Oncicola

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Oncicola
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Acanthocephala
Class: Archiacanthocephala
Order: Oligacanthorhynchida
Family: Oligacanthorhynchidae
Genus: Oncicola
Travassos, 1916

Oncicola is a genus of parasitic worms belonging to the family Oligacanthorhynchidae. [1] Oncicola belongs to the phylum Acanthocephalans that include many thorny-headed worms. This family contains 12 genera including the genus Oncicola. Oncicola is a part of the phylum Acanthocephalans that include many thorny-headed worms. The name comes from the prefix onc- meaning “barbed” and -cola meaning “to inhabit” in Latin. It was named and discovered in 1916 by Travassos. [2] These worms are defined by their parasitic nature which involves hook structures found at their front end.

Contents

Four images depicting the structures of an adult Oncicola venezuelensis worm from research performed in Brazil. Structures of Oncicola Worm Species.jpg
Four images depicting the structures of an adult Oncicola venezuelensis worm from research performed in Brazil.

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic analysis has been conducted on one of the species in the genus, O. venezuelensis.

Archiacanthocephala
Archiacanthocephala
Oligacanthorhynchidae

Macracanthorhynchus ingens

Oncicola venezuelensis

Oligacanthorhynchus tortuosa

Nephridiacanthus major

Pachysentis canicola

Moniliformidae

Moniliformis moniliformis

Gigantorhynchida

Mediorhynchus sp.

Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus

Phylogenetic reconstruction for select species in the class Archiacanthocephala based on a 28S rRNA gene comparison from Gomes et. al (2019) and a 18S rDNA gene comparison from Amin and colleagues (2020). [3] [4] Amin and colleagues (2022) used the 18S rDNA gene and ITS1-5.8-ITS2 region of ribosomal RNA comparisons to add P. canicola phylogenetically to the family Oligacanthorhynchidae. [5]

Description

Each worm is around 8–15 mm long with males typically being smaller than the females. They are typically white to yellow in color and globular shaped. They have a short proboscis at the front of the body with around 36 small hooks that vary in shape and size. These hooks are arranged into six rows with six hooks in each, and the proboscis itself varies in size from worm to worm. [6] They also appear wrinkled along their body, and their body gets thinner towards the tail end. They have a cuticle, hypodermal layer with lacunar canals (which gives them the wrinkled appearance), and a long ribbon-like lemniscus that extends to the posterior end of the organism. Not much is known about the importance of the lemniscus, but it is thought that it aids in the transport of fluids to the proboscis and houses secondary sensory fibers. They are long structures that occupy a large part of the worm’s body, and they are largest in females. [7] The cuticle is tough but flexible and protects the worm from its external environment and predation. In some senses it acts as an external skeleton for this animal. For many worms a new cuticle is made, and the old cuticle is sloughed off at each larval stage which allows the worm to grow. [8] The hypodermal layer functions similar to that of vertebrates. It provides insulation, more protection, and a sink for excess energy. The worm lacks a digestive tract, a pseudocoelom, and reproductive organs as juveniles, but these features form as they grow into the adult form.

Species

The genus OncicolaTravassos, 1916 contains many species. [9] [10] [lower-alpha 1]

O. canis was found infesting the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Iran. [11]

The complete mitochondrial genome of O. luehei has been sequenced. [12]

O. schacheri is named after the collector of the samples Dr. John F. Schacher. It was found in the small intestines of around 20% of foxes ( Vulpes vulpes , palestina subspecies) and juveniles were also found in the mesentaries of a badger (Meles meles) and are considered incidental hosts. All samples were collected in Lebanon. [13] There is no marked sexual dimorphism apart from a small size difference: males were between 30.0 and 39.0 mm long and females were 39.0 to 44.0 mm long. There are twelve regularly alternative longitudinal rows of 3 hooks each. The hooks vary in size between 95 and 210 microns. [13]

South American species that is common in captive primates. [13]

This species was described by a sample infecting the intestine of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Venezuela, where it gets its name. It differs from other species of the genus mainly by its longer lemnisci which have six nuclei. [14] There is no sexual dimorphism, with males ranging in length from 13.5 to 14.4 mm (without proboscis) and 2 mm maximum width and females ranging in length from 15 to 16 mm (also without proboscis) with a maximum width of 1.9 to 2.2 mm. [14]

