Ultrastructure and molecular phylogenetics of Helmichia lacustris, a microsporidium with an uncoiled isofilar polar filament

The description of Helmichia lacustris Voronin (Parazitologiya 34:327–331 1998 ) is supplemented with morphogenesis and ultrastructure of the extrusion apparatus. Formation of the anterior (made up by rare short lamellae) and posterior (made up by spongy matter or small vesicles) regions of the polaroplast is preceded by granulated spheres and agglomerations of bean-like bodies, respectively. The anchoring disc is formed by an oval structure of moderate electron density, sometimes possessing a granular texture. The parasite development occurs within the cisterns of granular endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) of the host cell. Each group of spores is enclosed within a two-layered sheath, including the smooth inner membrane of the sporophorous vesicle and the outer ribosome-encrusted membrane (which originates from the host cell ER) of the parasitophorous vacuole. Two microsporidia, H. lacustris (GenBank accession number GU130406) and Euplotespora binucleata (GenBank accession number DQ675604) share 78.1% of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Both parasites are characterized by an uncoiled isofilar polar filament. They form a cluster nested among terrestrial and aquatic microsporidia with well-developed coiled polar filaments, suggesting that an uncoiled polar filament in this species is a result of reduction, rather than a “primitive” character.