Morphological and molecular characterization of Mermisnigrescens Dujardin, (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitizing the introduced European earwig (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) in New Zealand

2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Presswell ◽  
S. Evans ◽  
R. Poulin ◽  
F. Jorge

AbstractParasitic nematodes of the family Mermithidae were found to be infecting the introduced European earwig Forficula auricularia (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand. Adult females were later collected from various garden plants while depositing eggs. These mermithid specimens were identified morphologically as Mermis nigrescens Dujardin, 1842. A genetic distance of 0.7% between these specimens and a M. nigrescens isolate from Canada (18S rRNA gene), suggests that they have diverged genetically, but there are currently no available comparable sequences for the European M. nigrescens. Two additional nuclear fragments were also amplified, the 28S rRNA and the ribosomal DNA first internal transcribed spacer (ITS1), providing a basis for future studies. Bearing in mind the morphological similarity with other reported M. nigrescens and the lack of sequence data from other parts of the world, we retain the name M.nigrescens, and suggest that the species may be found to represent a complex of cryptic species when more worldwide data are available. Herein, we present a brief description of the post-parasitic worms and adult females, along with an inferred phylogeny using 18S rRNA gene sequences.

Parasitology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
pp. 646-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
GASTÓN MORÉ ◽  
NIKOLA PANTCHEV ◽  
DALAND C. HERRMANN ◽  
MAJDA GLOBOKAR VRHOVEC ◽  
SABINE ÖFNER ◽  
...  

SUMMARYSarcocystisspp. represent apicomplexan parasites. They usually have a heteroxenous life cycle. Around 200 species have been described, affecting a wide range of animals worldwide, including reptiles. In recent years, large numbers of reptiles have been imported into Europe as pets and, as a consequence, animal welfare and species protection issues emerged. A sample of pooled feces from four confiscated green pythons (Morelia viridis) containingSarcocystisspp. sporocysts was investigated. These snakes were imported for the pet trade and declared as being captive-bred. Full length 18S rRNA genes were amplified, cloned into plasmids and sequenced. Two differentSarcocystisspp. sequences were identified and registered asSarcocystissp. fromM. viridisin GenBank. Both showed a 95–97% sequence identity with the 18S rRNA gene ofSarcocystis singaporensis.Phylogenetic analysis positioned these sequences together with otherSarcocystisspp. from snakes and rodents as definitive and intermediate hosts (IH), respectively. Sequence data and also the results of clinical and parasitological examinations suggest that the snakes were definitive hosts forSarcocystisspp. that circulate in wild IH. Thus, it seems unlikely that the infected snakes had been legally bred. Our research shows that information on the infection of snakes withSarcocystisspp. may be used to assess compliance with regulations on the trade with wildlife species.


2007 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 344-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.E. Redmond ◽  
R.W.M. van Soest ◽  
M. Kelly ◽  
J. Raleigh ◽  
S.A.A. Travers ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee L van der Reis ◽  
Olivier Laroche ◽  
Andrew G Jeffs ◽  
Shane D Lavery

Deep sea lobsters are highly valued for seafood and provide the basis of important commercial fisheries in many parts of the world. Despite their economic significance, relatively little is known about their natural diets. Microscopic analyses of foregut content in some species have suffered from low taxonomic resolution, with many of the dietary items difficult to reliably identify as their tissue is easily digested. DNA metabarcoding has the potential to provide greater taxonomic resolution of the diet of the New Zealand scampi (Metanephrops challengeri) through the identification of gut contents, but a number of methodological concerns need to be overcome first to ensure optimum DNA metabarcoding results. In this study, a range of methodological parameters were tested to determine the optimum protocols for DNA metabarcoding, and provide a first view of M. challengeri diet. Several PCR protocols were tested, using two universal primer pairs targeting the 18S rRNA and COI genes, on DNA extracted from both frozen and ethanol preserved samples for both foregut and hindgut digesta. The selection of appropriate DNA polymerases, buffers and methods for reducing PCR inhibitors (including the use of BSA) were found to be critical. Amplification from frozen or ethanol preserved gut contents appeared similarly dependable, but metabarcoding outcomes indicated that the ethanol samples produced better results from the COI gene. The COI gene was found to be more effective than 18S rRNA gene for identifying large eukaryotic taxa from the digesta, however, it was less successfully amplified. The 18S rRNA gene was more easily amplified, but identified mostly smaller marine organisms such as plankton and parasites. This preliminary analysis of the diet of M. challengeri identified a range of species (13,541 reads identified as diet), which included the ghost shark (Hydrolagus novaezealandiae), silver warehou (Seriolella punctate), tall sea pen (Funiculina quadrangularis) and the salp (Ihlea racovitza), suggesting that they have a varied diet, with a high reliance on scavenging a diverse range of pelagic and benthic species from the seafloor.


