Comparative genomics of Ascetosporea gives new insight into the evolutionary basis for animal parasitism in Rhizaria.

Background: Ascetosporea (Endomyxa, Rhizaria) is a group of unicellular parasites infecting aquatic invertebrates. They are increasingly being recognized as widespread and important in marine environments, causing large annual losses in invertebrate aquaculture. Despite their importance, little molecular data of Ascetosporea exist, with only two genome assemblies published to date.

Identification of a new gregarine parasite associated with mass mortality events of freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) in Sweden.

Freshwater bivalves play key ecological roles in lakes and rivers, largely contributing to healthy ecosystems. The freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera, is found in Europe and on the East coast of North America. Once common in oxygenated streams, M.

Infection cycle of Marteilia pararefringens in blue mussels Mytilus edulis in a heliothermic marine oyster lagoon in Norway.

Agapollen is a traditional heliothermic marine oyster lagoon in western Norway, representing the northernmost site of any Marteilia sp. protists detected in Europe. The semi-closed lagoon is a unique site to study the life cycle and development of M.

Ochroconis globalis infecting Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), with a review of Ochroconis species in cold-blooded animals.

Necropsy examination of an adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from the Dalälven River in Sweden revealed numerous large, white nodules, with spherical cysts and granulomata in kidney and liver. Histopathology showed dark, septate, thin-walled hyphae. The aetiologic agent was found to be an Ochroconis species (Venturiales) that differed from known fish-associated species of the genus.

Summer mortalities and detection of ostreid herpesvirus microvariant in Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas in Sweden and Norway.

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas has recently expanded its range in Scandinavia. The expansion is presumably a result of northwards larval drift. Massive settlements were recorded in many areas along the Swedish west coast and southern Norway in 2013 and 2014.

Seafood sold in Sweden contains BMAA: A study of free and total concentrations with UHPLC-MS/MS and dansyl chloride derivatization.

β--Methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) is a potential neurotoxin associated with the aquatic environment. Validated analytical methods for the quantification of both free and total concentrations of BMAA were used in an investigation of seafood purchased from different grocery stores in Uppsala, Sweden. The analysis was performed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) and detection of BMAA as a dansyl derivate.

Phylogenetic analysis of the SSU rRNA gene from the piscine diplomonad Spironucleus torosus (Diplomonadida: Hexamitinae).

Previous studies have recorded Spironucleus torosus Poynton et Morrison, 1990 from several species of gadoid fishes, including the only freshwater gadoid, the burbot Lota lota (L.). Two morphologically different isolates of S.