscopic (up to 12 mm long and 1 mm wide), with a parasite-induced encapsulation of the host muscle fiber in which the plasma membrane of the latter remained unaltered. The sarcocyst wall is characterized by evenly arranged, irregularly semicircular or rectangular villar protrusions (5.0 T. 2.8-11.0 μm) with indented margins and no specific content. Sarcocystis phacochoeri formed filiform microcysts (up to 4 mm long and 0.13 mm wide). Its cyst wall is provided with tightly packed, molarlike villar protrusions (1.6-3.3 T. 1.7-3.3 μm), with smooth margins, hollow on one side, and with longitudinal condensations of the fine granular matrix at various locations in the interior.     

Ultrastructure of Tachyzoites, Bradyzoites and Tissue Cysts of Neospora caninum

. Dividing tachyzoites of Neospora caninum were 4x3 μm and had ultrastructural characteristics typical for the cyst-forming coccidia. Unusual ultrastructural characteristics of fully-formed tachyzoites included no micropores, 8–12 anterior and 4–6 posterior rhoptries, and a few posterior micronemes. Most tachyzoites were located free in the host cell cytoplasm; only a few occurred within a parasitophorous vacuole. Parasite multiplication appeared to be rapid because most organisms were in various stages of endodyogeny. Neural tissue cysts of N. caninum were 24.3 × 19.2 μm and contained 50–200 bradyzoites (7.3 × 1.5 μm), which lacked micropores. The cyst wall was 0.74–1.12 μm thick and consisted of the primary cyst wall (the parasitophorous vacuole membrane) and a thick granular layer with electron-dense vesicles.     

Freeze-Fracture Study of the Trophozoite and the Cyst of Entamoeba histolytica

ABSTRACT The fine structure of the trophozoite and cyst of Entamoeba histolytica from the stool of a patient was compared using the freeze-fracture method. The intramembranous particles (IMP's) were heterogeneously distributed on the plasma membrane of the trophozoite and their density was 1139 ± 105/μm² on the P face and 27 ± 9/μm² on the E face. Particle-rich depressions and linear particle arrays, reported by other investigators on cultured trophozoites, were also observed on the P face while on the E face such special particle arrangement was not recognized. Particle-free, small protrusions were frequently observed on the P face of the trophozoite membrane. The existence of these protrusions is a new finding. In the cyst, the IMP's were also distributed heterogeneously on both the P and E faces of the plasma membrane. The density of the IMP's, however, was much lower than in the trophozoite: 6 ± 2/μm² on the P face and averaging less than 1/μm² on the E face. In freeze-fracture images, the plasma membrane of the cyst showed a variety of configurations from smooth to uneven or ridged surfaces. These morphological alterations of the plasma membrane may be attributed to the aging of the cyst. The thick wall of the cyst had a filamentous tri- or tetra-lamellar structure. The cytoplasm of the cyst was similar in structure to that of the trophozoite and the diameter of the nuclear pores was equal in both trophozoites and cysts.     

Eimeria carolinensis n. sp., a Coccidium from the White-Footed Mouse, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque)

SYNOPSIS. Eimeria carolinensis n.sp. (Sporozoa) is described from oöcysts in the feces of the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque) taken in the vicinity of Durham, North Carolina. The oöcysts are ellipsoidal to elongate ellipsoidal, 14–19.5 × 10–13 μ, mean of 17.6 × 11.3 μ. Micropyle absent. Oöcyst wall composed of 2 layers. A refractile granule present but no oöcyst residuum. Sporocysts ovoid almost filling the oöcyst. Small Stieda body present.     

Ultrastructure of the chorion and its micropyle apparatus in the mature Fundulus heteroclitus (Walbaum) ovum

The ovum 'membranes' and the micropyle apparatus of mature, extruded ova of Fundulus heteroclitus were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The ovum is covered by a thin jelly coat comprised of a dense mat of 0.3-0.5 urn fibrils, except for a 50–100 um fibril-free zone surrounding the micropyle apparatus. The micropyle apparatus consists of a 50–100 um diameter funnel-shaped vestibule, at the bottom of which is a circular aperture 4–5 μ in diameter leading to the micropyle canal which traverses the entire chorion layer. The inner micropyle aperture, 2–3 um diameter, apposes the inner ovoplasm mass.
The chorion is the major protective coating of the ovum. It consists of a thin (0.4 μm) outer zone, a thicker (9–12 μ), lamellated inner zone with 4–10 lamellae, and sometimes an innermost crystalline zone, varying in thickness from 1–13 μm. The extreme variability in the structure of the lamellated and crystalline zones of the chorion suggests that generalizations concerning ovum membranes can be misleading.     