Cystacanths of O. venezuelensis are present in the hemocoel of Caribbean termites ( Nasutitermes acajutlae ) from St. Thomas and St. John islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands as an intermediate host. Cystacanths were present in Other intermediate hosts including in subcutaneous nodules of lizards ( Anolis cristatellus and Anolis stratulus ), in the greater omentum of small Indian mongooses ( Urva auropunctata ), and embedded in mesenteries of pearly-eyed thrashers (Margarops fuscatus). The host from the U.S. Virgin Islands is yet to be determined. [15]

Distribution

The species of this genus are found in America and Australia. [1] They have been found and documented in Brazil, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts. There have been seven recorded sightings of Oncicola in Australia, mainly in the south of the country near the coast. [16]

Hosts

Species belonging to the genus Oncicola can make a host of a wide variety of animals. They parasitize carnivorous mammals (such as armadillos, mongooses, feral cats, etc) and birds with Oncicola canis and Oncicola venezuelenis being the most prevalent species. The worms have been found in the abdominal wall, vaginal cavity, peritoneal cavity, and pericardium of both male and female hosts, typically of young adult age or older. Oncicola canis, specifically, can be found in the small intestine of dogs and cats. The worms use the hooks within their proboscis to attach deep to the intestinal wall of their host, most of the time they penetrate the muscle layer. Then they absorb nutrients through their body wall and lacunar channels on the hypodermis. Infections by this worm seem to cause little clinical symptoms, but some can cause moderate inflammation, mineralization, hemorrhaging, and fibrosis in some connective tissues within the host. Some hosts have also been found to have lymphocytes with fewer plasma cells. Although rare, infections by Oncicola could potentially cause problems in the host’s reproductive system because of the inflammation and fibrosis the parasite can cause. [17] The eggs of this organism are typically found within the feces of the host, which is how they are spread, and they can be discovered using flotation techniques such as zinc sulfate treatments and Sheather’s sugar.

The life cycle begins as females lay thick-shelled oval eggs that are brown in color and around 43-50 x 67-72 mcm. They have delicate and clear external shell membranes and can survive a multitude of environmental conditions and for several months without being in a host. These eggs are normally found within the feces of the host containing the female worm. Dung beetles, or other paratenic hosts, may interact with the larvae and become intermediate hosts when they feed on egg-containing manure or soil. Inside the intestine of these hosts, or within the soil or manure, the larvae, also called the acanthor, develops into an acanthella. This maturation continues as the acanthella proceeds to the infective stage called a cystacanth. The cystacanth is the form that will infect a permanent host that will be used during reproduction; thus, this form is the most mature structurally and has all structures found in adult Oncicola. From here, the intermediate host may end up in an environment that is not suitable for the parasite’s life cycle. If this occurs, the development stops, but the cystacanth remains infective, waiting for better conditions to be present. If a more suitable host is not found, the worm’s life will end within the intermediate host, and no offspring will be produced. If the intermediate host is eaten by a definitive host, such as a dog, pig, fox, or cat, the life cycle can be completed. The worm will attach itself to the gut wall of the host, and if it is female, it will produce offspring that pass into the hosts feces. [18]

Notes

  1. ↑ A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than the present genus.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acanthocephala</span> Group of parasitic thorny-headed worms

Acanthocephala is a group of parasitic worms known as acanthocephalans, thorny-headed worms, or spiny-headed worms, characterized by the presence of an eversible proboscis, armed with spines, which it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of its host. Acanthocephalans have complex life cycles, involving at least two hosts, which may include invertebrates, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. About 1420 species have been described.

Apororhynchus is a genus of small parasitic spiny-headed worms. It is the only genus in the family Apororhynchidae, which in turn is the only member of the order Apororhynchida. A lack of features commonly found in the phylum Acanthocephala suggests an evolutionary branching from the other three orders of class Archiacanthocephala; however no genetic analysis has been completed to determine the evolutionary relationship between species. The distinguishing features of this order among archiacanthocephalans is a highly enlarged proboscis which contain small hooks. The musculature around the proboscis is also structured differently in this order. This genus contains six species that are distributed globally, being collected sporadically in Hawaii, Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. These worms exclusively parasitize birds by attaching themselves around the cloaca using their hook-covered proboscis. The bird hosts are of different orders, including owls, waders, and passerines. Infestation by an Apororhynchus species may cause enteritis and anemia.

