The microsporidium Nosema disstriae (Thomson 1959): Fine structure and phylogenetic position within the N. bombycis clade

- N. disstriae displays broad tissue tropism, but mainly develops in trachea.
- N. disstriae occasional produces octospores.
- Ultrastructure of N. disstriae is typical for other Nosema spp. from Lepidoptera.
- 5′-LSU-ITS-SSU-3′ arrangement of rRNA places N. disstriae in the N. bombycis clade.
- N. disstriae cluster with N. antheraeae in RPB1 and rDNA-RPB1 phylogenies.
- The N. disstriae-N. antheraeae lineage is an early divergent branch of NBC.

A microsporidium Nosema disstriae (Thomson) is a parasite of the forest tent caterpillar Malacasoma disstria (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), a notable defoliator of deciduous trees in North America. The goal of this paper was to demonstrate the ultrastructure of N. disstriae and to determine the position of this microsporidium within the N. bombycis clade (NBC) using comparative morphology and multiple molecular phylogenetic markers: RPB1, LSU-, ITS- and SSU-rDNA. As a part of this goal, the revision of the described members of the NBC has been performed. The ultrastructure of proliferating stages and spores of N. disstriae were similar to previously described Nosema spp. parasitizing lepidopteran species. Meronts produced tubular-like structures on their surfaces and exhibited a tight association with host mitochondria. All stages were diplokaryotic and developed without interfacial envelopes. Disporoblastic sporogony produced typical Nosema-type spores with 9-12 polar filament coils. A vesicle with immature spores was once recognized on sections, concordant with the previous record of octosporous sporogony in the N. disstriae life cycle. Rarely, spores with thinner envelopes and large posterior vacuoles were seen in the midgut. Tracheae were most heavily infected. Midgut, surrounding muscles, haemocytes and fat body also contained microsporidia. SSUrRNA-inferred phylogenies were consistent with previously published articles and did not resolve the relation within the NBC clade. The RPB1-inferred trees and concatenated RPB1 and LSU-ITS-SSUrDNA-based trees demonstrated clustering of N. disstriae with N. antheraeae as early divergent species within the NBC.

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