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Characterisation of the mitochondrial genome of Parafilaroides normani (lungworm) of Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus (Australian fur seal)

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Abstract

Parafilaroides normani is a metastrongyloid nematode of clinical relevance in some species of pinnipeds. The taxonomy, biology and epidemiology of this and related species are not well understood. Mitochondrial (mt) DNA can provide markers for studies in these areas, but genetic data are scant. Here, we characterised the mt genome of P. normani. Adults of this nematode were collected from Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus from Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia, and genomic DNA was extracted from individuals. The complete mt genome was amplified from DNA from a single adult male by long-range PCR, as two overlapping amplicons (~5 and ~10 kb), and then sequenced employing 454 technology (Roche). The mt genome was assembled from reads of ~300 bp and annotated using an established bioinformatic pipeline. This circular mt genome is 13,411 bp and contains two ribosomal RNA, 12 protein-coding and 22 transfer RNA genes, consistent with those of other lungworms studied to date. This mt genome is intended to provide a source of genetic markers for future investigations of the biology, epidemiology and systematics of Parafilaroides spp. and related lungworms.

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Professor Ian Beveridge for providing us with the frozen specimens. The present study was supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant. The Early Career Researcher and Collaborative Research grants (AJ) from The University of Melbourne are gratefully acknowledged. Associated research was also funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia and Melbourne Water Corporation. This study was also partially supported by a Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative (VLSCI; grant number VR0007) on its Peak Computing Facility at the University of Melbourne, an initiative of the Victorian Government.

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  1. Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia

    Abdul Jabbar, Namitha Mohandas & Robin B. Gasser

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  1. Abdul Jabbar
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  2. Namitha Mohandas
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  3. Robin B. Gasser
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Correspondence to Robin B. Gasser.

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Jabbar, A., Mohandas, N. & Gasser, R.B. Characterisation of the mitochondrial genome of Parafilaroides normani (lungworm) of Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus (Australian fur seal). Parasitol Res 113, 3049–3055 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-3968-8

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