Korean J Parasitol.  2016 Feb;54(1):109-112. 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.1.109.

Molecular Description of Macroorchis spinulosus (Digenea: Nanophyetidae) Based on ITS1 Sequences

• Won EJ
• Kim DG
• Cho J
• Jung BK
• Kim MJ
• Yun YW
• Chai JY
• Ryang DW

• KMID: 2374027
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2016.54.1.109

Abstract

We performed a molecular genetic study on the sequences of 18S ribosomal RNA (ITS1 region) gene in 4-day-old adult worms of Macroorchis spinulosus recovered in mice experimentally infected with metacercariae from crayfish in Jeollanam-do Province, Korea. The metacercariae were round, 180 µm in average diameter, encysted with 2 layers of thick walls, but the stylet on the oral sucker was not clearly seen. The adult flukes were oval shape, and 760-820 µm long and 320-450 µm wide, with anterolateral location of 2 large testes. The phylogenetic tree based on ITS1 sequences of 6 M. spinulosus samples showed their distinguished position from other trematode species in GenBank. The most closely resembled group was Paragonimus spp. which also take crayfish or crabs as the second intermediate host. The present study is the first molecular characterization of M. spinulosus and provided a basis for further phylogenetic studies to compare with other trematode fauna in Korea.

Keyword

Macroorchis spinulosus; ITS1; sequencing; crayfish

MeSH Terms

Animals
DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/*genetics
Metacercariae/classification/cytology/genetics/isolation & purification
Mice
Phylogeny
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics
Trematoda/*classification/cytology/*genetics/isolation & purification
DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S