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Evidence for sex ratio distortion by a new microsporidian parasite of a Corophiid amphipod

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2007

S. I. MAUTNER ,
K. A. COOK ,
M. R. FORBES ,
D. G. McCURDY  and
A. M. DUNN
S. I. MAUTNER
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
K. A. COOK
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
M. R. FORBES*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
D. G. McCURDY
Affiliation:
Biology Department, Albion College, 611 East Porter Street, Albion, MI 49224, USA
A. M. DUNN
Affiliation:
Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Department of Biology, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada. Tel: +613 520 2600 Ext.3873. Fax: +613 520 3539. E-mail: mforbes@connect.carleton.ca
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Summary

In this paper, we describe the occurrence of a microsporidian parasite in female-biased populations of an intertidal amphipod, Corophium volutator (Pallas), at mudflat sites in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Sequence data for the parasite's 16S rDNA indicate that it is a novel microsporidian species. This parasite was found principally in female host gonads, indicating that it might be a vertically transmitted, sex-distorting microparasite. At 4 sites each sampled in early and mid-summer, parasite prevalence varied from 0 to 21%. In the lab, infected mothers gave rise to more female-biased broods, than did uninfected mothers. Infection was not associated with size of females or with lowered survivorship of their young. Surprisingly, infected mothers actually had higher fertility controlling for body length than did uninfected mothers. Taken together, our results suggest that this novel microsporidian is likely a feminizing microparasite and is a contributing factor to local and widespread sex ratio distortion in C. volutator.

Keywords

amphipodfeminizationmicrosporidiasex ratio distortionvertical transmission
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 134 , Issue 11 , October 2007 , pp. 1567 - 1573
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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