Species of Perkinsus are responsible for high mortalities of bivalve molluscs world-wide. Techniques to accurately estimate parasites in tissues are required to improve understanding of perkinsosis. This study quantifies the number and tissue distribution of Perkinsus marinus in Crassostrea virginica by modern stereology and immunohistochemistry. Mean total number of trophozoites were (mean ± SE) 11.80 ± 3.91 million and 11.55 ± 3.88 million for the optical disector and optical fractionator methods, respectively. The mean empirical error between both stereological approaches was 3.8 ± 1.0%. Trophozoites were detected intracellularly in the following tissues: intestine (30.1%), Leydig tissue (21.3%), hemocytes (14.9%), digestive gland (11.4%), gills (6.1%), connective tissues (5.7%), gonads (4.1%), palps (2.2%), muscle (1.9%), mantle connective (0.8%), pericardium (0.7%), mantle epithelium (0.1%), and heart (0.1%). The remaining 0.6% were found extracellularly. Percentages of trophozoite stages were (mean ± SE): large, log-phase trophonts, i.e., signet rings, 97.0 ± 1.2%; meronts, 2.0 ± 0.9%; clusters of small, log-phase trophonts, i.e., merozoites, 1.0 ± 0.5%. Levels of infection in hemocytes and Leydig tissue were representative of total parasite intensity. These techniques are a powerful tool to follow parasite distribution and invasion, and to further explore mechanisms of Perkinsus spp. pathogenesis in bivalves.
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February 2008
INVERTEBRATE-PARASITE RELATIONSHIPS|
February 01 2008
Numerical Quantification of Perkinsus marinus in the American Oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791) (Mollusca: Bivalvia) by Modern Stereology
Antonio Remacha-Triviño;
Antonio Remacha-Triviño
Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 20A Woodward Hall, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881. [email protected]
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Doranne Borsay-Horowitz;
Doranne Borsay-Horowitz
Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 20A Woodward Hall, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881. [email protected]
* U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882
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Christopher Dungan;
Christopher Dungan
Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 20A Woodward Hall, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881. [email protected]
† Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, 904 S. Morris Street, Oxford, Maryland 21654
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Ximo Gual-Arnau;
Ximo Gual-Arnau
Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 20A Woodward Hall, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881. [email protected]
‡ Departament de Matemàtiques, Campus Riu Sec, Universitat Jaume I, 8029AP-Castelló, Spain
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Javier Gómez-Leon;
Javier Gómez-Leon
Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 20A Woodward Hall, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881. [email protected]
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Luisa Villamil;
Luisa Villamil
Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 20A Woodward Hall, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881. [email protected]
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Marta Gómez-Chiarri
Marta Gómez-Chiarri
Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 20A Woodward Hall, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881. [email protected]
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J Parasitol (2008) 94 (1): 125–136.
Citation
Antonio Remacha-Triviño, Doranne Borsay-Horowitz, Christopher Dungan, Ximo Gual-Arnau, Javier Gómez-Leon, Luisa Villamil, Marta Gómez-Chiarri; Numerical Quantification of Perkinsus marinus in the American Oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791) (Mollusca: Bivalvia) by Modern Stereology. J Parasitol 1 February 2008; 94 (1): 125–136. doi: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-1148.1
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