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Bisterfeld K, Raulf MK, Springer A, Lang J, Lierz M, Strube C, Siebert U. Ectoparasites of the European wildcat ( Felis silvestris) in Germany. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2024; 25:100977. [PMID: 39297145 PMCID: PMC11407961 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the impact of parasites on wildlife populations is an important aspect of conservation management. However, research on ectoparasites in wildlife can be difficult, as examinations of live animals which are not habituated to human handling are often impossible. The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a strictly protected wildlife species whose population has been recovering in Germany in recent decades. Several studies from different European countries have investigated the parasitological status of European wildcat populations. However, most of these studies assessed endoparasite infections, whereas ectoparasite infestations have often been neglected. To fill this knowledge gap for wildcats in Germany, 131 dead found specimens were examined for ectoparasites by macroscopic and microscopic examination of the fur and the ear canals. Infestation with ectoparasites was present in 84.0% (110/131) of the wildcats. Ticks showed the highest prevalence with 72.5% (95/131) of wildcats infested, with 49.6% (65/131) infested with Ixodes ricinus and 36.6% (48/131) with Ixodes hexagonus/canisuga. A total of 27.5% (36/131) of the wildcats were positive for at least one flea species. Of the nine different flea species identified by morphology and/or molecular analyses, Ceratophyllidae were most common (16.8% [22/131]), with Ceratophyllus sciurorum confirmed on 12.2% (16/131) and Nosopsyllus fasciatus on 1.5% (2/131) animals, followed by Pulex irritans (5.3% [7/131]), Spilopsyllus cuniculi (3.8% [5/131]), Chaetopsylla spp. (3.1% [4/131]) (2/131 Chaetopsylla trichosa and 1/131 Chaetopsylla globiceps), Ctenocephalides felis (1.5% [2/131]), Archaeopsylla erinacei (1.5% [2/131]) and Ctenophthalmus baeticus (0.8% [1/131]). Further, 23.7% (31/131) of the wildcats harboured mites, identified as Trombicula autumnalis in 12.2% (16/131) and Otodectes cynotis in 4.8% (6/124) of cases. The only louse species detected was Felicola hercynianus with a prevalence of 2.3% (3/131). Infestation intensities ranged from 1 to 86 ticks, 1-49 fleas, 1-1896 mites, and 1-92 F. hercynianus per wildcat. This study demonstrates that a variety of ectoparasites infests wildcats in Germany, but they do not seem to have a serious impact on the general health of wildcats, as judged by the hosts' mostly good or very good nutritional condition. In addition, the potential risk to domestic cats (Felis catus) and humans posed by the wildcats' ectoparasites, appears to be low but present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Bisterfeld
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany
| | - Marie-Kristin Raulf
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany
| | - Andrea Springer
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany
| | - Johannes Lang
- Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 114, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Michael Lierz
- Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 114, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761 Buesum, Germany
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Zhang W, Niu D, Zhao Y, Hu L, Guan C, Chai R. Discovery and demonstration of the temperature stress response functions of Dermatophagoides farinae proteins 1 and 2. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:811. [PMID: 39198731 PMCID: PMC11351518 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10715-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dermatophagoides farinae proteins (DFPs) are abundantly expressed in D. farinae; however, their functions remain unknown. Our previous transcriptome sequencing analyses revealed that the basal expression of DFP1 and DFP2 in D. farinae was high and, more importantly, upregulated under temperature stress. Therefore, DFPs were speculated to exert a temperature stress response function. RESULTS Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction detection revealed that both DFP1 and DFP2 were significantly upregulated under temperature stress. Particularly, DFP1 was upregulated under cold stress. Electrophoresis of D. farinae total proteins revealed an increased abundance of DFP1 and DFP2 (40-55 kDa bands) under temperature stress, which was corroborated by the mass spectrometry results. After silencing DFP1 and DFP2 further, temperature stress led to decreases in gene expression and survival rates. Moreover, DFP1 was identified as the upstream regulator of DFP2. CONCLUSION This study highlights the temperature stress response functions of DFP1 and DFP2 at the mRNA and protein levels. These results provide important insights for applying DFP1 and DFP2 as potential target genes for the molecular prevention and control of D. farinae to prevent allergic diseases. The newly established methods provide methodological guidance for the study of genes with unknown functions in mites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyu Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Dongling Niu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
- Clinical Laboratory Center, Xi'an People's Hospital, Xi'an Fourth Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Yae Zhao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China.
