Molecular characterization of an ancient Hepatozoon species parasitizing the 'living fossil' marsupial 'Monito del Monte' Dromiciops gliroides from Chile |
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Authors: | SANTIAGO MERINO ,RODRIGO A. VÁ SQUEZ,JAVIER MARTÍ NEZ,JUAN LUIS CELIS-DIEZ,LETICIA GUTIÉ RREZ-JIMÉ NEZ,SILVINA IPPI,INOCENCIA SÁ NCHEZ-MONSALVEZ, JOSUÉ MARTÍ NEZ-DE LA PUENTE |
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Affiliation: | Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, J. Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile; Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcaláde Henares, E-28871 Madrid, Spain; Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología y Biodiversidad, Departamento de Ecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago, Chile |
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Abstract: | The Microbiotheriid Dromiciops gliroides , also known as 'Monito del Monte', is considered to be a threatened species and the only living representative of this group of South American marsupials. During the last few years, several blood samples from specimens of 'Monito del Monte' captured at Chiloé island in Chile have been investigated for blood parasites. Inspection of blood smears detected a Hepatozoon species infecting red blood cells. The sequences of DNA fragments corresponding to small subunit ribosomal RNA gene revealed two parasitic lineages belonging to Hepatozoon genus. These parasite lineages showed a basal position with respect to Hepatozoon species infecting rodents, reptiles, and amphibians but are phylogenetically distinct from Hepatozoon species infecting the order Carnivora. In addition, the Hepatozoon lineages infecting D. gliroides are also different from those infecting other micro-mammals living in sympatry, as well as from some that have been described to infect an Australian species of bandicoot. The potential vector of this parasite appears to be the host-specific tick Ixodes neuquenensis because the sequencing of a long amplicon determined the presence of one of the two lineages found in the marsupial. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2009, 98 , 568–576. |
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Keywords: | hemoparasites host-parasite coevolution phylogeny rodents South America tick |
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