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Martin L. Adamson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • phylogenetic distance of Thelohania butleri johnston vernick and sprague 1978 microsporidia thelohaniidae a parasite of the smooth pink shrimp pandalus jordani from its congeners suggests need for major revision of the genus Thelohania henneguy 1892
    Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 2006
    Co-Authors: Amanda M V Brown, Martin L. Adamson
    Abstract:

    Thelohania butleri, a microsporidian that causes mortality and commercial losses in the smooth pink shrimp Pandalus jordani, is of taxonomic interest as a species resembling the poorly studied type species, Thelohania giardi, of the large, polyphyletic genus Thelohania. We examined the ultrastructure of T. butleri to confirm its identity and reconstructed phylogenies using ribosomal DNA to find the relationship of T. butleri with other Thelohania species in crayfish and ants. Light and transmission electron microscopy from specimens collected from the type locality, the Pacific coast of Canada, confirmed the identity and demonstrated a development similar to that of T. giardi, involving a series of binary fissions without formation of a plasmodium. Phylogenetic analyses consistently showed T. butleri to be distantly related to other Thelohania species, and closely related to species from marine decapods within a larger fish-parasitic clade. Together, features such as host group and habitat, developmental morphology, and phylogeny suggest T. butleri may be a closer relative to T. giardi than any other Thelohania species represented by DNA data so far, and thus imply species from crayfish and ants may not belong in this genus. Results also confirm that genus Thelohania and family Thelohanidae are in need of revision.

  • Phylogenetic Distance of Thelohania butleri (Microsporidia; Thelohaniidae), a Parasite of the Smooth Pink Shrimp Pandalus jordani, from its Congeners Suggests Need for Major Revision of the Genus Thelohania Henneguy, 1892Johnston, Vernick, and Spragu
    The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology, 2006
    Co-Authors: Amanda M. V. Brown And, Martin L. Adamson
    Abstract:

    . Thelohania butleri, a microsporidian that causes mortality and commercial losses in the smooth pink shrimp Pandalus jordani, is of taxonomic interest as a species resembling the poorly studied type species, Thelohania giardi, of the large, polyphyletic genus Thelohania. We examined the ultrastructure of T. butleri to confirm its identity and reconstructed phylogenies using ribosomal DNA to find the relationship of T. butleri with other Thelohania species in crayfish and ants. Light and transmission electron microscopy from specimens collected from the type locality, the Pacific coast of Canada, confirmed the identity and demonstrated a development similar to that of T. giardi, involving a series of binary fissions without formation of a plasmodium. Phylogenetic analyses consistently showed T. butleri to be distantly related to other Thelohania species, and closely related to species from marine decapods within a larger fish-parasitic clade. Together, features such as host group and habitat, developmental morphology, and phylogeny suggest T. butleri may be a closer relative to T. giardi than any other Thelohania species represented by DNA data so far, and thus imply species from crayfish and ants may not belong in this genus. Results also confirm that genus Thelohania and family Thelohanidae are in need of revision.

James J. Becnel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Evidence of intracolony transmission of Thelohania solenopsae (Microsporidia: Thelohaniidae) in red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and the first report of spores from pupae.
    Journal of invertebrate pathology, 2001
    Co-Authors: James J. Becnel, David F. Williams
    Abstract:

    Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, colonies were infected horizontally by introducing live brood (mainly larvae and pupae) infected with Thelohania solenopsae. Live, infected brood introduced into uninfected colonies were adopted and raised to adulthood instead of being executed by the recipient colony. Introductions of infected larvae with uninfected pupae, which eclose into adult worker caste fire ants, resulted in an 80% infection rate of the inoculated colonies. Infections from introductions of infected pupae with uninfected larvae resulted in a 37.5% infection of inoculated colonies. Infections were also detected in 11.6 and 3.7% of the adult worker caste ants that eclosed from uninfected large larvae and pupae, respectively, that were held with infected adult workers. Microscopic examination of infected brood revealed sporoblasts and large numbers of spores of T. solenopsae in S. invicta pupae.

