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Title: BIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATIONS OF BESNOITIA AKADONI N. SP. (PROTOZOA: APICOMPLEX) FROM THE RODENT AKODON MANTENSIS IN BRAZIL.

Author
item Dubey, Jitender
item SREEKUMAR, P - 1265-40-00
item Rosenthal, Benjamin
item LINDSAY, D - CDC BLACKSNURG VA
item GRISARD, E - BRAZIL
item VITOR, R - BELO HORIZONTE BRAZIL

Submitted to: Review Article
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/24/2004
Publication Date: 5/23/2004
Citation: Dubey, J.P., Sreekumar, P., Rosenthal, B.M., Lindsay, D.S., Grisard, E.C., Vitor, R.W. 2003. Biological and molecular characterization of Besnoitia akadoni n. sp. (protozoa: apicomplexa) from the rodent Akodon monensis in Brazil. Acta Parasitologia. 45:61-70.

Interpretive Summary: Besnoitia species are single-celled parasites that cause morbidity and mortality in animals. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Resarch Center and a University in Brazil describe the structure and life cycle of a new species of Besnoitia from rodents that they named Besnoitia akondoni. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and veterinarians.

Technical Abstract: The diversity among coccidian parasites of the genus Besnoitia is incompletely known. Of the eight currently described members of the genus, only B. jellisoni is known to parasitize a rodent host. Here, we propose a new name, Besnoitia akodoni, for the spcies initially isolated from the rodent Akodon montensis in Brazil. The tissue cysts of B. akodoni were up to 442 um in diameter and bradyzoites were 8.4 x 1.4 um in size. The bradyzoites contained enigmatic bodies, micromemes and rhoptries. Tachyzoites were 5.8 x 1.5 um in size and they could be grown in vitro in bovine monocytes and African green monkey cells where they divided by endodyogeny. Besnoitia akodoni was infective to laboratory raised mice (mus musculus), gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) but not to cats (Felix catus). Comparison of the conserved sequences of the small subunit rDNA clearly established the close relationship of B. akodoni with other members of the geus. However, sequences of the more variable first internal transcribed spacer portion of the ribosomal DNA repeat support its differentiation from the other species of the genera.