scholarly journals Characterization of the 12S rRNA Gene Sequences of the Harvester Termite Anacanthotermes ochraceus (Blattodea: Hodotermitidae) and Its Role as A Bioindicator of Heavy Metal Accumulation Risks in Saudi Arabia

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Reem Alajmi ◽  
Rewaida Abdel-Gaber ◽  
Noura AlOtaibi
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Metal Accumulation ◽  
Heavy Metal Accumulation ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Morphological Identification ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Termite Species ◽  
12S Rrna Gene ◽  
The Mean ◽  
High Concentrations

Termites are social insects of economic importance that have a worldwide distribution. Identifying termite species has traditionally relied on morphometric characters. Recently, several mitochondrial genes have been used as genetic markers to determine the correlation between different species. Heavy metal accumulation causes serious health problems in humans and animals. Being involved in the food chain, insects are used as bioindicators of heavy metals. In the present study, 100 termite individuals of Anacanthotermes ochraceus were collected from two Saudi Arabian localities with different geoclimatic conditions (Riyadh and Taif). These individuals were subjected to morphological identification followed by molecular analysis using mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene sequence, thus confirming the morphological identification of A. ochraceus. Furthermore, a phylogenetic analysis was conducted to determine the genetic relationship between the acquired species and other termite species with sequences previously submitted in the GenBank database. Several heavy metals including Ca, Al, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Ba, Cr, Co, Be, Ni, V, Pb, Cd, and Mo were measured in both collected termites and soil samples from both study sites. All examined samples (termite and soil) showed high concentrations of metals with different concentrations and ratios. Generally, most measured metals had a significantly high concentration in soil and termites at Taif, except for Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, and Ni showing significantly high concentrations at Riyadh. Furthermore, termites accumulated higher amounts of heavy metals than the soil at both locations. The mean concentrations of the measured metals in soil samples were found to be in the descending order Ca ˃ Al ˃ Mg ˃ Zn ˃ Fe ˃ Cu ˃ Mn ˃ Ba ˃ Cr ˃ Co ˃ Be ˃ Ni ˃ V ˃ Pb ˃ Cd ˃ Mo, while it was Ca ˃ Mg ˃ Al ˃ Fe ˃ Zn ˃ Cu ˃ Mn ˃ Be ˃ Ba ˃ Pb ˃ Cr ˃ V ˃ Ni ˃ Cd ˃ Mo ˃ Co in termite specimens. The mean concentrations of the studied metals were determined in the soil and termite specimens at both locations. In addition, the contamination factor, pollution load index (PLI) and degree of contamination were calculated for all studied metals in different samples, indicating that both studied sites were polluted. However, Taif showed a significantly higher degree of pollution. Thus, the accurate identification of economically important insects, such as termites, is of crucial importance to plan for appropriate control strategies. In addition, termites are a good bioindicator to study land pollution.

scholarly journals Heavy metal levels in cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) foraging in some abattoirs in Lagos State metropolis

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elijah Abakpa Adegbe ◽  
Oluwaseyi Oluwabukola Babajide ◽  
Lois Riyo Maina ◽  
Shola Elijah Adeniji
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Metal Accumulation ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Heavy Metal Accumulation ◽  
Bubulcus Ibis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Metal Levels ◽  
Lagos State ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background Heavy metal accumulation in the ecosystem constitutes a potential toxic effect which is hazardous to human health. Increasing environmental pollution has necessitated the use of cattle egrets to evaluate the levels of heavy metal contamination, to establish their use in biomonitoring of heavy metals and to provide data for monitoring pollution in the environment. Results The present study assessed the utilization of Bubulcus ibis in monitoring pollution in five abattoirs, namely Agege, Bariga, Kara, Itire and Idi-Araba, all situated in Lagos State. The concentration of five (5) heavy metals, cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) was determined in the liver, muscle and feather of Bubulcus ibis using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The trend of metal accumulation was in the order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd > Ni for all the sampled tissues. The mean tissue concentrations of the metals were significantly different (p < 0.05) among the sites. The highest levels of metal concentration were reported in the liver in all the locations. Mean concentration of Cd in Kara (0.003 ± 0.00058) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those found at Agege (0.0013 ± 0.00058) and Idi-Araba (0.001 ± 0.001). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was also observed between the mean concentrations of Cu in Bariga (0.01 ± 0.001) and Idi-Araba (0.003 ± 0.001). Conclusion All the studied heavy metals were present in the liver, muscle and feathers of the cattle egrets. The contamination levels were ascertained from the study which indicated that cattle egrets are useful in biomonitoring studies and the generated data will serve as baseline data which could be compared with data from other locations for monitoring heavy metal pollution.