| | - Li Hu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Chenglin Guan
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Rong Chai
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
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Alves VS, Salazar-Garcés LF, Santiago LF, Fonseca PLC, Fernandes AMS, Silva RC, Souza LM, Cunha PPRS, Barbosa MFC, Aguiar ERGR, Pacheco LGC, Alcantara-Neves NM, Pinheiro CS. Identification of Glycycometus malaysiensis (for the first time in Brazil), Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus through multiplex PCR. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2022; 86:385-406. [PMID: 35286553 PMCID: PMC8919168 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-022-00694-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus play an important role in triggering allergy. Glycycometus malaysiensis causes IgE reaction in sensitive people, but is rarely reported in domestic dust, because it is morphologically similar to B. tropicalis making the identification of these species difficult. The identification of mites is mostly based on morphology, a time-consuming and ambiguous approach. Herein, we describe a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) assay based on ribosomal DNA capable to identify mixed cultures of B. tropicalis, D. pteronyssinus and G. malaysiensis, and/or to identify these species from environmental dust. For this, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) regions, flanked by partial sequences of the 5.8S and 28S genes, were PCR-amplified, cloned and sequenced. The sequences obtained were aligned with co-specific sequences available in the GenBank database for primer design and phylogenetic studies. Three pairs of primers were chosen to compose the mPCR assay, which was used to verify the frequency of different mites in house dust samples (n = 20) from homes of Salvador, Brazil. Blomia tropicalis was the most frequent, found in 95% of the samples, followed by G. malaysiensis (70%) and D. pteronyssinus (60%). Besides reporting for the first time the occurrence of G. malaysiensis in Brazil, our results confirm the good resolution of the ITS2 region for mite identification. Furthermore, the mPCR assay proved to be a fast and reliable tool for identifying these mites in mixed cultures and could be applied in future epidemiological studies, and for quality control of mite extract production for general use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vítor S Alves
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Luis F Salazar-Garcés
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
- Faculty of Health and Social Welfare, State University of Milagro, Milagro, 091050, Ecuador
| | - Leonardo F Santiago
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Paula L C Fonseca
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30270-901, Brazil
| | - Antônio M S Fernandes
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Raphael C Silva
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Lorena M Souza
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
- Salvador University, Salvador, 41720-200, Brazil
| | - Pedro P R S Cunha
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Marina F C Barbosa
- Luiz de Queiroz' Higher School of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Eric R G R Aguiar
- Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, 45652-900, Brazil
| | - Luis G C Pacheco
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Neuza M Alcantara-Neves
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil
| | - Carina S Pinheiro
- Laboratory of Allergy and Acarology, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon, S/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP: 40110-100, Brazil.
