Genotype and Phenotype of Echinococcus granulosus Derived from Wild Sheep (Ovis orientalis) in Iran

The aim of the present study is to determine the characteristics of genotype and phenotype of Echinococcus granulosus derived from wild sheep and to compare them with the strains of E. granulosus sensu stricto (sheep-dog) and E. granulosus camel strain (camel-dog) in Iran. In Khojir National Park, near Tehran, Iran, a fertile hydatid cyst was recently found in the liver of a dead wild sheep (Ovis orientalis). The number of protoscolices (n=6,000) proved enough for an experimental infection in a dog. The characteristics of large and small hooks of metacestode were statistically determined as the sensu stricto strain but not the camel strain (P=0.5). To determine E. granulosus genotype, 20 adult worms of this type were collected from the infected dog. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and cytochrome c oxidase 1 subunit (COX1) of the mitochondrial DNA were amplified from individual adult worm by PCR. Subsequently, the PCR product was sequenced by Sanger method. The lengths of ITS2 and COX1 sequences were 378 and 857 bp, respectively, for all the sequenced samples. The amplified DNA sequences from both ribosomal and mitochondrial genes were highly similar (99% and 98%, respectively) to that of the ovine strain in the GenBank database. The results of the present study indicate that the morpho-molecular features and characteristics of E. granulosus in the Iranian wild sheep are the same as those of the sheep-dog E. granulosus sensu stricto strain.

Genetic population structure of Hawksbill turtle [Eretmochelys imbricta] using microsatellite analysis

Information on the genetic structure of marine species is essential for stock improvement programs. In order to analyses the genetic diversity of the Hawksbill turtle [Eretmochelys imbricte] by the microsatellite genetic method, 64 samples were caught from the beaches located in Kish and Qeshm islands. Polymerase chain reactions [PCR] of genomic DNA extracted from the samples were carried out using 5 pairs of microsatellite primers. The results of this study indicated that all 5 pairs of primers were polymorphic. Average numbers of real allele and effective allele were 4.90 and 2.99, respectively. Average rate of observed heterozygosity was 0.570 and that for expected heterozygosity was 0.616. Study of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was shown the entire locus had not equilibrium except Cm3 and Ei8 locus in Kish area. Fst [0.166] and Rst [0.634] calculated by the Analysis of Molecular Variance [AMOVA] test illustrated that there are separate populations of Hawksbill turtle in this part of the Persian Gulf [Kish and Qeshm islands]. It seems that Kish's turtles live under better conditions in contrast to their Qeshm counterparts. Diminution of genetic variation within examined population decreases its adaptation to environmental alterations. We identified two different E. imbricte populations from north of the Persian Gulf