Nematology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 591-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrab Esmaeili ◽  
Ramin Heydari ◽  
Pablo Castillo ◽  
Mozhgan Ziaie Bidhendi ◽  
Juan E. Palomares-Rius

During a survey on pin nematodes in western Iran, two populations of Paratylenchus audriellus and Paratylenchus tenuicaudatus were collected and subsequently analysed morphologically and molecularly. Paratylenchus audriellus is characterised by the long stylet (48-61 μm) and the typical female tail with a characteristic claw-like process with sharply pointed terminus. To our knowledge, the Iranian population of P. tenuicaudatus is the first record from Iran. The molecular characterisation of P. audriellus nematodes using the D2-D3 of 28S rRNA and the partial 18S rRNA gene sequences revealed that this species is clearly separated from P. straeleni and should be considered as a valid taxon.


2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1559-1565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prasanna D. Khot ◽  
Daisy L. Ko ◽  
David N. Fredricks

ABSTRACT rRNA genes are attractive targets for developing PCR assays targeting human fungal pathogens. Most studies have focused on the 18S rRNA gene, internal transcribed spacers, and the 5′ end of the 28S rRNA gene. An approximately 2,900-bp region of the 28S rRNA gene remains largely unexplored because sequences of many medically relevant fungi are either unavailable or undefined in genomic databases. The internal transcribed spacers and 28S rRNA gene of nine medically and phylogenetically important fungi were sequenced. In addition, 42 sequences from this region were acquired from public databases, resulting in an alignment of 51 fungal sequences spanning 30 fungal genera. For the nearly 3,950-bp region from the 3′ end of 18S rRNA gene to the 3′ end of the 28S rRNA gene, 27 broad-range PCR primers were designed such that their sequence homology with the human rRNA gene was minimal. All 62 possible amplicons in the size range from 75 to 400 bp from 27 primers were screened using fungal genomic DNA from 26 species spanning 14 genera. Eleven of the 62 amplicons did not cross-react with 1 μg/PCR human DNA but simultaneously amplified 10 fg of fungal DNA. Phylogenetic distance matrices were calculated for regions covered by these 11 amplicons based on 51 fungi. Two of these 11 amplicons successfully amplified 30 fg of fungal DNA from 25 of 26 fungi and provided the most phylogenetic information for species identification based on the distance matrices. These PCR assays hold promise for detection and identification of fungal pathogens in human tissues.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5081 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-130
Author(s):  
BRIAN W. BAHDER ◽  
MARCO A. ZUMBADO ECHAVARRIA ◽  
EDWIN A. BARRANTES BARRANTES ◽  
ERICKA E. HELMICK ◽  
CHARLES R. BARTLETT

The derbid genus Oropuna is a small taxon of Neotropical planthoppers in the tribe Cenchreini comprised of three species. Recent survey work on palms for planthoppers in Costa Rica resulted in the discovery of a fourth species, Oropuna halo sp. n. In this study the new species is described and a key to the four species is provided along with sequence data for the cyctochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S rRNA gene for the novel taxon.  


