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Apicomplexa: Haemosporina: Garniidae), a Blood Parasite of the Brazilian Lizard Thecodactylus Rapicaudus (Squamata: Gekkonidae)

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Apicomplexa: Haemosporina: Garniidae), a Blood Parasite of the Brazilian Lizard Thecodactylus Rapicaudus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) Article available at http://www.parasite-journal.org or http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/parasite/1999063209 GARNIA KARYOLYTICA N. SP. (APICOMPLEXA: HAEMOSPORINA: GARNIIDAE), A BLOOD PARASITE OF THE BRAZILIAN LIZARD THECODACTYLUS RAPICAUDUS (SQUAMATA: GEKKONIDAE) LAINSON R.* & NAIFF R.D.** Summary: Résumé : GARNIA KARYOLYTICA N. SP. (APICOMPLEXA : HAEMOSPORINA : GARNIIDAE) PARASITE DU SANG DU LÉZARD BRÉSILIEN Development of meronts and gametocytes of Garnia karyolytica THECODACTYLUS RAPICAUDUS (SQUAMATA : GEKKONIDAE) nov.sp., is described in erythrocytes of the neotropical forest gecko Thecodactylus rapicaudus from Para State, north Brazil. Description du développement des mérontes et des gamétocytes Meronts are round to subpherical and predominantly polar in de Garnia karyolytica n. sp., parasite des érythrocytes du gecko position: forms reaching 1 2.0 x 10.0 µm contain from de forêts néotropicales Thecodactylus rapicaudus, capturé dans 20-28 nuclei. Macrogametocytes and microgametocytes are l'état de Para (Nord Brésil). Les mérontes, arrondis à predominantly elongate, lateral in the erythrocyte and average subsphériques le plus souvent en position polaire, mesurent 16.6 x 6.3pm and 15.25 x 6.24 µm respectively. Occasional 12,0 x 10,0 µm et contiennent 20 à 28 noyaux. Les spherical forms of both sexes occur in a polar or lateropolar macrogamétocytes et les microgamétocytes sont le plus souvent position. All stages of development are devoid of malarial allongés, en position latérale dans l'hématie et mesurent en pigment. They have a progressively lytic effect on the host-cell moyenne respectivement 16,6 x 6,3 µm et 15,25 x 6,24 µm. nucleus, particularly the mature gametocytes, which enlarge and Parfois des formes sphériques des deux sexes se trouvent en deform the erythrocyte. Possible vector(s) of garniid parasites are position polaire ou subpolaire. Tous les stades de développement considered, and phlebotomine sandflies are high on the list of sont dépourvus de pigment malarique. Les parasites ont une action suspects. lylique progressive sur le noyau de la cellule hôte et particulièrement les gamétocytes mûrs qui hypertrophient et KEY WORDS : Protozoa, Garnia karyolytica n, sp., haemosporine, déforment l'érythrocyte. Divers arguments font supposer que les Thecodactylus rapicaudus, gekkonid lizard, Brazil. phlébotomes pourraient être les vecteurs des Garniidae. MOTS CLÉS : Protozoa, Garnia karolytica n. sp., Haemosporina, Thecodactylus rapicaudus, Gekkonidae, Brésil. INTRODUCTION female. The motile zygote (ookinete) forms an oocyst containing a large number of naked sporozoites: these are the infective stage of the parasite which, after mong the parasitic protozoa, members of the migration to the salivary glands, are inoculated into a suborder Haemosporina inhabit various cells in new host by the bite of the insect vector. the peripheral blood of a wide range of rep­ A Until 1971 the suborder was divided into three fami­ tiles, birds and mammals in both the Old and the New lies, by way of differences in development of the World, among which they are transmitted by a variety parasites in the vertebrate host and the role of diffe­ of haematophagous dipteran insects such as anophe- rent insect vectors in their transmission (Garnham, line and culicine mosquitos, midges (Culicoides), black- 1966): the family Plasmodiidae, which contains species flies (Simulium) and tabanids (Chrysops). In the ver­ of the genus Plasmodium in reptiles, birds and mam­ tebrate host all haemosporines undergo a phase of mals, and has naturally received the bulk of the para­ asexual multiplication (merogony, or schizogony) and sitologist's attention due to the enormous medical eventually produce separate, dimorphic male and importance of those species infecting man; the family female gametocytes (gamonts). Within the invertebrate Haemoproteidae, whose members infect similar hosts host the male parasite produces a small number of fla­ but are so far unknown in man; and the family Leu- gellated microgametes, one of which fertilizes the cocytozoidae, genera of which are restricted to birds and reptiles. A fourth family, the Garniidae Lainson, * Department of Parasitology, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Caixa Pos­ Landau & Shaw, 1971, was later included in the Hae­ tal 1128, Belém, Para, Brazil. mosporina (see table I) to contain other haemosporines ** Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazonia, Caixa Pos­ commonly found in the blood of lizards. It at present tal 478, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. contains three genera: Garnia, species of