Microsporidian intrasporal sugars and their role in germination

Citation
Ah. Undeen et Rk. Vander Meer, Microsporidian intrasporal sugars and their role in germination, J INVER PAT, 73(3), 1999, pp. 294-302
Citations number
27
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences
Journal title
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
ISSN journal
0022-2011 → ACNP
Volume
73
Issue
3
Year of publication
1999
Pages
294 - 302
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-2011(199905)73:3<294:MISATR>2.0.ZU;2-Y
Abstract
The hypothesis that spores of terrestrial and aquatic microsporidia differ in their utilization of sugars was tested by evaluating the sugars in germi nated and ungerminated spores of several species in each category. The aqua tic species tested were Vavraia culicis, Edhazardia aedis, and Nosema alger ae and the terrestrial species were Vairimorpha necatrix, Nosema disstriae, Nosema apis, Vairimorpha lymantriae, and Nosema spp. from Spodoptera exigu a and Plutella xylostella. The percentage germination varied between specie s, ranging between 40 and 92%. Total sugars (anthrone reactive) and reducin g sugars (Nelson's test) remained unchanged through germination in the thre e terrestrial species tested; however, reducing sugars increased significan tly in the aquatic species. High-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography revealed a preponderance of trehalose in all species and lar ge quantities of sorbitol in all species except N. algerae and E. aedis. Ot her sugars were present in some species in much lower concentrations. After germination no changes in sugar content were observed in terrestrial speci es; however, all aquatic species lost trehalose with a concomitant increase in fructose and/or glucose concentrations. Increased osmotic potential fro m breakdown of trehalose has been postulated to induce germination of the a quatic species, but another explanation must be found for the terrestrial s pecies.