Un cocktail irlandais d?ADN de vers plats, de vers de terre et de parasites : la
génomique de vers plats terrestres envahissants (Geoplanidae) révèle des
infestations par deux nouvelles espèces de Mitosporidium (Microsporidia)
#MMPMID41105848
Gastineau R
; Murchie AK
; Winsor L
; Justine JL
Parasite
2025[]; 32
(?): 67
PMID41105848
show ga
According to the classical Enemy Release Hypothesis, one reason for the success
of invasive species is that they have escaped their predators and parasites
during migration to newly invaded territories. In this context, the discovery of
any parasite of an invasive species is of particular interest. Here, we report
the results of genomic investigations performed on two invasive species of land
flatworms (Geoplanidae) collected in Northern Ireland, Kontikia andersoni Jones,
1981, and Australoplana sanguinea (Moseley, 1877). We describe the mitogenomes
and paralogous RNA genes of both species. Prey DNA was detected in both flatworm
species, providing molecular evidence that their diet includes earthworms.
Unexpectedly, we detected sequences assigned to the microsporidian genus
Mitosporidium Haag et al., 2015, which, prior to this study, included a single
species. Each land flatworm species harboured its own species of Mitosporidium.
For nomenclatural reasons, we could not assign binomial names to these species;
instead, we designate them as Mitosporidium sp. JL467 (in K. andersoni) and
Mitosporidium sp. JL472 (in A. sanguinea). For each new Mitosporidium species, we
describe the gene content of the mitogenome and the complete cluster of nuclear
ribosomal RNA genes. In the absence of direct evidence of host-parasite
relationships, we discuss the possible hosts of these Microsporidia, which could
be the flatworms themselves or their prey; the most likely hypothesis is that
they are parasites of land flatworms. Other Mitosporidium species should be
sought for in native land flatworms from the Australasian region, where the two
invasive flatworm species originated. Investigations on the possible pathogenic
role of these parasites are needed.
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