  • Analysis of the ribosomal DNA sequences of the microsporidia Thelohania and Vairimorpha of fire ants.
    Journal of invertebrate pathology, 1998
    Co-Authors: Bettina A. Moser, James J. Becnel, James E. Maruniak, Richard S. Patterson
    Abstract:

    Sequences of the 16SrRNA gene of three microsporidia pathogenic to imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri, were determined and compared to each other and 15 other species of microsporidia. The sequences of 2 Thelohania species are nearly identical (99.2% identity), supporting light-microscopic and ultrastructural evidence that Thelohania solenopsae and Thelohania sp. are closely related but probably not conspecific. Sequence comparisons further revealed that Vairimorpha sp. has a sequence identity of about 73% with the two Thelohania species and Vairimorpha necatrix, the type species of the genus Vairimorpha. This, together with information on spore morphology, suggests that Vairimorpha sp. represents a genus distinct from that of the fire ant Thelohania. Its placement in the genus Vairimorpha must also be reevaluated. Two new sister taxa, one containing T. solenopsae and Thelohania sp. and one containing Vairimorpha sp., were found to have diverged early in the microsporidian lineage.

  • Fatty Acid Analysis of Microsporidia
    Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 1996
    Co-Authors: Bettina A. Moser, James J. Becnel, Albert H. Undeen, Nancy C. Hodge, Richard S. Patterson
    Abstract:

    Abstract Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) compositions of three species of microsporidia, Thelohania sp., Vairimorpha necatrix, and Nosema algerae from two insect hosts, were studied. This is the first report on the utility of fatty acid analysis as a parameter for the identification of microsporidia, a group of ubiquitous, intracellular parasites. Three acids, palmitic (16:0), oleic (18:1 ω 9 cis), and two closely eluting acids combined as Summed Feature 6 (18:2 ω 6,9 cis and 18:0 anteiso), compose 60% or more of the total profiles of the three species. The three species were differentiated by a combination of qualitative and quantitative FAME profile features. Thelohania sp. and N. algerae had myristic (14:0) and gondoic acid (20:1 ω 9 cis). Thus they were qualitatively differentiated from V. necatrix, in which 14:0 and 20:1 ω 9 cis were not detected. Thelohania sp. had significantly lower amounts of oleic acid than the other two species and significantly higher amounts of 20:1 ω 9 cis than N. algerae. FAME composition of N. algerae appeared to be influenced by the insect host. Two acids present in N. algerae isolated from the mosquito, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, were not detected in N. algerae recovered from the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea. Quantitatively, host-related differences included higher levels of Summed Feature 6 in N. algerae from H. zea, compared to N. algerae from A. quadrimaculatus. The utility of FAME profiles for microsporidian taxonomy will depend on: (1) obtaining profiles from a wider range of microsporidian species, and (2) considering environmental and physiological influences of the host.

S. Bradleigh Vinson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Sources of spores for the possible horizontal transmission of Thelohania solenopsae (Microspora: Thelohaniidae) in the red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta.
    Journal of invertebrate pathology, 2004
    Co-Authors: Johnny S. C. Chen, Karen F. Snowden, Forrest Mitchell, Julia Sokolova, James R. Fuxa, S. Bradleigh Vinson
    Abstract:

    We screened adult and larval secretions and midden piles for the presence of Thelohania solenopsae spores to decipher potential sources for the horizontal transmission of the pathogen in fire ants. Hemolymph samples from both adult and larvae were also screened to rule out hemolymph contamination of samples. In adults, Thelohania spores were found in the crop and the fecal fluids, although only free spores were found in the fecal fluids of adults. In fourth instar larvae, both free and octospores were seen in midgut and the meconium samples. All of the midden pile samples had T. solenopsae spores of both types. Based on these results, we theorize that the pathogen may be horizontally transmitted within a colony by the removal and sharing of meconium of prepupating fourth instar larvae by adult workers and by the adult fecal droppings, and intercolonially by contamination of midden piles or brood raiding.

  • Simple, Filter-based PCR Detection of Thelohania solenopsae (Microspora) in Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta)
    The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology, 2002
    Co-Authors: Karen F. Snowden, Kathleen S. Logan, S. Bradleigh Vinson
    Abstract:

    Thelohania solenopsae is a microsporidian parasite that may serve as a biological control agent for the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. A rapid, filter-based PCR amplification method detecting a portion of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene was developed to facilitate field studies detecting the parasite in fire ants. Processing ant homogenates with a commercially available membrane-based system, FTA Classic Card technology, compared favorably with traditional DNA extraction and PCR amplification methods. As few as 100 spores were detected. The FTA membrane system is a simple, extraction-free method for detecting T. solenopsae in fire ants, and allows for easy archival storage of DNA samples.