Fiber development in preanthesis cotton ovules

A tissue culture method was developed to investigate the production of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Texas Marker-1) fibers in vitro. Ovules were excised from 3, 5, 7 and 9 days preanthesis ovaries and placed on an agar-solidified, modified Murashige and Skoog medium containing 2.3 μ M kinetin and 0.45 μ M –2,4–dichlo-rophenoxyacetic acid or 2.3 μ M kinetin and 10.7 μ M naphthaleneacetic acid. Ovules formed fibers and callus tissue. Fibers formed in vitro were up to 10 mm long, 10–22 μ wide and the cell wall was 1–3 μ M thick. Callus tissue cells were subcultured for over 25 weeks and their degree of elongation was monitored. The ability of ovule-derived cells to direct expansion in a longitudinal direction diminished, while lateral expansion increased with time in culture.     

Cultivation and Lyophilization of Mastigina sp.

SYNOPSIS Mastigina sp. is an amoeboid flagellate isolated from pine frass collected in the Guadarrama Mountains in Spain. It feeds on bacteria and yeasts. It prefers yeasts that produce extracellular polysaccharides, and the 2 species that have been used predominantly for cultivation of the flagellate are Pachysolen tannophilus and Hansenula holstii. Mastigina sp. is easily isolated in axenic culture and grows abundantly therein. Its locomotive form, averaging 27 μ in length, resembles that of a limax amoeba, with a vesiculate nucleus at the anterior end. Cells are capable of simultaneous movement by pseudopodia and flagella. It develops rapidly on dead or living yeast cells in shaken cultures and the trophozoites may convert quantitatively to cysts. The cysts remain viable for long periods of time in refrigerated suspensions and in the lyophilized state. They are spherical or ovoid and smooth-walled cysts; the trophozoite emerges from them by breaking the wall.     

Effects of frozen storage on the structure of sarcocysts in pig muscle and implications in taxonomic studies

The morphology of the cyst wall of Sarcocystis has unique characteristics that can be used in species identification. To find a suitable way to preserve Sarcocystis cyst samples for species identification, by light microscopy and electron microscopy, we recorded the morphological changes in the cysts of Sarcocystis suihominis and Sarcocystis miescheriana from pig muscle, induced by storage at -20 degrees C. Comparisons were made between fresh cysts and those subjected to frozen storage for periods of 3 days, 20 days and 30 days. Results: cyst wall of the two Sarcocystis species appeared unaffected by storage. There was no obvious change in the length, nor in the width of the protrusions after storage (P>0.05), but the structure of the bradyzoite in the sarcocyst was in many cases disintegrated at -20 degrees C in 20 days for S. miescheriana and 30 days for S. suihominis. To our knowledge this is the first report that Sarcocystis cyst in muscle can be stored at -20 degrees C before and remain suitable for ultrastructural morphological study. Consequently, this paper proposes freezing as a convenient storage method for samples used in taxonomic studies of Sarcocystis.     

Observations on Giardia of Budgerigars

ABSTRACT. Sick budgerigars from a local aviary were found to be infected with Giardia. The trophozoites were of the Giardia duodenalis type as defined by Filice with elongate median bodies pointed on one or both ends and more or less perpendicular to the long axis of the body. Using three fixation-staining methods, and material from three birds, the length ranged from 10 to 18 μm and the width from 4.5 to 11 μm with a mean length to width ratio of 2. Attempts to culture the trophozoites in vitro from intestinal scrapings were unsuccessful. Also attempts to transmit the infection by fecal cysts to canaries and mice failed. It is proposed that the budgerigar form be called Giardia duodenalis , race psittaci .     

Two New Species of Hartmannella Amebae Infecting Freshwater Mollusks

SYNOPSIS. Two new species of small amebae, Hartmannella biparia n. sp. and Hartmannella quadriparia n. sp., were 1st observed in the freshwater mollusks Bulinus globosus and Biomphalaria pallida, respectively. The amebae multiplied in cytoplasmic vacuoles in host cells, particularly in foci in the mantle collar, foot, and intestinal wall. Both amebae had functional contractile vacuoles while within host cells. H. biparia emerged from intracytoplasmic vacuoles in pairs, H. quadriparia in fours, suggesting characteristic reproductive stages.
H. biparia had limax-type motility by smooth lobopodia, was 22 μ long; with vesicular nucleus 3 μ and central endosome 1.5 μ, multiplied by binary fission and formed spherical, smooth-walled cysts 11 μ in diameter. H. quadriparia had limax-type motility by lobopodia with fine, acute projections; was 10 μ long, with vesicular nucleus 2 μ and central endosome 0.75 μ, multiplied and formed spherical, smooth-walled cysts 5 μ in diameter. Neither species multiplied in cysts outside the host.
H. biparia was found infecting 12 species and experimentally transferred to 4 more species of freshwater snails; H. quadriparia was found in one species and experimentally transferred to 6 other species.