Author(s):  
Rade Garić ◽  
Mirna Batistić

Brooksia lacromae sp. nov. is described from zooplankton material collected at a marine monitoring station in the South Adriatic in the autumn of 2014. The description of both solitary and aggregate forms is given along with 18S rRNA and mitochondrial cox1 sequence data that provides strong evidence that both forms belong to the same species. The described species is morphologically markedly different from B. rostrata (Traustedt, 1893) and B. berneri van Soest, 1975, previously the only two species in the genus Brooksia. Genetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene confirmed distinctness of B. lacromae sp. nov. from B. rostrata (1.5% uncorrected pairwise distance). The appendicularian Fritillaria helenae Bückmann, 1924, so far known from the Atlantic only, was found in the same samples as B. lacromae sp. nov. Co-occurrence of B. lacromae sp. nov. with an Atlantic appendicularian suggests an Atlantic or Western Mediterranean origin for this new taxon.


2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ((E0)) ◽  
pp. 34-41
Author(s):  
Naseir M. Badawi ◽  
Afaf A. Yousif

This study aimed to detect Babesia gibsoni (B. gibsoni) in dogs of different ages, sex and breeds in Baghdad province by microscopic and molecular investigations using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses. The present study was investigated B. gibsoni in 310 blood samples of dogs for the period December 2018 to September 2019 in Baghdad province, Iraq. The molecular study was carried out by using universal primers of Babesia spp. (PIRO-A and PIRO-B) and specific primers of B. gibsoni (BAGIF and BAGIR) products size of 410 bp and 488 bp fragments of 18S rRNA gene respectively. The clinical signs revealed higher percentage and specific clinical signs of B. gibsoni as depression, anorexia, fever, pale mucus membrane, and ticks infestation, however icterus, and dead were low in which only occurred in two dogs out of infected dogs. The PCR assay and microscopic diagnosis revealed the infection rate of B. gibsoni 9 out of 310 (2.9%) in dogs. The sequence data analyses of nine DNA products were 98-100% similar to sequences of 18S rRNA gene of B. gibsoni data available in Gene bank. According to breed, age, and sex, the results revealed a significantly high-risk factor of infection in Husky dogs; B. gibsoni detected in females which was increased non-significantly than males; while the highest occurrence of disease was in young dogs aged three years or less in addition to the above, the infection rate of B. gibsoni was high in the spring season. In conclusion, this study was considered the first molecular record of B. gibsoni in Baghdad, Iraq documented no differences in diagnosis by blood smear and conventional PCR to amplify of 18S rRNA gene and partial sequencing of B. gibsoni with low-cost method and easily done.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee L. van der Reis ◽  
Olivier Laroche ◽  
Andrew G. Jeffs ◽  
Shane D. Lavery

Deep sea lobsters are highly valued for seafood and provide the basis of important commercial fisheries in many parts of the world. Despite their economic significance, relatively little is known about their natural diets. Microscopic analyses of foregut content in some species have suffered from low taxonomic resolution, with many of the dietary items difficult to reliably identify as their tissue is easily digested. DNA metabarcoding has the potential to provide greater taxonomic resolution of the diet of the New Zealand scampi (Metanephrops challengeri) through the identification of gut contents, but a number of methodological concerns need to be overcome first to ensure optimum DNA metabarcoding results. In this study, a range of methodological parameters were tested to determine the optimum protocols for DNA metabarcoding, and provide a first view ofM.challengeridiet. Several PCR protocols were tested, using two universal primer pairs targeting the 18S rRNA and COI genes, on DNA extracted from both frozen and ethanol preserved samples for both foregut and hindgut digesta. The selection of appropriate DNA polymerases, buffers and methods for reducing PCR inhibitors (including the use of BSA) were found to be critical. Amplification from frozen or ethanol preserved gut contents appeared similarly dependable. The COI gene was found to be more effective than 18S rRNA gene for identifying large eukaryotic taxa from the digesta; however, it was less successfully amplified. The 18S rRNA gene was more easily amplified, but identified mostly smaller marine organisms such as plankton and parasites. This preliminary analysis of the diet ofM.challengeriidentified a range of species (13,541 reads identified as diet), which included the ghost shark (Hydrolagus novaezealandiae), silver warehou (Seriolella punctata), tall sea pen (Funiculina quadrangularis) and the salp (Ihlea racovitzai), suggesting that they have a varied diet, with a high reliance on scavenging a diverse range of pelagic and benthic species from the seafloor.


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