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Wang Y, Wang B, Zhang Q, Li Y, Yang Z, Han S, Yuan G, Wang S, He H. The Common Occurrence of Theileria ovis in Tibetan Sheep and the First Report of Theileria sinensis in Yaks from Southern Qinghai, China. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:1177-1185. [PMID: 33840059 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00381-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The tick-borne protozoa piroplasms, including Theileria and Babesia, are the cause of substantial economic losses to the livestock industry. However, in southern Qinghai province, China, there are limited information on the molecular characteristics of piroplasms. This study therefore aimed at determining the prevalence and genetic diversity of piroplasms. METHODS In order to detect piroplasms, we examined 330 yaks and 236 Tibetan sheep blood samples by nested PCR. The differences in piroplasms prevalence in relation to different risk factors was analyzed using SPSS 26. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA sequences was inferred using MEGA 7. RESULTS During this study, Theileria spp. were detected in 33.6% (111/330) of yaks and 94.1% (222/236) of Tibetan sheep, but no Babesia was identified. Importantly, a comparison study revealed that T. ovis infection was highly prevalent in sheep (94.1%) but infrequent in yaks (6.1%), while T. sinensis was host-specific to yaks with an infection rate of 27.6%. In addition, male animals were more likely to be infected by T. sinensis and female animals were more likely to be infected by T. ovis. And animals below 4000 m areas reported a higher infection rate with T. sinensis (26.1% vs. 2.9%, p < 0.001). Alongside these differences in prevalence, we found a significantly higher T. sinensis infection rate in separated-grazing livestock (22.2% vs. 3.7%, p < 0.001), while mixed-grazing ruminants had a higher T. ovis infection rate (50.0% vs. 39.0%, p = 0.014). Furthermore, sequence analysis revealed that the 18S rRNA sequences obtained in this study shared 86.9-100.0% identities with each other and they were clustered into T. sinensis or T. ovis. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first report of T. sinensis in Qinghai region. In addition, high prevalence of the generally sub-clinical T. ovis in sheep indicates extensive exposure to ticks and transmission of tick-borne pathogens with a significant economic impact. This study provides insights into the distribution and genetic diversity of Theileria in China.
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Hu L, Zhao Y, Yang Y, Zhang W, Guo H, Niu D. Molecular Identification, Transcriptome Sequencing and Functional Annotation of Pulex irritans. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:605-614. [PMID: 33392956 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-020-00296-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pulex irritans are vectors of various zoonotic pathogens. However, molecular studies on P. irritans and flea-borne diseases are limited due to the lack of molecular data. This study aimed to conduct transcriptome sequencing, functional annotation, and pathogen analysis of P. irritans. METHODS Fleas collected from a dog were identified morphologically and molecularly. RNA was extracted for transcriptome sequencing and functional annotation. Open reading frames (ORFs) of unigenes were confirmed by employing bioinformatics strategies, and maximum likelihood (ML) trees were reconstructed based on the highly expressed genes of ejaculation globulin-specific 3-like protein, salivary protein, and actin for phylogenetic relationship analysis. RESULTS The obtained mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences showed 99.71% of similarity with P. irritans obtained from GenBank database. Transcriptome sequencing generated 74,412 unigenes, of which 53,211 were functionally annotated. A total of 195 unigenes were assigned to fleas, of which 69 contained complete ORFs. Phylogenetic trees of both ejaculatory globulin and salivary protein genes demonstrated that P. irritans first clustered with Pulicidae sp., indicating the reliability of transcriptome data. It is noteworthy that 1070 unigenes were assigned to Hymenolepis microstoma and Dipylidium caninum, of which 62 contained complete ORFs. The phylogenetic tree of the actin gene showed that the unigenes had closer relationships with Echinococcus sp., suggesting the role of P. irritans as intermediate hosts of tapeworms. CONCLUSION The results of this study provide the possibility for functional exploration of important genes and lay foundations for the prevention and control of P. irritans and flea-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Hu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Yae Zhao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China.