scholarly journals First Molecular Confirmation of Equine Ocular Setaria digitata in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Feng Yu ◽  
Bo Liu ◽  
Shulei Chen ◽  
Ziwen Yi ◽  
Xianyong Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Corneal Opacity ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Setaria Digitata ◽  
12S Rrna Gene ◽  
The Right ◽  
Ocular Discharge

A 5-year-old Mongolian mare (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) was observed to have corneal opacity and excessive ocular discharge. An ophthalmic examination revealed a moving thread-like cylindrical worm in the anterior chamber of the right eye. The parasite was successfully removed surgically. The worm was observed under light microscopy and confirmed as Setaria digitata by 12S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated similarity with Setaria digitata in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank database isolated from other Asian countries. This report is the first confirmed case of equine ocular setariasis by molecular diagnosis in China, which may indicate its presence in livestock and promote research on its epidemiology.

Phylogenetic Relationships among the Species of the Genus Testudo (Testudines: Testudinidae) Inferred from Mitochondrial 12S rRNA Gene Sequences

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoinette C. van der Kuyl ◽  
Donato L. Ph. Ballasina ◽  
John T. Dekker ◽  
Jolanda Maas ◽  
Ronald E. Willemsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Gene Sequences ◽  
12S Rrna Gene ◽  
Mitochondrial 12S Rrna

scholarly journals Evaluation and utility of mitochondrial ribosomal genes for molecular systematics of parasitic nematodes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Hui En Chan ◽  
Kittipong Chaisiri ◽  
Serge Morand ◽  
Naowarat Saralamba ◽  
Urusa Thaenkham
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Marker ◽  
Genetic Markers ◽  
Molecular Systematics ◽  
Ribosomal Rna ◽  
Ribosomal Rna Genes ◽  
16S Ribosomal Rna ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
12S Rrna Gene ◽  
Rna Genes

Abstract Background Molecular advances have accelerated our understanding of nematode systematics and taxonomy. However, comparative analyzes between various genetic markers have led to discrepancies in nematode phylogenies. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of using mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes for nematode molecular systematics. Methods To study the suitability of mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes as genetic markers for nematode molecular systematics, we compared them with the other commonly used genetic markers, nuclear internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 regions, nuclear 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA genes, and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. After that, phylum-wide primers for mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes were designed, and parasitic nematodes of humans and animals from 75 taxa with 21 representative species were inferred through phylogenetic analyzes. Phylogenetic analyzes were carried out using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference algorithms. Results The phylogenetic relationships of nematodes based on the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene supported the monophyly of nematodes in clades I, IV, and V, reinforcing the potential of this gene as a genetic marker for nematode systematics. In contrast, the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene only supported the monophyly of clades I and V, providing evidence that the 12S rRNA gene is more suitable for nematode molecular systematics. In this study, subclades of clade III containing various nematode families were not monophyletic when the 16S or 12S rRNA gene was used as the genetic marker. This is similar to the phylogenetic relationship revealed by previous studies using whole mitochondrial genomes as genetic markers. Conclusions This study supports the use of the 12S rRNA gene as a genetic marker for studying the molecular systematics of nematodes to understand intra-phyla relationships. Phylum-wide primers for nematodes using mitochondrial ribosomal genes were prepared, which may enhance future studies. Furthermore, sufficient genetic variation in the mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes between species also allowed for accurate taxonomy to species level, revealing the potential of these two genes as genetic markers for DNA barcoding.

