| Project/Area Number |
20K15856
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 45030:Biodiversity and systematics-related
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
Wakeman Kevin 北海道大学, 高等教育推進機構, 助教 (70760221)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
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| Keywords | Alveolates / Apicomplexans / Ciliates / Phylogeny / Biodiversity / Alveolate / Parasite / Japan / Nemotopisis / Ciliate / Bacteria / Scallop / parasite / apicomplexa / shellfish / bivalve / sequencing / Apicomplexa / Bivalve / Parasitology / Molecular Biology |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
We aim to improve the knowledge of marine apicomplexan lineages infecting bivalve shellfish (Bivalvia, Mollusca), specifically blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), Japan scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis), Japan geoduck (Panopea japonica) and the surf clam (Spisula sachalinensis). Here, we aim to combine molecular and histological techniques using a technique novel to shellfish pathology, laser capture microscopy (LCM), to assess the diversity, biogeographic distribution, as well as host-parasite interactions of apicomplexan parasites infecting bivalves in Japan.
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
For this project, we collected 40 blue mussels, 40 Pacific Oysters and a total of 180 Hokkaido Scallop, from Hokkaido, Japan. Generally, samples were processed for histology, genomic DNA isolation, and also prepared for laser dissection microscopy. We started with the processing of scallop because we had more samples of those. We were able to amplified 18S rDNA and also conduct phylogenetic analyses in order to assess relationships of these parasites compared to samples collected in previous studies around the world. As a results, we found two ciliates, Tichodina pectenis and Ancistrum sp. We also were able to isolate and identify an apicomplexan parasite, Merocystis kathae. This was the first report of all three of these organisms in Japan. For each of these organisms, we were able to gather histology and amplify 18S rDNA. We are currently processing the blue mussels and pacific oysters.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
This research was some of the first molecular work generated from parasites of shellfish (bivalves) in Japan. Here we were able to link traditional histological observations to genetic data. We also made several reports of parasitic species that are newly reported in Japan.
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