The Establishment of a Strain of Australorbis glabratus Which Combines Albinism and High Susceptibility to Infection with Schistosoma mansoni

Abstract

Among the strains of Australorbis glabratus maintained in this Laboratory are an albino Brazilian strain which is not susceptible to infection with a Puerto Rican strain of Schistosoma .mansoni and a pigmented Puerto Rican one which is highly susceptible. When these snails at a size of 8 to 10 mm. were exposed to 10 miracidia, 0% and 95% respectively, of the albino and the pigmented strains became infected with cercariae (Newton, 1953). Studies of crosses between these strains have demonstrated that this susceptibility is inherited as a multifactor character (Newton, 1953). It was also shown that albinism in A. glabratus is inherited as a simple Mendelian recessive (Newton, 1954). It was of interest to attempt to combine these characters and develop an albino strain which was also highly susceptible to the parasite. Such snails would be useful in further genetic studies, and because of the transparency of the albino, certain phases of the development of the parasite might be followed in the live snail.