scholarly journals Reassessment of the mitochondrial 12S-rRNA gene for DNA barcoding of museum specimens of shelled marine gastropods from Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 322 ◽  
pp. 01028
Author(s):  
Nao Fukunaga ◽  
Moe Shimizu ◽  
Shinnosuke Teruya ◽  
Nazifa Naziha Razali ◽  
Satoko Nakashima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Museum Specimens ◽  
Biodiversity Monitoring ◽  
Marine Gastropods ◽  
12S Rrna Gene ◽  
Reference Databases ◽  
Mitochondrial 12S Rrna ◽  
Comprehensive Reference

DNA barcoding is an effective and powerful tool for taxonomic identification and thus very useful for biodiversity monitoring. This study investigated the usefulness of the mitochondrial 12S-rRNA gene for the DNA barcoding of shelled marine gastropods. To do so, we determined partial 12S-rRNA sequences of 75 vouchered museum specimens from 69 species of shelled gastropods from Japan. The specimens have been identified morphologically, and natural history data catalog. Sequence analyses through BLAST searches, maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, and species delimitation analysis suggested that the 12S-rRNA gene is helpful for barcoding shelled marine gastropods. They thus could be helpful to complement barcoding studies using other markers such as COI. The analyses successfully confirmed all samples’ identity at higher taxonomy (subfamily and above), but much less so at the species level. Our result thus also underlines the lingering problem of DNA barcoding: The lack of comprehensive reference databases of sequences. However, since we provided sequences of properly curated, vouchered museum specimens in this study, our result reported here has thus also helped to give taxonomically reliable reference sequences for biodiversity monitoring and identifications of shelled gastropods which include many important fisheries species.

scholarly journals Ichthyoplankton metabarcoding as a tool for studying fish reproductive dynamics

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Teixeira ◽  
Heron Hilário ◽  
Gustavo Rosa ◽  
Guilherme Santos ◽  
Gilmar Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
Reference Sequence ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Morphological Identification ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Fish Eggs ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding ◽  
Primer Sets

The study of ichthyoplankton composition, abundance and distribution is paramount to understand the reproductive dynamics of local fish assemblages. The analysis of these parameters allows the identification of spawning sites, nursery areas and migration routes. However, due to the lack of characters in early life stages, the morphological identification of ichthyoplankton is often impractical and many studies identify only fish larvae. Additionally, its accuracy shows great variation between taxonomists and laboratories according to their experience and specialty. DNA barcoding emerged as an alternative to provide assertive identification of fish eggs and larvae, but it becomes too expensive and laborious when the study demands the processing of huge amounts of organisms. DNA metabarcoding can overcome these limitations as a rapid, cost-effective, broad and accurate taxonomy tool, allowing the identification of multiple individuals simultaneously. Here, we present the identification of a sample containing 68 fish eggs and another containing 293 fish larvae from a single site in the São Francisco River Basin, Eastern Brazil, through DNA metabarcoding. We used a low-cost saline DNA extraction followed by PCR amplification with three primer sets targeting the 12S rRNA gene: MiFish (~170bp), Teleo_1 (~60bp), and NeoFish (~190bp). The latter was recently developed by our research group specifically for the identification of Neotropical fishes. All the amplified samples were sequenced in a single multiplexed Illumina MiniSeq run. We performed the filtering steps and assigned Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) using a DADA2/Phyloseq based pipeline and a custom 12S reference sequence database including 101 species and 70 genera from the Jequitinhonha and São Francisco basins. The species Cyphocharax gilbert, Leporinus taeniatus, Megaleporinus elongatus, Prochilodus argenteus, P. costatus and Psalidodon fasciatus were detected by all three primer sets in the larva pool, while Pterygoplichthys etentaculatus was detected solely by NeoFish (Fig. 1). Within the egg pool, all three markers detected the species Characidium zebra, Curimatella lepidura, M. elongatus, Pimelodus fur and P. costatus, but Brycon orthotaenia was detected only by NeoFish, P. maculatus only by Teleo, and P. pohli by MiFish and Teleo (Fig. 1). The consistency in species detection among all three markers underpins the credibility of this method to accurately describe the sample composition. Considering that most of species were exclusive to the larvae or egg pool, our experiment highlights the importance of including the identification of fish eggs in reproduction studies, as it can provide additional information about which species are spawning in an area. Furthermore, the application of DNA metabarcoding to the study of ichthyoplankton can help decision makers create more informed guidelines for conservation of economically and ecologically important fish species.

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