ABSTRACT
Hymenolepis nana, commonly known as the dwarf tapeworm, is one of the most common tapeworms of humans and rodents and can cause hymenolepiasis. Although this zoonotic tapeworm is of socio-economic significance in many countries of the world, its genetics, systematics, epidemiology, and biology are poorly understood. In the present study, we sequenced and characterized the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of H. nana. The mt genome is 13,764 bp in size and encodes 36 genes, including 12 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA, and 22 transfer RNA genes. All genes are transcribed in the same direction. The gene order and genome content are completely identical with their congener Hymenolepis diminuta. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated amino acid sequences of 12 protein-coding genes by Bayesian inference, Maximum likelihood, and Maximum parsimony showed the division of class Cestoda into two orders, supported the monophylies of both the orders Cyclophyllidea and Pseudophyllidea. Analyses of mt genome sequences also support the monophylies of the three families Taeniidae, Hymenolepididae, and Diphyllobothriidae. This novel mt genome provides a useful genetic marker for studying the molecular epidemiology, systematics, and population genetics of the dwarf tapeworm and should have implications for the diagnosis, prevention, and control of hymenolepiasis in humans.
Subject(s)
Genome, Mitochondrial , Hymenolepiasis/parasitology , Hymenolepis nana/genetics , Zoonoses/parasitology , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Base Sequence , Bayes Theorem , Cestoda/classification , Cestoda/genetics , DNA, Mitochondrial/chemistry , DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics , Gene Order , Genetic Markers , Genome, Mitochondrial/genetics , Humans , Hymenolepiasis/transmission , Hymenolepis diminuta/classification , Hymenolepis diminuta/genetics , Hymenolepis nana/classification , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal/chemistry , RNA, Ribosomal/genetics , RNA, Transfer/geneticsABSTRACT
Hymenolepis nana is a common tapeworm that parasitizes in the small intestine of rodent animals and humans. The present study examined the sequence diversity of three mitochondrial (mt) genes namely NADH dehydrogenase subunits 5 (nad5), small subunit ribosomal RNA (rrnS), and ATPase subunit 6 (atp6) of H. nana from mice in different geographical regions of China. A part of the nad5 (pnad5), complete rrnS and atp6 genes were amplified separately from individual H. nana isolates using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then sequenced. The sequences of pnad5, rrnS, and atp6 were 710 bp, 704-711 bp, and 516 bp in length, respectively. The A + T contents of the sequences were 70.1-73.5% (pnad5), 70.1-71.7% (rrnS), and 76.6-77.9% (atp6). Sequence variation within H. nana was 0-1.4% for atp6, 0-1.7% for rrnS, and 0-0.7% for pnad5. The inter-specific sequence differences between H. nana and Hymenolepis diminuta were significantly higher, which was 31.6-31.7% (pnad5), 16.1-17.6% (rrnS), and 26.5-27.1% (atp6). Phylogenetic analysis based on the combined three sequences using the maximum parsimony (MP) method supported that H. nana is a species complex or "cryptic" species. These findings demonstrated clearly the usefulness of the three mtDNA sequences for population genetics and systematic studies of H. nana of human and animal health significance.
Subject(s)
Genes, Mitochondrial , Genetic Variation , Hymenolepis nana/genetics , Adenosine Triphosphatases/genetics , Animals , Base Composition , China , DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics , DNA, Mitochondrial/isolation & purification , DNA, Mitochondrial/metabolism , Hymenolepis nana/classification , Mice , NADH Dehydrogenase/genetics , Phylogeny , Phylogeography , RNA, Ribosomal/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNAABSTRACT
The karyotype of Rodentolepis nana obtained from mice in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was described. The diploid chromosome number obtained by the division of embryonic cells was 2n = 12. The first and the third pairs presented subterminal centromeres and the other pairs were all acrocentric. The studied species differed in chromosome morphology when compared to previous description by Mutafova and Gergova (1994) in Bulgaria, suggesting an intraspecific variation.
