Journal of Morphological Sciences
http://www.jms.periodikos.com.br/article/587cb45b7f8c9d0d058b4619
Journal of Morphological Sciences
Original Article

OBSERVATIONS ON THE INTRACYTOPLASMIC MICROSPORIDIAN Steinhausia mytilovum, A PARASITE OF MUSSEL (Mytella guyanensis) OOCYTES FROM THE AMAZON RIVER ESTUARY

Edilson Matos; Patricia Matos; Carlos Azevedo

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Abstract

Microsporidians (Microsporidia) can parasitize commercially important marine mollusks, including bivalves. In this report, we provide a brief description of the ultrastructure of the microsporidian Steinhausia mytilovum that occurs in the oocyte cytoplasm of the mussel Mytella guyanensis (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Mytillidae) from the Amazon river estuary. Mussel ovaries were fixed, stained and examined using differential interference contrast optics (DIC). The parasite developed in an intracytoplasmic vacuole containing a variable number of spores (up to 14). Mature spores were 2.3 ± 0.3 μm long and 1.7 ± 0.3 μm wide (n = 25 each). Transmission electron microscopy revealed two types of  intracytoplasmic vacuoles, one containing spores with a light (less dense) cytoplasm that corresponded to the maturation phases, and the other containing mature, dense, granular spores that showed specific microsporidian structures. The anchoring disc and the anterior zone of the polar filament were surrounded by the polaroplast. The polar filament was isofilar and consisted of a double (rarely triple) coil with 9-10 turns. The ultrastructural morphology of these spores suggested that they belonged to S. mytilovum.

Keywords

Bivalvia, microsporidia, Steinhausia mytilovum, ultrastructure
587cb45b7f8c9d0d058b4619 jms Articles
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J. Morphol. Sci.

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