Biological and Genetic Heterogeneity in Trypanosoma dionisii Isolates from Hematophagous and Insectivorous Bats.

Juliana Helena Da Silva Barros,Samanta Cristina Das Chagas Xavier,Kátia Cristina Silva Nascimento,Helena Keiko Toma,André Luiz Rodrigues Roque,Maria De Fatima Madeira

doi:10.3390/pathogens9090736

Juliana Helena Da Silva Barros, Samanta Cristina Das Chagas Xavier + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9090736

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Abstract

This study describes the morphological, biochemical, and molecular differences among Trypanosoma dionisii isolates from hemocultures of hematophagous (Desmodus rotundus; n = 2) and insectivorous (Lonchorhina aurita; n = 1) bats from the Atlantic Rainforest of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Fusiform epimastigotes from the hematophagous isolates were elongated, whereas those of the insectivorous isolate were stumpy, reflected in statistically evident differences in the cell body and flagellum lengths. In the hemocultures, a higher percentage of trypomastigote forms (60%) was observed in the hematophagous bat isolates than that in the isolate from the insectivorous bat (4%), which demonstrated globular morphology. Three molecular DNA regions were analyzed: V7V8 (18S rDNA), glycosomal glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene, and mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The samples were also subjected to multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. All isolates were identified as T. dionisii by phylogenetic analysis. These sequences were clustered into two separate subgroups with high bootstrap values according to the feeding habits of the bats from which the parasites were isolated. However, other T. dionisii samples from bats with different feeding habits were found in the same branch. These results support the separation of the three isolates into two subgroups, demonstrating that different subpopulations of T. dionisii circulate among bats.

Highlights

Trypanosomatids are widely distributed in nature and according to the number of hosts participating in their biological cycle, are classified as monoxenous or dixenous [1]
The interest in identifying differences among isolates of the same species of trypanosome began with the discovery of T. c. cruzi and its life cycle by Carlos Chagas [29]
Most of these with the discovery of T. c. cruzi and its life cycle by Carlos Chagas [29]. Most of these studies studies have concentrated on the T. c. cruzi and T. rangeli species, as high morphological, biological, have concentrated on the T. c. cruzi and T. rangeli species, as high morphological, biological, biochemical, and molecular variability has been observed in these species [30,31]

Summary

Introduction

Trypanosomatids are widely distributed in nature and according to the number of hosts participating in their biological cycle, are classified as monoxenous (one host) or dixenous (two or more hosts) [1]. Due to its wide morphological diversity, its taxonomic classification has always been a challenge, since traditional morphological and biological studies, to the current integration with genomics analysis and improvements in microscopy approaches [2]. Among the different genera of the Trypanosomatidae family, the Trypanosoma genus includes species that are found in all classes of vertebrate hosts. The protozoan infects different bat families, including Phyllostomidae, Molossidae, Noctilionidae, and Vespertilionidae in various regions from northern to southern Brazil [4,10,11,12,13]

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