David F. Williams - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Richard S. Patterson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • POTENTIAL OF THREE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS FOR SUPPRESSION OF SOLENOPSIS INVICTA, THE RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT
    2015
    Co-Authors: Richard S. Patterson, A. Brian
    Abstract:

    Abstract-Three potential biological control organisms, a fungus Beauveria bassiana, a protozoan Thelohania solenopsis and a parasite, Solenopsis dnguerrei are being evaluated in the field to suppress fire ant populations. All of these organisms have some detrimental effect on fire ants in the laboratory but little is known what effect they have on field populations. Although B. bassiana gave complete mortality of ants in the laboratory, no mortality was observed when it was mixed with the potting soil and fire ants were exposed. This fungus did seem to stimulate colony movement. If the soil was sterilized, then this fungus was more lethal to the ants, especially the brood and queens. The fungus was effective against ants in media with little or no organic matter such as vermiculite or sand. However, for practical control of fire ants in potting media, B. bassiana does not work. In the laboratory colonies infected protozoan with this disease Thelohania solenopsis quickly died and it was very effective in the field in reducing the size and number of fire ant colonies. However, much more research needs to be done before this disease can be introduced into the United States. Still this organism appears to have great promise as a potential biological control organism of fire ants. It has been reported in the literature that the parasite Solenopsis dnguerrei will kill the queen, and is very specific for fire ants. However, it is cyclic and does not seem to be very lethal to the fire ant colonies in Argentina. Although it probably has a draining effect on the host colony

  • Analysis of the ribosomal DNA sequences of the microsporidia Thelohania and Vairimorpha of fire ants.
    Journal of invertebrate pathology, 1998
    Co-Authors: Bettina A. Moser, James J. Becnel, James E. Maruniak, Richard S. Patterson
    Abstract:

    Sequences of the 16SrRNA gene of three microsporidia pathogenic to imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta and Solenopsis richteri, were determined and compared to each other and 15 other species of microsporidia. The sequences of 2 Thelohania species are nearly identical (99.2% identity), supporting light-microscopic and ultrastructural evidence that Thelohania solenopsae and Thelohania sp. are closely related but probably not conspecific. Sequence comparisons further revealed that Vairimorpha sp. has a sequence identity of about 73% with the two Thelohania species and Vairimorpha necatrix, the type species of the genus Vairimorpha. This, together with information on spore morphology, suggests that Vairimorpha sp. represents a genus distinct from that of the fire ant Thelohania. Its placement in the genus Vairimorpha must also be reevaluated. Two new sister taxa, one containing T. solenopsae and Thelohania sp. and one containing Vairimorpha sp., were found to have diverged early in the microsporidian lineage.

  • Fatty Acid Analysis of Microsporidia
    Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 1996
    Co-Authors: Bettina A. Moser, James J. Becnel, Albert H. Undeen, Nancy C. Hodge, Richard S. Patterson
    Abstract:

    Abstract Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) compositions of three species of microsporidia, Thelohania sp., Vairimorpha necatrix, and Nosema algerae from two insect hosts, were studied. This is the first report on the utility of fatty acid analysis as a parameter for the identification of microsporidia, a group of ubiquitous, intracellular parasites. Three acids, palmitic (16:0), oleic (18:1 ω 9 cis), and two closely eluting acids combined as Summed Feature 6 (18:2 ω 6,9 cis and 18:0 anteiso), compose 60% or more of the total profiles of the three species. The three species were differentiated by a combination of qualitative and quantitative FAME profile features. Thelohania sp. and N. algerae had myristic (14:0) and gondoic acid (20:1 ω 9 cis). Thus they were qualitatively differentiated from V. necatrix, in which 14:0 and 20:1 ω 9 cis were not detected. Thelohania sp. had significantly lower amounts of oleic acid than the other two species and significantly higher amounts of 20:1 ω 9 cis than N. algerae. FAME composition of N. algerae appeared to be influenced by the insect host. Two acids present in N. algerae isolated from the mosquito, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, were not detected in N. algerae recovered from the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea. Quantitatively, host-related differences included higher levels of Summed Feature 6 in N. algerae from H. zea, compared to N. algerae from A. quadrimaculatus. The utility of FAME profiles for microsporidian taxonomy will depend on: (1) obtaining profiles from a wider range of microsporidian species, and (2) considering environmental and physiological influences of the host.