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A molecular phylogenetic study of the caecal fluke of poultry, Postharmostomum commutatum (= P. gallinum) (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae)

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Abstract

Postharmostomum commutatum (Dietz, 1858), a parasite of the caeca of poultry, has been reported from many different parts of the world. Despite its importance, there are no molecular sequences available and its phylogenetic position is unknown in relation to other members of Brachylaimoidea, a group in which taxonomic confusion reigns. Here, morphological and molecular techniques were used to study digeneans from the caeca of free-range chickens found naturally infected in the municipality of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between August 2017 and May 2018. The specimens were identified as P. commutatum, with Postharmostomum gallinum Witenberg, 1923 herein considered a junior synonym. Sequences obtained for the 28S, ITS2, and cox-1 genes were compared with sequences available from other species of Brachylaimoidea. Phylogenetic analysis of the three markers indicates P. commutatum formed an isolated lineage from other brachylaimoids, supporting the distinct status of the genus. The topology of phylogenetic trees obtained suggests that the morphology-based classification of families of Brachylaimoidea is artificial and new rearrangements of some genera or creation of new families may be necessary. The sequences newly obtained here will be useful for testing the cosmopolitan distribution of P. commutatum.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their careful and constructive suggestions that substantively improved the manuscript.

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Council for the Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES) (scholarship to MCV and DLH) and the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) (scholarship to BCMS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Biologia de Trematoda, Departament of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 486, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30123-970, Brazil

    Marisa C. Valadão, Beatriz C. M. Silva, Danimar López-Hernández & Hudson A. Pinto

  2. Department of Veterinary, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Marisa C. Valadão & Jackson V. Araújo

  3. Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

    Sean A. Locke

Authors
  1. Marisa C. Valadão
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  2. Beatriz C. M. Silva
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  3. Danimar López-Hernández
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  4. Jackson V. Araújo
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  5. Sean A. Locke
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  6. Hudson A. Pinto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hudson A. Pinto.

Ethics declarations

The use of parasites from chickens was in accordance with local animal research ethics committees of Universidade Federal de Viçosa (protocol CEUA/UFV 69/2017).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Section Editor: Christoph G. Grevelding

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Valadão, M.C., Silva, B.C.M., López-Hernández, D. et al. A molecular phylogenetic study of the caecal fluke of poultry, Postharmostomum commutatum (= P. gallinum) (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae). Parasitol Res 117, 3927–3934 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6102-5

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