Abstract
The anisakid nematodes of seals from different geographical origins, previously identified as Contracaecum osculatum A, C. osculatum B, C. osculatum C, C. osculatum D, C. osculatum E and C. osculatum baicalensis by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, were characterised using a DNA approach. The first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1, ITS-2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were individually amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analysed by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing. SSCP analyses allowed the unequivocal differentiation of all taxa except C. osculatum D from C. osculatum E. While C. osculatum D and C. osculatum E had identical ITS sequences, each of the other four taxa had distinct sequences, with interspecific differences ranging from 0.3% to 2.3%. C. osculatum C was genetically the most distinct taxon with respect to all other members of the species complex.
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Received: 20 November 1999 / Accepted: 23 December 1999
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Zhu, X., D'Amelio, S., Paggi, L. et al. Assessing sequence variation in the internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA within and among members of the Contracaecum osculatum complex (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea: Anisakidae). Parasitol Res 86, 677–683 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00008551
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00008551