which Correspondence : Ralph Lainson. TEL. : (55.91) 211.4453 - Fax : (55.91) 226.1284. undergo merogony and the production of gametocytes Parasite, 1999, 6, 209-215 Mémoire 209 LAINSON R. & NAIFF R.D. Character Plasmodiidae Leucocytozoidae Haemoproteidae Garniidae Merogony in blood Yes No No Yes With malarial pigment Yes No Yes No Gametocytes in mature erythrocytes Yes No Yes Yes (Garnia) No (Fallisia) No (Progarnia) * Modified from Garnham (1966) and Lainson (1992). Table I. - Taxonomic characters separating families of the suborder Haemosporina*. in the erythrocytes, but fail to produce the malarial pig­ has revealed abundant asexual and sexual stages of a ment (haemozoin) that is characteristic of the genus non-pigmented, erythrocytic parasite which we believe Plasmodium; Fallisia, which has all these stages in the to be that encountered and partially described by Tel­ thrombocytes and leucocytes; and Progarnia, a blood ford (1978). A full description of the blood forms of parasite of crocodilians which inhabits the erythrocytes, this species of Garnia is the subject of the present thrombocytes and leucocytes (Lainson, 1995). Although paper. some workers have preferred to modify the classical The infected gecko was an adult male, captured by definition of the family Plasmodiidae and the genus hand on the base of a large tree in primary forest near Plasmodium in order to accomodate such saurian hae- Novo Repartimento, about 60 km from Tucurui, Para, mosporines (Telford, 1973, 1988; Ayala, 1978)), others Brazil (3° 42'S: 49° 27'W), on 15th August, 1998. No (Garnham & Duggan, 1986; Boulard et al, 1987; infections were detected in three other adult specimens Paperna & Landau, 1990; Euzeby, 1989-1990) have captured close to secondary or primary forest. favoured their allocation to a separate family, Gar­ niidae, and it is this classification that we follow in the present communication. DESCRIPTION The lizard Thecodactylus rapicaudus has a wide geo­ graphical distribution in the New World, having been hen blood films were first examined on recorded in northern South America: in Venezuela, the 15.08.98 we were able to locate only two Guyanas, Brazil, both sides of the Andes in Ecuador Wmature female gametocytes after a long and Colombia and the eastern side of Peru and Bolivia; search. These aroused considerable interest, however, in Central America up to Mexico; and in the Lesser due to the extrordinary lytic effect the parasite had on Antilles (Avila Pires, 1995). It is a relatively large, arbo­ the nucleus of the host erythrocyte (Figs 1 and 2). It real gecko found in both primary and secondary forest was decided to maintain the infected lizard alive, in and sometimes in houses or animal shelters close to the hope that the parasitaemia would increase and pro­ patches of trees. It is principally nocturnal in habits, vide additional stages of development of the blood and spends the daylight hours under the cover of loose forms. This in fact took place, possibly following exa­ bark, hollow trees and other secluded retreats. cerbation of the infection due to the stress of capti­ The only named haemosporine parasite previously vity, and when further blood films were made on described in T. rapidaudus is Plasmodium aurulentum 16 October 1998 they contained abundant parasites, Telford, 1971, in specimens from Panama and the including very young trophozoites, developing meronts Canal Zone. In 1978, however, the same author and gametocytes. We propose the name of Garnia recorded the presence of pigmentless gametocytes of karyolytica n. sp. for the parasite, in view of its effect an "undetermined haemosporidian species" in the ery­ on the host-cell nucleus. All measurements are in pm. throcytes and proerythrocytes of this gecko from eas­ tern Panama and Venezuela. In the absence of para­ GARNIA KARYOLYTICA N. SP. (Figs l and 2) sites that could confidently be regarded as stages of merogony, Telford concluded that additional material Asexual stages from T. rapicaudus needed to be examined "before a The smallest parasites seen were compact, uninucleate proper generic allocation" of the parasite could be bodies measuring only 3-0 x 2.0 (Fig. 2d) and presu­ made. mably represent merozoites that have recently pene­ Our recent examination of blood films from a specimen trated the erythrocyte Subsequent merogonic stages of T. rapicaudus captured in Para State, north Brazil (Figs 1 b-f and 2b-f) show no amoeboid activity and Parasite, 1999, 6, 209-215 210 Mémoire GARNIA KARYOLITICA N. SP. IN A BRAZILIAN GECKO Fig. 1. - Gamia karyolytica n. sp. in the gecko Thecodactylus rapicaudus. Developing meronts and gametocytes as seen in thin blood films fixed in absolute methyl alcohol and stained with Giemsa. a: Normal, mature erythrocyte, b: Young, binucleate meront: the host-cell nucleus is already enlarged and with early signs of pycnosis. c-e: Developing meronts. f: Nearly mature meront with cytoplasm divided into clumps containing peripherally disposed
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