| | - Yanan Yang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Wanyu Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Hongsong Guo
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Dongling Niu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an, 710061, China
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Hering AM, Chilton NB, Epp T, Schwantje HM, Cassirer F, Walker A, McLean C, Thampy PR, Hanak E, Wolff P, Drew M, Bardsley KD, Woodbury M. Traceback of the Psoroptes outbreak in British Columbian bighorn sheep ( Ovis Canadensis). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2021; 14:273-279. [PMID: 33898228 PMCID: PMC8056144 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Psoroptes are a non-burrowing, ectoparasitic, mange-causing mite that has been documented in American bighorn sheep populations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries; however, it was not seen on Canadian bighorn sheep until 2006. The aim of this study was to determine the potential source of the Psoroptes outbreak in Canadian bighorn sheep. Morphological and molecular analyses were used to compare mites recovered from outbreak-associated bighorn sheep, pet rabbits in Canada, and on historically infested bighorn sheep in the USA. The results revealed that Psoroptes acquired from the Canadian and outbreak-associated American bighorn sheep were morphologically more similar to those collected from rabbits than mites on historically infested bighorn sheep. Outer opisthosomal setae lengths measured an average of 81.7 μm (±7.7 μm) in outbreak associated bighorn mites, 88.9 μm (±12.0 μm) in rabbit mites and 151.2 μm (±16.6 μm) in historically infested bighorn mites. The opisthosomal lobe morphology of bighorn mites in the outbreak herds was also more similar to that of rabbit mites, previously described as P. cuniculi, than historically infested bighorn mites, which match previous descriptions of P. ovis. This finding was supported by DNA sequence data of the mitochondrial cytochrome B gene. This is the first report of Psoroptes of the rabbit ecotype on bighorn sheep. The morphological and molecular data therefore support the hypothesis that the source of Psoroptes outbreak in Canadian bighorn sheep represented a disease spillover event from rabbits rather than transmission from infested American bighorn sheep populations. Psoroptes infestations are not host specific. Canadian bighorn Psoroptes are morphologically distinct from USA bighorn Psoroptes. Mitochondrial DNA gene CytB can be used to differentiate Psoroptes strains. The Canadian bighorn sheep Psoroptes outbreak likely came from rabbits not USA bighorns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Hering
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N5B4, Canada
| | - Neil B Chilton
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Science, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N5E2, Canada
| | - Tasha Epp
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N5B4, Canada
| | - Helen M Schwantje
- British Columbia's Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, 2080 Labieux Rd, Nanaimo, BC, V9T6J9, Canada
| | - Frances Cassirer
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 3316 16th Street, Lewiston, ID, 83501, USA
| | - Andrew Walker
- British Columbia's Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, 2080 Labieux Rd, Nanaimo, BC, V9T6J9, Canada
| | - Craig McLean
- British Columbia's Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, 2080 Labieux Rd, Nanaimo, BC, V9T6J9, Canada
| | - Prasobh Raveendran Thampy
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Science, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N5E2, Canada
| | - Eryn Hanak
- Pulse Veterinary and Speciality in Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Peregrine Wolff
- Nevada Department of Wildlife, 6980 Sierra Center Parkway, Suite 120, Reno, NV89511, USA
| | - Mark Drew
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 3316 16th Street, Lewiston, ID, 83501, USA
| | - Katherine D Bardsley
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, University of Wyoming, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY, 82070, USA
| | - Murray Woodbury
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N5B4, Canada
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Zhang W, Cheng J, Zhao Y, Niu D, Guo H. Molecular identification and DNA barcode screening of acaroid mites in ground flour dust. Genome 2021; 64:869-877. [PMID: 33617379 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2020-0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Molecular identification of acaroid mites is difficult because of the scarcity of molecular data in GenBank. Here, acaroid mites collected from ground flour dust in Xi'an, China, were preliminarily morphologically classified/grouped. Universal primers were then designed to amplify and screen suitable DNA barcodes for identifying these mites. Sixty mite samples were morphologically classified into six groups. Groups 1-2 were identified to Dermatophagoides farinae and Tyrophagus putrescentiae, while Groups 3-6 were not identified to the species level. ITS2 exhibited higher efficiency in molecular identification in comparison with COI, 12S, and 16S. Groups 1-6 were identified as D. farinae, T. putrescentiae, Suidasia nesbitti, Chortoglyphus arcuatus, Lepidoglyphus destructor, and Gohieria sp., respectively. The phylogenetic results were consistent with the morphological classification. Group 6 was further identified as G. fusca according to the morphology of the reproductive foramen. We conclude that the use of ITS2 and the availability of universal primers provide an ideal DNA barcode for molecular identification of acaroid mites. The use of multiple target genetic markers in conjunction with morphological approaches will improve the accuracy of Acaridida identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyu Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Juan Cheng
