Large-scale infection of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis by the gregarine Lankesteria ascidiae in an inland culture system

作者：Mita Kaoru; Kawai Narudo; Rueckert Sonja; Sasakura Yasunori^*

来源：Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 2012, 101(3): 185-195.

DOI：10.3354/dao02534

• Parasite
• Apicomplexan
• Digestive tube
• Stomach
• Congestion
• Long feces syndrome
• Disease

An important way to keep transgenic and mutant lines of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, a model system for e.g. genetic functions, in laboratories is via culturing systems. Here we report a disease of C. intestinalis observed in an inland culturing system. The disease, called %26apos;long feces syndrome, is expressed in affected animals by the following characteristic symptoms of the digestive system: (1) excretion of long and thin feces, (2) pale color of the stomach, and (3) congestion of the digestive tube by digested material. Severely diseased animals usually die within a week after the first symptoms occur, implying a high risk of this disease for ascidian culturing systems. The digestive tubes of the diseased animals are occupied by the gregarine apicomplexan parasite Lankesteria ascidiae, suggesting that large-scale infection by this parasite is the cause of long feces syndrome.

• 出版日期2012-11-19