Molecular detection of protists associated with the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum inhabiting the Wajiro tidal flat
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE Biology
Molecular detection of protists associated with the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum inhabiting the Wajiro tidal flat in Hakata Bay, Fukuoka Prefecture Kiyotaka Takishita1 · Rihoko Kawai1 · Ayaka Tsutsumi1 · Goro Tanifuji2 · Mayuko Otsubo1 Received: 5 March 2020 / Accepted: 24 May 2020 © Japanese Society of Fisheries Science 2020
Abstract Tidal flats are ecologically important as they support a large community of animals (e.g., crabs, mollusks, and polychaetes) and restore water quality. However, information regarding microbial eukaryotes, most of which are protists, associated with animals inhabiting these environments is limited. In the present study, utilizing polymerase chain reaction techniques, we detected fragments of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of protists from the gill tissues of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in the Wajiro tidal flat, Hakata Bay, Japan. Based on the phylogeny of the SSU rRNA gene, the detected organisms were shown to belong to not only Perkinsozoa but also to Ciliophora, Kinetoplastida, and Haplosporidia. For the protist affiliated with Perkinsozoa, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the rRNA genes was retrieved from the same gill tissue samples for precise identification at the species level. The ITS sequence obtained was identical to that of Perkinsus olseni, which is highly prevalent in Manila clam populations in Japan. Our findings suggest that protists potentially parasitic on this representative mollusk in tidal flats are phylogenetically diverse, and that the organisms detected may affect the population dynamics of the host clams. Keywords Manila clam · Parasite · Phylogenetic analysis · Protist · Tidal flat
Introduction Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-020-01435-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Kiyotaka Takishita [email protected] Rihoko Kawai [email protected] Ayaka Tsutsumi [email protected] Goro Tanifuji [email protected] Mayuko Otsubo [email protected] 1
Department of Environmental Science, Fukuoka Women’s University, Kasumigaoka 1‑1‑1, Higashi‑ku, Fukuoka 813‑8529, Japan
Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo 4‑1‑1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305‑0005, Japan
2
Tidal flats are coastal wetlands of sand or mud formed in intertidal areas where sediments are periodically submerged and exposed. They are ecologically important owing to their high primary and secondary productivities. A large number of benthic diatoms are primary producers and support a diverse array of benthic animals, such as crabs, mollusks, and polychaetes. Furthermore, numerous migratory birds utilize tidal flats as stopover sites and feed on the abundant benthic animals inhabiting them. In addition, tidal flats play a role in decomposing organic matter via microbial processes, thus preventing organic loading in coastal areas. Among the benthic animals inhabiting tidal flats in Japan, the M
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