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Weifang No.2 People's Hospital, No. 7 Yuanxiao Street, Weifang 261041, China
| | - Yae Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Dongling Niu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Hongsong Guo
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
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Niu D, Zhao Y, Zhang W. Temperature stress response: A novel important function of Dermatophagoides farinae allergens. Exp Parasitol 2020; 218:108003. [PMID: 32980317 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2020.108003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Dermatophagoides farinae, an important pathogen, has multiple allergens. However, their expression under physiological conditions are not understood. Our previous RNA-seq showed that allergens of D. farinae were up-regulated under temperature stress, implying that they may be involved in stress response. Here, we performed a comprehensive study. qRT-PCR detection indicated that 26 of the 34 allergens showed differential expression. Der f1 had the most abundant basic expression quantity. Der f 28.0201 (HSP70) and Der f3 had the same regulation pattern in 9 highly expressed transcripts, which only up-regulated at 41 °C and 43 °C, but Der f 28.0201 showed stronger regulation than Der f 3 (19.88-fold vs 6.02-fold). Whereas Der f 1, 2, 7, 21, 22, 27, and 30 were up-regulated under both heat and cold stress, and Der f 27 showed the strongest regulation ability among them. Der f 27 showed more significant up-regulation than Der f 28.0201 under heat stress (23.59-fold vs 19.88-fold), and Der f27 had more obvious up-regulation under cold than heat stress (30.70-fold vs 23.59-fold). The expression of Der f 27, 28.0201 and 1, and D. farinae survival rates significantly decreased following RNAi, indicating the upregulation of these allergens under temperature stress conferred thermo-tolerance or cold-tolerance to D. farinae. In this study, we described for the first time that these allergens have temperature-stress response functions. This new scientific discovery has important clinical value for revealing the more frequent and serious allergic diseases caused by D. farinae during the change of seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- DongLing Niu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - YaE Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
| | - WanYu Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
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Zhao Y, Zhang WY, Wang RL, Niu DL. Divergent domains of 28S ribosomal RNA gene: DNA barcodes for molecular classification and identification of mites. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:251. [PMID: 32404192 PMCID: PMC7222323 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04124-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The morphological and molecular identification of mites is challenging due to the large number of species, the microscopic size of the organisms, diverse phenotypes of the same species, similar morphology of different species and a shortage of molecular data. METHODS Nine medically important mite species belonging to six families, i.e. Demodex folliculorum, D. brevis, D. canis, D. caprae, Sarcoptes scabiei canis, Psoroptes cuniculi, Dermatophagoides farinae, Cheyletus malaccensis and Ornithonyssus bacoti, were collected and subjected to DNA barcoding. Sequences of cox1, 16S and 12S mtDNA, as well as ITS, 18S and 28S rDNA from mites were retrieved from GenBank and used as candidate genes. Sequence alignment and analysis identified 28S rDNA as the suitable target gene. Subsequently, universal primers of divergent domains were designed for molecular identification of 125 mite samples. Finally, the universality of the divergent domains with high identification efficiency was evaluated in Acari to screen DNA barcodes for mites. RESULTS Domains D5 (67.65%), D6 (62.71%) and D8 (77.59%) of the 28S rRNA gene had a significantly higher sequencing success rate, compared to domains D2 (19.20%), D3 (20.00%) and D7 (15.12%). The successful divergent domains all matched the closely-related species in GenBank with an identity of 74-100% and a coverage rate of 92-100%. Phylogenetic analysis also supported this result. Moreover, the three divergent domains had their own advantages. D5 had the lowest intraspecies divergence (0-1.26%), D6 had the maximum barcoding gap (10.54%) and the shortest sequence length (192-241 bp), and D8 had the longest indels (241 bp). Further universality analysis showed that the primers of the three divergent domains were suitable for identification across 225 species of 40 families in Acari. