Comparison of the Germination Conditions of Two Large-Spore Microsporidia Using Potassium and Sodium Ion Solutions

The germination of a microsporidian polar tube generally occurs under alkaline conditions. Typically, microsporidian spores can be stored in physiological salt solution for short periods. However, because of differences in the lodging area, the requirements may not always be uniform. In fact, sp. OSL-2012-10 () germinated when preserved in physiological salt solution. In this study, the germination characteristics of the large-spore microsporidia sp. FOA-2014-10 and sp. YGSL-2015-13 were compared with those of sp. OSL-2012-10; moreover, we investigated whether these characteristics are specific to these microsporidia. We found that both microsporidia germinated in physiological salt solution. These differences in germination rates were affected by the preservation solution and temperature.