Amblyospora sp. (Microspora, Amblyosporidae) infecting nerve ganglia of Culex pipiens (Diptera, Culicidae) from Egypt. 1991

A Darwish, and E U Canning
Department of Biology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, United Kingdom.

A species of Amblyospora-infecting neurones of Culex pipiens is described. Diplokaryotic meronts, which divided by binary fission, were distinguished at the electron microscope level by their unthickened plasma membranes. Sporonts with an electron-dense surface coat gave rise to eight uninucleate sporoblasts within a sporophorous vesicle, cytoplasmic division occurring at the quadrinucleate or octonucleate stages. Indications that nuclear fusion and chromosome reorganization occurred in merogony and sporogony were obtained by light microscopy but meiosis was not detected at the ultrastructural level. Spores were typical of Amblyospora, being ovoid when fresh, truncate when stained, and having an exospore of two membranous layers subtended by a thick amorphous layer, an electron-lucent endospore, an anisofilar polar filament, and a polaroplast comprised of an anterior region of close-packed lamellae and a posterior region of expanded sacs. The metabolic products in the sporophorous vesicle took the form of large globules, small globules with electron-dense borders, and fine granules. These were depleted in mature sporophorous vesicles, though a surface layer of fine granules on the spores may have been derived from them. Many stages were degenerate and it is suggested that C. pipiens may be an accidental host in which the parasite could develop suboptimally in nervous tissue only. Infections in larvae hatched from eggs in the laboratory indicate that vertical transmission occurs.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007303 Insect Vectors Insects that transmit infective organisms from one host to another or from an inanimate reservoir to an animate host. Insect Vector,Vector, Insect,Vectors, Insect
D007814 Larva Wormlike or grublike stage, following the egg in the life cycle of insects, worms, and other metamorphosing animals. Maggots,Tadpoles,Larvae,Maggot,Tadpole
D008297 Male Males
D008854 Microscopy, Electron Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen. Electron Microscopy
D003465 Culex A genus of mosquitoes (CULICIDAE) commonly found in tropical regions. Species of this genus are vectors for ST. LOUIS ENCEPHALITIS as well as many other diseases of man and domestic and wild animals. Culices
D004534 Egypt A country in northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula Its capital is Cairo. Arab Republic of Egypt,United Arab Republic
D005260 Female Females
D005724 Ganglia Clusters of multipolar neurons surrounded by a capsule of loosely organized CONNECTIVE TISSUE located outside the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D016814 Microsporidia A phylum of fungi comprising minute intracellular PARASITES with FUNGAL SPORES of unicellular origin. It has two classes: Rudimicrosporea and MICROSPOREA. Microspora,Microsporidians,Microsporas,Microsporidian,Microsporidias

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