%0 Journal Article %A Svobodová, Milena %A Zídková, Lenka %A Čepička, Ivan %A Oborník, Miroslav %A Lukeš, Julius %A Votýpka, Jan %T Sergeia podlipaevi gen. nov., sp. nov. (Trypanosomatidae, Kinetoplastida), a parasite of biting midges (Ceratopogonidae, Diptera) %D 2007 %J International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, %V 57 %N 2 %P 423-432 %@ 1466-5034 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.64557-0 %K AM, abdominal midgut %K OTUs, operational taxonomic units %K DPI, days post-infection %K SL RNA, spliced-leader RNA %K RAPD, random amplified polymorphic DNA %K gGAPDH, glycosomal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase %K MT, Malpighian tubes %I Microbiology Society, %X Three strains of a trypanosomatid protozoan were isolated from the midguts of two naturally infected species of biting midges [Culicoides (Oecacta) festivipennis and Culicoides (Oecacta) truncorum] and characterized by light and electron microscopy and by molecular techniques. Morphological characteristics and sequences of the 18S rRNA, 5S rRNA, spliced leader RNA and glycosomal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes indicate that the studied flagellates represent a novel phylogenetic lineage within the Trypanosomatidae. Based on phylogenetic analyses, the novel endosymbiont-free, monoxenous trypanosomatid was classified as Sergeia podlipaevi gen. nov., sp. nov. Interestingly, it is closely related to another trypanosomatid species that parasitizes the sand fly Lutzomyia evansi, a blood-sucking dipteran from South America. The type strain of S. podlipaevi sp. nov., ICUL/CZ/2000/CER3, was obtained from Malpighian tubes. Of 2518 females of seven species of biting midges trapped in the Czech Republic, more than 1.5 % were infected by trypanosomatid parasites. An unrelated insect species, Culicoides (Monoculicoides) nubeculosus, was experimentally infected with S. podlipaevi, demonstrating that its host range extends to different subgenera of biting midges. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.64557-0