User talk:Vmoala2

Trypanosoma tungara

Phylum: Euglenozoa

Class: Kinetoplastea

Family: Trypanosomatidae

Order: Kinetoplastida

Amphibia: Leuperidae

Trypanosomes are a diverse group of protozoans that belong to the order Kinetoplastida. They are single-celled, blood parasites that infect different classes of vertebrate, ie: fish, birds, mammmals, reptiles and amphibians. Most species require an intermediate host to complete the life cycle. These are also disease causing parasites which often lead to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, also known as the sleeping sickness.

Trypanosoma tungara is a parasite specific for tungara frogs. Researchers found that trypanosomes affected only the male, tungara frogs. The trypanosomes were found in the living within the blood when they examined the presence in the frogs body. Researchers also examined that these parasites change shape when they infect different hosts.

Trypanosoma tungara is a member of the giant trypanosomes that include species such as Trypanosoma mega, T. ranarum and T. rotatorium. T. tungara are found in tungara frogs located in Gamboa, Panama. In a blood smear, scientists found that T. tungara were monomorphic trypanosomes with an elongated body (52.13 ± 12.94 um) and thin soma (5.41± 3.62um). The free flagellar length was 13.20± 5.11um, the midnucleus to anterior end was 42.17± 13.77um, midnucleus to posterior end was 29.67± 10.59um, midnucleus to kinetoplast was 20.31um and posterior end to kinetoplast waws 9.71 ± 3.50um. The size of the flagellum was 0.34 ± 0.14um, and the length of the nucleus was 3.63 ± 1.67um. These findings showed close relationship to other species from the Central and South America.

Transmission of the protozoan parasite was found in the tungara frogs (Engystomops pustulosus) by the frog-biting midges (Corethrella spp.). The frog-biting midges were attracted to the mating calls produced by the male frogs. Female frogs do not produce mating calls, hence the findings that a high percentage of male frogs were infected by the frog-biting midges. There is further research in finding transmission to female frogs since there were a small percentage infected by Corethrella spp. Corethrella spp are small flies that reside in tropical and subtropical regions. Commonly, the female flies feed on blood from anurans, such as frogs. The blood meal is required for egg production.

When a male frog produces a mating call, the sound can attract up to an average of 142 midges in 30 minutes. In addition, a single, vigorous mating call can attract up to 500 midges within this same time frame. When a female midge finds the male frog, she lands on his back, enters the nostrils of the frog and takes a blood meal.

During a blood meal on the tundara frog, the infected fly injects metacyclic trypomastigotes into the skin tissue of the nostrils, since the skin is most thin around in that area. The capillaries are easiest to locate in the nostril region of the frog. Further research is still going into finding if the sound gradient of the mating call is the loudest in the nostril area, hence the reason why the fly often gets their blood meal from the nostrils. After the trypomastigotes enter the skin tissue and into the blood, where they transform into bloodstream trypomastigotes and carried to other sites of the body and continue replication through binary fission.

Vmoala2 (talk) 13:01, 13 December 2016 (UTC)