Gigantorhynchida is an order containing a single family, Gigantorhynchidae of parasitic worms that attach themselves to the intestinal wall of terrestrial vertebrates. Gigantorhynchida contains the following three genera:

<i>Gigantorhynchus</i> Genus of parasitic worms

Gigantorhynchus is a genus of Acanthocephala that parasitize marsupials, anteaters, and possibly baboons by attaching themselves to the intestines using their hook-covered proboscis. Their life cycle includes an egg stage found in host feces, a cystacanth (larval) stage in an intermediate host such as termites, and an adult stage where cystacanths mature in the intestines of the host. This genus is characterized by a cylindrical proboscis with a crown of robust hooks at the apex followed by numerous small hooks on the rest of the proboscis, a long body with pseudosegmentation, filiform lemnisci, and ellipsoid testes. The largest known specimen is the female G. ortizi with a length of around 240 millimetres (9.4 in) and a width of 2 millimetres (0.08 in). Genetic analysis on one species of Gigantorhynchus places it with the related genus Mediorhynchus in the family Gigantorhynchidae. Six species in this genus are distributed across Central and South America and possibly Zimbabwe. Infestation by a Gigantorhynchus species may cause partial obstructions of the intestines, severe lesions of the intestinal wall, and may lead to death.

Mediorhynchus is a genus of small parasitic spiny-headed worms. Phylogenetic analysis has been conducted on two known species of Mediorhynchus and confirmed the placement along with the related genus Gigantorhynchus in the family Gigantorhynchida. The distinguishing features of this order among archiacanthocephalans is a divided proboscis. This genus contains fifty-eight species that are distributed globally. These worms exclusively parasitize birds by attaching themselves around the cloaca using their hook-covered proboscis. The bird hosts are of different orders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moniliformidae</span> Family of worms

Moniliformidae is a family of parasitic spiny-headed worms. It is the only family in the Moniliformida order and contains three genera: Australiformis containing a single species, Moniliformis containing eighteen species and Promoniliformis containing a single species. Genetic analysis have determined that the clade is monophyletic despite being distributed globally. These worms primarily parasitize mammals, including humans in the case of Moniliformis moniliformis, and occasionally birds by attaching themselves into the intestinal wall using their hook-covered proboscis. The intermediate hosts are mostly cockroaches. The distinguishing features of this order among archiacanthocephalans is the presence of a cylindrical proboscis with long rows of hooks with posteriorly directed roots and proboscis retractor muscles that pierce both the posterior and ventral end or just posterior end of the receptacle. Infestation with Monoliformida species can cause moniliformiasis, an intestinal condition characterized as causing lesions, intestinal distension, perforated ulcers, enteritis, gastritis, crypt hypertrophy, goblet cell hyperplasia, and blockages.

<i>Moniliformis</i> Genus of worms

Moniliformis is a genus of parasitic worms in the Acanthocephala phylum.

Promoniliformis is a monotypic genus of acanthocephalans containing a single species, Promoniliformis ovocristatus, that infests tenrecs in Madagascar. The genus PromoniliformisDollfus and Golvan, 1963 is characterized by possessing two distinct kinds of proboscis hooks. There is only one species in this genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oligacanthorhynchidae</span> Order of thorny-headed worms

Oligacanthorhynchida is an order containing a single parasitic worm family, Oligacanthorhynchidae, that attach themselves to the intestinal wall of terrestrial vertebrates.

Fessisentis is a genus of parasitic spiny-headed worms. It is the only genus in the family Fessisentidae. This genus contains six species that are distributed across the Eastern continental United States as far west as Oklahoma and Wisconsin. These worms parasitize salamanders and fish.

<i>Moniliformis moniliformis</i> Species of thorny-headed worm

Moniliformis moniliformis is a parasite of the Acanthocephala phylum in the family Moniliformidae. The adult worms are usually found in intestines of rodents or carnivores such as cats and dogs. The species can also infest humans, though this is rare.

