Verification of intermediate hosts in the life cycles of microsporidia by small subunit rDNA sequencing

Small subunit rDNA sequences were obtained from field-collected Amblyospora connecticus (Microsporida: Amblyosporidae) spores isolated from the mosquito, Aedes cantator (Diptera: Culicidae), and from field collected spores isolated from the putative intermediate host, Acanthocyclops vernalis (Copepoda: Cyclopidae). The ribosomal DNA sequences of the spores isolated from the two hosts were identical. These findings corroborate previous laboratory transmission studies and validate the intermediary role of A. vernalis in the life cycle of this microsporidium. These data represent the first comparative sequence analysis of a microsporidium isolated from its definitive and intermediate hosts. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of using rDNA sequence data for screening potential intermediate hosts. Unlike laboratory transmission tests, which can take months or years to complete, this technique can be completed in days and can be performed on a single infected organism.