New species of insect trypanosomatids from Costa Rica and the proposal for a new subfamily within the Trypanosomatidae

J Eukaryot Microbiol. 2012 Nov-Dec;59(6):537-47. doi: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2012.00636.x. Epub 2012 Jul 27.

Abstract

Several new species of trypanosomatids (Euglenozoa, Kinetoplastea, Trypanosomatidae), isolated from the intestines of Neotropical insects (Heteroptera), were genotyped on the basis of spliced leader RNA, and also defined phylogenetically using gene sequences of small subunit ribosomal RNA and glycosomal glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase. The taxonomic descriptions also included characterization using morphometry and electron microscopy. Our phylogenetic analyses placed the new species within the clade, previously designated "SE" for "Slowly Evolving" sequences of ribosomal RNA genes, a clade that also includes numerous monoxenous parasites of insects from the genera Crithidia, Leptomonas, and Wallaceina, as well as the dixenous genus Leishmania. Based on the high phylogenetic support for this clade, which is consistently recovered in all recent phylogenetic reconstructions, a proposal is put forward to recognize this natural taxon as a new subfamily, Leishmaniinae, within the family Trypanosomatidae.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Costa Rica
  • DNA, Protozoan / chemistry
  • DNA, Protozoan / genetics
  • DNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Genes, rRNA
  • Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (Phosphorylating) / genetics
  • Insecta / parasitology*
  • Microscopy
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • RNA, Protozoan / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Trypanosomatina / classification*
  • Trypanosomatina / genetics
  • Trypanosomatina / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • DNA, Protozoan
  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • RNA, Protozoan
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
  • Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (Phosphorylating)

Associated data

  • GENBANK/JF717831
  • GENBANK/JF717832
  • GENBANK/JF717833
  • GENBANK/JF717834
  • GENBANK/JF717835
  • GENBANK/JF717836
  • GENBANK/JF717837
  • GENBANK/JF717838
  • GENBANK/JF717839
  • GENBANK/JF717840
  • GENBANK/JF734884
  • GENBANK/JF734885
  • GENBANK/JF734886
  • GENBANK/JF734887
  • GENBANK/JF734888
  • GENBANK/JF734889
  • GENBANK/JF734890
  • GENBANK/JF734891
  • GENBANK/JF734892
  • GENBANK/JF734893
  • GENBANK/JF734894
  • GENBANK/JF734895
  • GENBANK/JF734896
  • GENBANK/JF734897
  • GENBANK/JF734898
  • GENBANK/JF734899
  • GENBANK/JF734900
  • GENBANK/JF734901
  • GENBANK/JF734902
  • GENBANK/JF734903
  • GENBANK/JF734904
  • GENBANK/JF734905
  • GENBANK/JF734906
  • GENBANK/JF734907
  • GENBANK/JF734908
  • GENBANK/JF734909