Australiformis is a monotypic genus of acanthocephalans containing a single species, Australiformis semoni, that infests marsupials in Australia and New Guinea. Its body consists of a proboscis armed with hooks which it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of its host, and a long trunk. This genus resembles species in the genus Moniliformis but is characterized by a lack of spiral muscles in the outer wall of the proboscis receptacle. The proboscis is armed with 12 rows of 13 to 15 hooks which are used to attach themselves to the small or large intestines of the host. The female worms range from 95 to 197 millimetres long, virtually all of which is the trunk, and 1.75 to 3.5 millimetres wide. There is pronounced sexual dimorphism in this species as females are around twice the size of the males whose trunks range from 46 to 80 millimetres long and 2 millimetres (0.079 in) wide. Infestation by A. semoni may cause debilitating inflammation of the stomach (gastritis) with granulomatous ulcers.

Prosthenorchis is a genus of parasitic worms belonging to the family Oligacanthorhynchidae. Prosthenorchis have a trunk up to 50 mm long, a proboscis that is not ornate with three barbed hooks in each of 12 rows. They have complex hook roots with large manubria, and a small discoid posterior hook base. There are up to 23 festoons. Gonopore is subterminal. The primary host are primates in South America and Felidae in Africa with cockroaches and beetles as intermediate hosts.

Paraprosthenorchis is a monotypic genus of acanthocephalans. It contains a single species, Paraprosthenorchis ornatus, which infests the Chinese pangolin in Vietnam.

<i>Pachysentis</i> Genus of worms

Pachysentis is a genus in Acanthocephala that parasitize primates and carnivorans. They are distributed across Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. Pachysentis species attach themselves to the inner lining of the gastrointestinal tract of their hosts using their hook-covered proboscis. Their life cycle includes an egg stage found in host feces, a cystacanth (larval) stage in an intermediate host such as the Egyptian cobra, and an adult stage where cystacanths mature in the intestines of the host. This genus appears identical to the closely related Oncicola apart from a greater number of hooks on the proboscis. There are eleven species assigned to this genus, although P. septemserialis is of uncertain taxonomic status. The female worms range from 12 millimetres (0.47 in) long and 1.6 millimetres (0.063 in) wide in P. lauroi to 50 millimetres (2.0 in) long and 4 millimetres (0.16 in) wide in P. dollfusi. Virtually all of the length is the trunk, with a short proboscis. There is pronounced sexual dimorphism in this species as females are around twice the size of the males.

<i>Macracanthorhynchus</i> Genus of thorny-headed worms

Macracanthorhynchus, also known as the giant thorny-headed worm of swine, is a member of the Oligacanthorhynchidae which contains four species.

Neoncicola is a genus of parasitic worms containing nine species and belongs to the family Oligacanthorhynchidae.

Oligacanthorhynchus is a genus of parasitic worms belonging to the family Oligacanthorhynchidae.

Palliolisentis is a genus in Acanthocephala.

Intraproboscis is a monotypic genus of acanthocephalans that infest African black-bellied pangolin in the Central African Republic. Its body consists of a proboscis armed with hooks which it uses to pierce and hold the gut wall of its host, and a long trunk. It contains a single species, Intraproboscis sanghae. This genus resembles species in the genus Mediorhynchus but is characterized by infesting a mammal instead of birds, and having a simple proboscis receptacle that is completely suspended within the proboscis, the passage of the retractor muscles through the receptacle into the body cavity posteriorly, absence of neck, presence of a parareceptacle structure, and a uterine vesicle. The proboscis is armed with 34–36 rows of 6 to 7 hooks anteriorly and 15–17 spinelike hooks posteriorly which are used to attach themselves to the intestines of the host. The female worms are up to 180 millimetres long, virtually all of which is the trunk, and 2 millimetres wide.

