This Diseases of Aquatic Organisms scholarly article (PDF) addresses earlier phylogenetic analyses that confirmed QPX (Quahog Parasite Unknown) - a protistan parasite that causes disease and mortality in the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria - is a member of the Labyrinthulomycota phylum, but could not definitively demonstrate that all QPX organisms were from the same species. The objectives of this study were: to develop sensitive and specific molecular tools (e.g., PCR primers and a DNA probe) in order to diagnose QPX in hard clams; to field validate the PCR QPX diagnostic assay relative to standard histological diagnostic methods; and to utilize the molecular tools to determine the relationship of geographically distinct putative QPX organisms from the United States and Canada. This article may require a subscription to view.
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