Choleoeimeria Explained

Choleoeimeria is a genus of alveolate parasites that infect the biliary tracts of reptiles. Morphologically they are similar to the Eimeria, to whom they are closely related. The genus was described in 1989 by Paperna and Landsberg.

General features

The endogenous development of the parasite occurs in the cells of the bile epithelium.

The infected host cell becomes hypertrophic and emerges above the epithelial surface. This hypertrophy coincides with a drastic depletion of the microvilli. The junction zone along with the underlying cell extends into numerous long and fine membranal out-folds.

Meront

These undergo binary fission.

Microgamont

The differentiating microgamont develops an expanded multilobed body.

Macrogamont

The organelles include type 1 and type 2 wall forming bodies, canaliculi and granular bodies.

Oocyte

The oocyst wall forms from 4 wall-membranes consolidating over the zygote plasmalemma. The oocysts possess four sporocysts each containing two sporozoites.

These species possess bivalved sporocysts and lack a Stieda body.

Host-parasite relations

• Choleoeimeria allogamae - Agama species
• Choleoeimeria allogehyrae - Top-end dtella (Gehyra australis)
• Choleoeimeria amphisbaenae - red worm lizard (Amphisbaena alba)^[1]
• Choleoeimeria baltrocki - gold skink (Eumeces schneiderii)
• Choleoeimeria boulii - variegated dtella (Gehyra variegata)
• Choleoeimeria calotesi - blue crested lizard (Calotes mystaceus)
• Choleoeimeria carinii - teiid lizard (Ameiva ameiva)^[2]
• Choleoeimeria heteronotis - Binoe's prickly gecko (Heteronotia binoei)
• Choleoeimeria hirbayah - veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)^[3]
• Choleoeimeria lygosomis - Lygosoma buringi
• Choleoeimeria pachydactyli - Cape thick-toed gecko (Pachydactylus capensis)
• Choleoeimeria riyadhae - sandfish (Scincus scincus)
• Choleoeimeria rochalimai - tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia)^[4]
• Choleoeimeria sadlieri - marble-throated skink (Marmorosphax tricolor)^[5]
• Choleoeimeria sylvatica - blue throated rainbow skink (Carlia rhomboidalis)
• Choleoeimeria xiangmaii - common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)

Notes and References

1. Lainson R (2003) Some coccidial parasites of the lizard Amphisbaena alba (Reptilia: Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae) Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 98(7)927-936
2. Lainson R, Paperna I (1999) Some coccidia from the gall-bladder and intestine of the teiid lizard Ameiva ameiva ameiva and the gecko Hemidactylus mabouia in north Brazil. Parasite 6(2):151-162
3. Sloboda M, Modrý D (2006) New species of Choleoeimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the veiled chameleon, Chamaeleo calyptratus (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae), with taxonomic revision of eimerian coccidia from chameleons. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 53(2):91-97
4. Paperna I, Lainson R (2000) Ultrastructural study of meronts and gamonts of Choleoeimeria rochalimai (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) developing in the gall bladder of the gecko Hemidactylus mabouia from Brazil. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 47(2):91-96
5. Modrý D, Jirků M (2006) Three new species of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriorina) from the Marble-throated skink, Marmorosphax tricolor Bavay, 1869 (Reptilia: Scincidae), endemic to New Caledonia with a taxonomic revision of Eimeria spp. from scincid hosts. Parasitol. Res. 99(4):419-428