Biochemical characterization of some raptor trypanosomes. II. Enzyme studies, with a description of Trypanosoma bennetti n. sp.

Abstract

Comparing electrophoretic mobility patterns of 14 enzymes of nine strains of cultured avian trypanosomes and two strains of cultured mammalian trypanosomatids revealed marked differences between the strains isolated from Falco sparverius and those isolated from other host raptors as well as among the avian trypanosomatids and the mammalian ones. These results supported the differentiation of two species of raptor trypanosomes based on other criteria: size, form, in vitro growth behavior, surface carbohydrate expression, lectin-mediated agglutination, and qualitative activity profiles of 19 enzymes. The results indicate that biochemical characteristics, particularly isoenzyme electrophoretic data, are useful and objective additions to the traditional criteria used to type and classify Trypanosoma spp. of birds. Trypanosoma bennetti n. sp. from F. sparverius is described as a new species, and the other avian trypanosome strains are identified as T. avium Danilewsky, 1885. A phylogenetic tree, constructed by methods of numerical taxonomy, revealed that T. bennetti n. sp. is distantly related to T. avium as well as to T. rhodesiense and Leishmania chagasi.