AUTHOR=Ye Lingtong , Wu Lin , Lu Jie , Yao Tuo , Wang Jiangyong , Shi Shaokun , Yu Gang , Zhao Wang 

TITLE=Diversity and distribution of Perkinsus spp. along the coast of China: Implications for widespread transmission of Perkinsus spp. in mollusks

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.989261

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.989261

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Perkinsus</italic> species, which are parasitic pathogens of mollusks, have been transmitted and dispersed to various molluscan species along the coastal waters of many countries. However, few studies have addressed the diversity and distribution of <italic>Perkinsus</italic> spp. along the coast of China. Here we used conventional PCR amplification and sequencing techniques, combined with a qPCR assay as a confirmatory test, to evaluate the prevalence of <italic>Perkinsus</italic> species in molluscan species among different sea regions of China. Three <italic>Perkinsus</italic> species<italic>—P. olseni</italic>, <italic>P. beihaiensis</italic>, and <italic>P. chesapeaki—</italic>were detected, with <italic>P. chesapeaki</italic> reported for the first time along the Chinese coast. Seven of eight molluscan species carried <italic>Perkinsus</italic> species, including <italic>Crassostrea gigas</italic>, <italic>C. hongkongensis</italic>, <italic>Sinonovacula constricta</italic>, <italic>Ruditapes philippinarum</italic>, <italic>Scapharca subcrenata</italic>, <italic>Meretrix lyrate</italic>, and <italic>Haliotis diversicolor</italic>. <italic>Perkinsus olseni</italic> was prominent in the Yellow and Bohai Sea and East China Sea, while <italic>P. beihaiensis</italic> was prominent in the South China Sea. Most of the molluscan species carried <italic>Perkinsus</italic> spp. with the medium or low levels of PCR-prevalence (&lt;30%). The three <italic>Perkinsus</italic> species possess high levels of internal transcriber spacer haplotypes, some of which are shared among many countries. The much higher PCR-prevalence of <italic>Perkinsus</italic> spp. in the clam <italic>Ruditapes philippinarum</italic> and the oyster <italic>Crassostrea hongkongensis</italic> suggests that <italic>Perkinsus</italic> species may be transmitted and dispersed to other mollusks through the transportation of <italic>Perkinsus</italic>-carried <italic>R. philippinarum</italic> and <italic>C. hongkongensis</italic>. <italic>Perkinsus</italic> carrying tended to be generally linked with a broader geographic range, lower prevalence, more diversified molluscan hosts, and more diversified <italic>Perkinsus</italic> haplotypes.</p>