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed that domains D5, D6 and D8 of 28S rDNA are universal DNA barcodes for molecular classification and identification of mites. 28S rDNA, as a powerful supplement for cox1 mtDNA 5'-end 648-bp fragment, recommended by the International Barcode of Life (IBOL), will provide great potential in molecular identification of mites in future studies because of its universality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yae Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wan-Yu Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui-Ling Wang
- Assisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, 710003, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong-Ling Niu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
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10
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Niu D, Zhao Y, Gong X, Yang R, Hu L, Zhang W. Stress response and silencing verification of heat shock proteins in Dermatophagoides farinae under temperature stress. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 144:351-361. [PMID: 31812740 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Dermatophagoides farinae is a major exogenous allergen. Its ability to tolerate adverse external temperatures makes it responsible for widespread occurrence of allergies. Heat shock protein (HSP), a recognized temperature stress response gene, but its role in D. farinae remained unclear. Here, we performed a comprehensive study. First, we found that 25 °C was the optimal temperature, and all mites died at 48 or -20 °C for 1 h (LT100). Thus, 41 °C (LT15), 43 °C (LT25), 45 °C (LT45), and -10 °C (LT25) were selected as stress temperatures to perform de novo RNA-seq. Then, 17 main genes of the 47 differentially expressed HSP, were detected by qRT-PCR. Temperature and time gradient versus expression magnitude histogram revealed that HSP70, HSP83-1, HSP83-2, and HSP16-1 showed heat stress response only at 41-43 °C, while HSC71 and HSF played a regulatory role under both heat and cold stress, particularly HSF, with strong intensity, long duration, and quick upregulation at recovery for 10-20 min. Finally, gene expression and D. farinae survival rates significantly decreased following RNAi. These findings indicated that HSPs conferred thermo-tolerance or cold-tolerance to D. farinae. In conclusion, this was the first meaningful exploration that confirmed HSP and HSF playing an important role in temperature resistance of D. farinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- DongLing Niu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - YaE Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
| | - XiaoJuan Gong
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Li Hu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - WanYu Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
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De Novo RNA-seq and Functional Annotation of Haemaphysalis longicornis. Acta Parasitol 2019; 64:807-820. [PMID: 31418165 DOI: 10.2478/s11686-019-00103-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Haemaphysalis longicornis (Neumann) is a hematophagous tick widely distributed in northern China. It not only causes enormous economic loss to animal husbandry, but also as a vector and reservoir of various zoonotic pathogens, it spreads natural focal diseases, such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, seriously threatening human health. Lack of transcriptomic and genomic data from H. longicornis limits the study of this important medical vector. METHODS The engorged female H. longicornis from Gansu, China, was used for RNA extraction, de novo RNA-seq, functional annotation, and ORF prediction. RESULTS As a result, 53.09 million clean reads (98.88%) with a GC content of 54.29% were obtained. A total of 65,916 Unigenes were assembled, of which 34.59% (23,330) were successfully annotated. Of these Unigenes, 22,587 (34.27%) were annotated to species by NCBI non-redundant protein (nr). Ixodes scapularis, Limulus polyphemus, Parasteatoda tepidariorum, Stegodyphus mimosarum, and Metaseiulus occidentalis were the top BLAST hit species, accounting for 47.23%, 9.58%, 4.11%, 3.50%, and 2.69%, respectively. A total of 29,182 ORFs were predicted, and 35 complete ORFs for functional genes were identified, including ORFs involved in digestion (14), stress responses (8), anticoagulation (3), reproduction (3), antimicrobial (2), drug resistance (2), movement (2), autophagy (1), and immunity (1), respectively. The Unigene ORFs encoding cathepsin and heat shock proteins were further analyzed phylogenetically. CONCLUSION De novo RNA-seq and functional annotation of H. longicornis were successfully completed for the first time, providing a molecular data resource for further research on blood-sucking, pathogen transmission mechanisms, and effective prevention and control strategies.
