Molecular and morphological description of the first Hepatozoon (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) species infecting a neotropical turtle, with an approach to its phylogenetic relationships

Abstract

Abstract

A 50-year-old redescription: molecular and morphometric characterization of Hepatozoon carinicauda Pessôa and Cavalheiro, 1969 in the brown-banded water snake Helicops angulatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

“…It has proven useful for molecular screening of Hepatozoon and species descriptions in snakes (O'Dwyer et al ., 2013; Borges-Nojosa et al ., 2017; Ùngari et al ., 2018, 2021), including in our study. Yet, in recent years the need for the improvement and employment of other genetic markers capable of responding more clearly to the phylogenetic relationships of the group has been discussed (Abdel-Baki et al ., 2014; Maia et al ., 2016; Cook et al ., 2018; Gutiérrez-Liberato et al ., 2021; Hrazdilová et al ., 2021). In the recent differentiation of Hepatozoon catesbianae (Stebbins, 1903), Hepatozoon clamatae (Stebbins, 1905) and a third Hepatozoon genotype infecting frogs, the 18S rRNA marker identified low molecular divergence, and was found to be inadequate for the differentiation of these species (Léveillé et al ., 2021).…”

“…(2021), but diverged from the positioning of some lineages in the study by Guitiérrez-Liberato et al . (2021). In this case, our phylogenetic tree reveals that Hepatozoon simidi Guitiérrez-Liberato et al ., 2021 is most closely related to H. massardii and H. cevapii , 2 sequences that were absent in the analyses performed by Guitiérrez-Liberato et al .…”

“…(2021). In this case, our phylogenetic tree reveals that Hepatozoon simidi Guitiérrez-Liberato et al ., 2021 is most closely related to H. massardii and H. cevapii , 2 sequences that were absent in the analyses performed by Guitiérrez-Liberato et al . (2021).…”

“…Interestingly, H. carinicauda was placed as isolated and distant from the other sequences obtained in aquatic hosts. Hepatozoon sipedon Smith et al ., 1994 from the aquatic snake, Nerodia sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758) (JN181157; Barta et al ., 2012), and H. simidi from the Colombian wood turtle, Rhinoclemmys melanosterna (Gray, 1861) (MT754271; Guitiérrez-Liberato et al ., 2021) possess closer proximity and are inserted into a large clade. Haplotypes of H. caimani (MF435048–MF322539; Bouer et al ., 2017) from caimans are clustered in another clade, distantly related to other aquatic haemogregarine lineages, including H. carinicauda .…”

Molecular characterization of haemosporidian and haemogregarine diversity in southwestern Iberian amphibians and reptiles

“…The establishment of molecular techniques for the detection of blood parasites (Vilcins et al 2009 ) has revealed unexpectedly high levels of apicomplexan parasite diversity in amphibians and reptiles worldwide (O’Dwyer et al 2013 ; Tomé et al 2014 ; Harris et al 2015 ). For example, many new lineages and species of Hepatozoon of certain regions and host species have been identified using these techniques (e.g., Maia et al 2012 ; Rajabi et al 2017 ; Gutiérrez-Liberato et al 2021 ). In contrast, studies about amphibian and reptile haemosporidians are scarcer in the literature compared to those of haemogregarines (e.g., Fantham et al 1942 ; Martinele et al 2016 ; Matta et al 2018 ).…”