References

  1. 1 2 "Oncicola Travassos, 1916". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "ITIS - Report: Oncicola". www.itis.gov.
  3. ↑ Gomes, Ana Paula N.; Amin, Omar M.; Olifiers, Natalie; Bianchi, Rita de Cassia; Souza, Joyce G. R.; Barbosa, Helene S.; Maldonado, Arnaldo (2019). "A New Species of Pachysentis Meyer, 1931 (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) in the Brown-Nosed Coati Nasua nasua (Carnivora: Procyonidae) from Brazil, with Notes on the Genus and a Key to Species". Acta Parasitologica. 64 (3): 587–595. doi:10.2478/s11686-019-00080-6. PMC   6814649 . PMID   31286360.
  4. ↑ Amin, O.M.; Sharifdini, M.; Heckmann, R.A.; Zarean, M. (2020). "New perspectives on Nephridiacanthus major (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) collected from hedgehogs in Iran". Journal of Helminthology. 94: e133. doi:10.1017/S0022149X20000073. PMID   32114988. S2CID   211725160.
  5. ↑ Amin, Omar M.; Chaudhary, Anshu; Heckmann, Richard A.; Swenson, Julie; Singh, Hridaya S. (2022-03-01). "Redescription and Molecular Characterization of Pachysentis canicola Meyer, 1931 (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) from the Maned Wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815) in Texas". Acta Parasitologica. 67 (1): 275–287. doi:10.1007/s11686-021-00458-5. PMID   34345996. S2CID   236914933. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Santos, E. G. N.; Chame, M.; Chagas-Moutinho, V. A.; Santos, C. P. (September 2017). "Morphology and molecular analysis of Oncicola venezuelensis (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) from the ocelot Leopardus pardalis in Brazil". Journal of Helminthology. 91 (5): 605–612. doi:10.1017/S0022149X16000651. PMID   27669886. S2CID   4764172 . Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  7. ↑ Palmer, João Pedro Siqueira; Dib, Laís Verdan; Lobão, Lucas Fernandes; Pinheiro, Jessica Lima; Ramos, Raissa Cristina Ferreira; Uchoa, Claudia Maria Antunes; Bastos, Otilio Machado Pereira; Silva, Maria Eduarda Monteiro; Nascimento, Jorge Luiz do; Pissinatti, Alcides; Barbosa, Alynne da Silva (2020). "Oncicola venezuelensis () (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) in Puma concolor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil". Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária. 29 (3): e009620. doi: 10.1590/s1984-29612020046 . PMID   32667498.
  8. ↑ "Handbook - The Cuticle". www.wormatlas.org.
  9. ↑ Amin, Omar M. (September 19, 2013). "Classification of the Acanthocephala". Folia Parasitologica. 60 (4): 273–305. doi: 10.14411/fp.2013.031 . PMID   24261131.
  10. ↑ "Oncicola Travassos, 1916". Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ Tavakol, Sareh; Amin, Omar M.; Luus-Powell, Wilmien J.; Halajian, ALI (2015). "The acanthocephalan fauna of Iran, a check list". Zootaxa. 4033 (2): 237–58. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4033.2.3. PMID   26624401.
  12. ↑ "Oncicola luehei (ID 12430) - Genome - NCBI".
  13. 1 2 3 4 Schmidt, Gerald D. (1972). "Oncicola schacheri sp. n., and Other Acanthocephala of Lebanese Mammals". The Journal of Parasitology. 58 (2): 279–281. doi:10.2307/3278089. ISSN   0022-3395. JSTOR   3278089. PMID   5022865.
  14. 1 2 3 Marteau, Marie (1977). "Oncicola venezuelensis n. sp. (Archiacanthocephala ; Oligacanthorhynchida), parasite de l'Ocelot (Felis pardalis L.)". Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparée. 52 (1): 25–33. doi: 10.1051/parasite/1977521025 . PMID   900772. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  15. ↑ Nickol, Brent B.; Fuller, Claire A.; Rock, Philip (2006-06-01). "Cystacanths of Oncicola Venezuelensis (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) in Caribbean Termites and Various Paratenic Hosts in the U.S. Virgin Islands". Journal of Parasitology. 92 (3): 539–542. doi:10.1645/GE-3557.1. ISSN   0022-3395. PMID   16883997. S2CID   1833457.
  16. ↑ "Oncicola Travassos, 1917". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  17. ↑ Becker, Anne A. M. J.; Rajeev, Sreekumari; Freeman, Mark A.; Beierschmitt, Amy; Savinon, Victoria; Wulcan, Judit M.; Bolfa, Pompei (6 June 2019). "Extraintestinal Acanthocephalan Oncicola venezuelensis (Oligacanthorhynchidae) in Small Indian Mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus) and African Green Monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus)". Veterinary Pathology. 56 (5): 794–798. doi:10.1177/0300985819848502. PMID   31170895. S2CID   174816337 . Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Saari, Seppo; Näreaho, Anu; Nikander, Sven (1 January 2019). "Chapter 6 - Acantocephala (Thorny-Headed Worms)". Canine Parasites and Parasitic Diseases: 151–155. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-814112-0.00006-4. ISBN   9780128141120. S2CID   91385032 . Retrieved 30 November 2022.
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