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Niu D, Zhao Y, Gong X, Zhang W, Yang R, Hu L, Xiong G, Ding S. Screening of reference genes and quantitative real-time PCR detection and verification in Dermatophagoides farinae under temperature stress. Exp Parasitol 2019; 206:107754. [PMID: 31473211 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2019.107754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Dermatophagoides farinae is an important source of indoor allergens that shows strong tolerance to external temperatures. However, the regularity and mechanism of tolerance are still unclear. Based on our previous RNA-seq and annotation of D. farinae under temperature stress, it is planned to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the temperature stress response by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). However, the lack of reference genes directly limited the detection and confirmation of DEGs. Accordingly, in this study, we have selected six candidates as reference genes in D. farinae: 60S RP L11, 60S RP L21, α tubulin, GAPDH, Der f Mal f 6, and calreticulin, and evaluated their expression stabilities as affected by heat and cold stresses, using geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, comparative ΔCt and RefFinder methods. Then the expression level of 15 DEGs were detected and verified. geNorm analysis showed that α tubulin and calreticulin were the most stable reference genes under heat stress and cold stress of D. farinae. Similar evaluation results were obtained by NormFinder and BestKeeper, in which 60S RP L21 and α tubulin were the most stable reference genes. By comparative ΔCt method and a comprehensive evaluation of RefFinder, α tubulin was identified as the most ideal reference gene of D. farinae under heat and cold stresses. Furthermore, qRT-PCR detection results of 15 DEGs were almost identical to the RNA-seq results, indicating that α tubulin is stable as a reference gene. This study provided technical support for DEGs expression studies in D. farinae using qRT-PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- DongLing Niu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - YaE Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
| | - XiaoJuan Gong
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - WanYu Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Li Hu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - GuoDian Xiong
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - ShuQin Ding
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
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Chen Z, van Mol W, Vanhecke M, Duchateau L, Claerebout E. Acaricidal activity of plant-derived essential oil components against Psoroptes ovis in vitro and in vivo. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:425. [PMID: 31464634 PMCID: PMC6714348 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3654-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment of Psoroptes ovis in cattle is limited to topical acaricides or systemic treatment with macrocyclic lactones. Treatment failure of macrocyclic lactones has been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate a potential alternative treatment against P. ovis. METHODS The acaricidal activity against P. ovis of four plant-derived essential oil components, i.e. geraniol, eugenol, 1,8-cineol and carvacrol, was assessed in vitro and in vivo. In vitro contact, fumigation and residual bioassays were performed. In addition, 12 Belgium Blue cattle were artificially infested and treated topically once a week for three successive weeks with carvacrol in Tween-80 (treatment group) or with Tween-80 alone (control). The efficacy of carvacrol was determined by the reduction in lesion size and mite counts. Six additional animals were topically treated with carvacrol to assess local adverse reactions. RESULTS Three components showed a concentration-dependent acaricidal activity in a contact assay, with LC50 of 0.56, 0.38 and 0.26% at 24 h for geraniol, eugenol, and carvacrol, respectively. However, 1,8-cineol showed no activity at any of the tested concentrations in a contact bioassay. In a fumigation bioassay, carvacrol killed all mites within 50 min after treatment, whereas geraniol, eugenol and 1,8-cineol needed 90 to 150 min. Following a 72 h incubation period in a residual bioassay, carvacrol killed all mites after 4 h of exposure to LC90, while geraniol and eugenol killed all mites only after 8 h exposure. Based on these results, carvacrol was further assessed in vivo. Mite counts in the treatment group were reduced by 98.5 ± 2.4% at 6 weeks post-treatment, while in the control group the mite population had increased. Topical application of carvacrol only caused mild and transient erythema 20 min after treatment. No other side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS Considering the strong acaricidal activity of carvacrol in vitro and in vivo and the mild and transient local side effects, carvacrol shows potential as an acaricidal agent in the treatment of P. ovis in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Chen
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Wouter van Mol
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Marieke Vanhecke
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Luc Duchateau
- Biometrics Research Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Edwin Claerebout
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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The Construction of Full-Length cDNA Library for Otodectes cynotis. Acta Parasitol 2019; 64:251-256. [PMID: 30864098 DOI: 10.2478/s11686-019-00034-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Otodectes cynotis (Hering, 1838) is the pathogen of otodectic mange distributed worldwide. The mite mainly infests carnivores and, sometimes, humans. However, due to the lack of cDNA library, research on its pathogenesis has been challenging. METHODS To solve this problem, the present study first sampled O. cynotis mites from an infested cat from Xi'an, China, for RNA extraction. Then, the full-length cDNA library was constructed using the SMART technique. Finally, positive clones > 500 bp and Hsc70-5 gene fragment specifically amplified from the cDNA library were sequenced and analyzed to verify the library's reliability. RESULTS Results showed that RNA extracted from 300 mites had good quality with a concentration of 149 ng/μl and OD260/OD280 of 1.99. The library satisfied the quality standard of a good library with a titer of 5.02 × 105 PFU/ml and a combination rate of 97.61%. In addition, clone 4 and Hsc70-5 showed 98.38% and 99.72% identity with Ef1-α and Hsc70-5 gene sequences of O. cynotis in GenBank, respectively. CONCLUSION The cDNA library of O. cynotis constructed here was successful and reliable, creating the basis for research on RNA sequencing and functional genes of O. cynotis.
