Borges-Nojosa Diva M, Borges-Leite M Juliana, Maia João P, Zanchi-Silva Djan, da Rocha Braga Roberta, Harris D James
Núcleo Regional de Ofiologia da Universidade Federal do Ceará (NUROF-UFC), Campus do Pici, Centro de Ciências, Bloco 905, Pici, Fortaleza, CE, CEP 60.440-554, Brazil.
CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, No 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal.
Syst Parasitol. 2017 Jan;94(1):65-72. doi: 10.1007/s11230-016-9676-2. Epub 2017 Jan 6.
Based on both unique morphological characteristics of the gamont, distinct changes caused to the host erythrocyte and analysis of partial 18S rRNA gene sequences, a new parasite of the genus Hepatozoon Miller, 1908 is described from the snake Philodryas nattereri Steindachner (Squamata: Dipsadidae) in northeastern Brazil. The new species, Hepatozoon musa n. sp., is characterized by large and curved mature gamonts (18.9 ± 0.9 μm in length and 3.8 ± 0.3 μm in width) that considerably engorge infected host erythrocytes and displace the nucleus laterally, which become longer and thinner. Phylogenetic estimates indicate the new species is more closely related to the recently described Hepatozoon cuestensis O'Dwyer, Moço, Paduan, Spenassatto, Silva & Ribolla, 2013, from Brazilian rattlesnakes. These recent findings highlight the need for further studies of Hepatozoon to better determine the biodiversity of this common but poorly-studied parasite group.
基于配子体独特的形态特征、对宿主红细胞造成的明显变化以及部分18S rRNA基因序列分析，在巴西东北部的纳氏菲蛇（Philodryas nattereri Steindachner，有鳞目：游蛇科）中发现了一种1908年命名的米勒肝簇虫属（Hepatozoon Miller）新寄生虫。新物种穆萨肝簇虫（Hepatozoon musa n. sp.）的特征是成熟配子体大且弯曲（长18.9±0.9μm，宽3.8±0.3μm），可使受感染的宿主红细胞显著膨胀，并将细胞核侧向移位，细胞核变得更长更细。系统发育估计表明，新物种与最近描述的来自巴西响尾蛇的库埃斯坦肝簇虫（Hepatozoon cuestensis O'Dwyer, Moço, Paduan, Spenassatto, Silva & Ribolla, 2013）关系更为密切。这些最新发现凸显了对肝簇虫进行进一步研究的必要性，以便更好地确定这个常见但研究较少的寄生虫群体的生物多样性。
