| conservation of sequence in the internal transcribed spacers and 5.8s ribosomal rna among geographically separated isolates of parasitic scuticociliates (ciliophora, orchitophryidae). | nucleotide sequence from the internal transcribed spacers (its1 and its2) and the 5.8s gene from the ribosomal rna gene cluster of isolates of the scuticociliate orchitophrya stellarum from 4 asteroid hosts were compared. surprisingly, these data (495 bp) were identical for o. stellarum isolated from the testes of asterias amurensis from japan; pisaster ochraceus from british columbia, canada; asterias rubens from the netherlands; and asterias vulgaris from prince edward island, canada. these se ... | 2000 | 10785865 |
| environmental factors influencing the immune responses of the common european starfish (asterias rubens). | the influence of handling, salinity, temperature, parasitism, and gender on the immune responses (reactive oxygen species (ros) production and coelomic amoebocyte concentration (cac) of the starfish asterias rubens was investigated in experimental conditions. additionally, a year-round monthly survey in two distant sites was conducted in order to understand which of these factors most influences the immunity of a. rubens in field conditions. all considered factors, except gender and handling str ... | 2004 | 14675833 |
| association and distribution of the ciliate orchitophrya stellarum with asteriid sea stars on the west coast of north america. | the association of the scuticociliate orchitophrya stellarum with 3 species of asteriid sea stars from the west coast of north america was studied by flushing the gonopore region with seawater and spawning the sea stars, along a latitudinal gradient of 2549 km between pigeon point, california, and kodiak, alaska. asterias forbesii and a. rubens from the isles of shoals, new hampshire (east coast), were also sampled. the ciliate was found on the aboral surface of both sexes of reproductively ripe ... | 2008 | 18714682 |
| emerging infectious disease in sea stars: castrating ciliate parasites in patiria miniata. | orchitophrya stellarum is a holotrich ciliate that facultatively parasitizes and castrates male asteriid sea stars. we discovered a morphologically similar ciliate in testes of an asterinid sea star, the northeastern pacific bat star patiria miniata (brandt, 1835). this parasite may represent a threat to canadian populations of this iconic sea star. confirmation that the parasite is o. stellarum would indicate a considerable host range expansion, and suggest that o. stellarum is a generalist sea ... | 2008 | 18924382 |
| experimental infections of orchitophrya stellarum (scuticociliata) in american blue crabs (callinectes sapidus) and fiddler crabs (uca minax). | outbreaks of an unidentified ciliate have occurred on several occasions in blue crabs from chesapeake bay held during winter months in flow-through systems. the parasite was initially thought to be mesanophrys chesapeakensis, but molecular analysis identified it as orchitophyra stellarum, a facultative parasite of sea stars (asteroidea). we investigated the host-parasite association of o. stellarum in the blue crab host. crabs were inoculated with the ciliate, or they were held in bath exposures ... | 2013 | 24018170 |
| discovery of an opportunistic starfish pathogen, orchitophrya stellarum, in captive blue crabs, callinectes sapidus. | histophagous scuticociliate infections were discovered in blue crabs, callinectes sapidus, held in research facilities at the virginia institute of marine science. ciliates were observed infecting every tissue examined including the gills, heart, muscle, hepatopancreas, and epidermis. hemolymph smears and histological tissue sections indicated a morphological similarity to mesanophrys chesapeakensis, the only recorded histophagous ciliate infecting blue crabs. however, subsequent analysis of the ... | 2013 | 23954308 |