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DNA barcoding for molecular identification of Demodex based on mitochondrial genes. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:3285-3290. [PMID: 29032499 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5641-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
There has been no widely accepted DNA barcode for species identification of Demodex. In this study, we attempted to solve this issue. First, mitochondrial cox1-5' and 12S gene fragments of Demodex folloculorum, D. brevis, D. canis, and D. caprae were amplified, cloned, and sequenced for the first time; intra/interspecific divergences were computed and phylogenetic trees were reconstructed. Then, divergence frequency distribution plots of those two gene fragments were drawn together with mtDNA cox1-middle region and 16S obtained in previous studies. Finally, their identification efficiency was evaluated by comparing barcoding gap. Results indicated that 12S had the higher identification efficiency. Specifically, for cox1-5' region of the four Demodex species, intraspecific divergences were less than 2.0%, and interspecific divergences were 21.1-31.0%; for 12S, intraspecific divergences were less than 1.4%, and interspecific divergences were 20.8-26.9%. The phylogenetic trees demonstrated that the four Demodex species clustered separately, and divergence frequency distribution plot showed that the largest intraspecific divergence of 12S (1.4%) was less than cox1-5' region (2.0%), cox1-middle region (3.1%), and 16S (2.8%). The barcoding gap of 12S was 19.4%, larger than cox1-5' region (19.1%), cox1-middle region (11.3%), and 16S (13.0%); the interspecific divergence span of 12S was 6.2%, smaller than cox1-5' region (10.0%), cox1-middle region (14.1%), and 16S (11.4%). Moreover, 12S has a moderate length (517 bp) for sequencing at once. Therefore, we proposed mtDNA 12S was more suitable than cox1 and 16S to be a DNA barcode for classification and identification of Demodex at lower category level.
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Improvement on the extraction method of RNA in mites and its quality test. Parasitol Res 2015; 115:851-8. [PMID: 26545909 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4815-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
To solve the long-existing difficult problems in extracting RNA and constructing a complementary DNA (cDNA) library for trace mites, we conducted a further comparative experiment among three RNA extraction methods (TRIzol method, Omega method, and Azanno method) based on our previous attempts at the construction of cDNA library of mites, with Psoroptes cuniculi still used as the experimental subject. By subsequently decreasing the number of mites, the least number of mites needed for RNA extraction of each method were found by criteria of completeness, concentration, and purity of the extracted RNA. Specific primers were designed according to the allergen Pso c1, Pso c2, and Actin gene sequences of Psoroptes to test the reliability of cDNA library. The results showed that Azanno method needed only 10 mites with sensitivity 204 times higher than previously used TRIzol method and 20 times higher than Omega method; clear RNA band was detected by agarose gel electrophoresis; and ultraviolet spectrophotometer determination showed that RNA concentration, 260/280, and 260/230 were in the range of 102 to 166 ng/μl, 1.83 to 1.99, and 1.49 to 1.72, respectively. Finally, specific primers detection showed that the amplified sequences had 98.33, 98.19, and 99.52% identities with those of P. cuniculi or Psoroptes ovis in GenBank, respectively, indicating that the cDNA library constructed using 10 mites was successful and it could meet the requirements for molecular biology research. Therefore, we concluded that Azanno method was more effective than TRIzol method and Omega method in RNA extraction and cDNA library construction of trace mites.
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