Abstract
The bovine lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparus is found in cattle and deer species (roe deer, fallow deer). Although a separate lungworm species (D. eckerti) from roe deer has been described, this description, based on minor morphological differences, is not generally accepted. The aim of the present study was to examine genetic differences among four lungworm species isolated from cattle, sheep, horses, and fallow deer. Ribosomal second internal transcribed spacers (ITS2) of individual worms of all species were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms were analyzed after digestion with five different restriction enzymes. After electrophoretic separation of the digested PCR products, all four lungworm species showed different banding patterns. Lungworms from cattle (D. viviparus) and those from fallow deer (D. eckerti) were genetically distinct. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the taxonomic classification of D. eckerti as a separate species is correct.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adlard RD, Barker CS, Blair D, Cribb T (1993) Comparison of the second internal transcribed spacer (ribosomal DNA) from populations and species of Fasciolidae (Digenea). Int J Parasitol 23: 423–425
Anderson GR, Barker SC (1993) Species differentiation in the Didymozoidae (Digenea): restriction-fragment-length differences in internal transcribed spacer and 5.8S ribosomal DNA. Int J Parasitai 23: 133–136
Bacinsky A (1973) The morphological evaluation of Dictyocaulus found in red deer and cattle (in Russian). Folia Vet 17: 209–219
Brown DD, Wensink PC, Jordan E (1972) Comparison of the ribosomal DNAs of Xenopus laevis and Xenopus mulleri: the evolution of tandem genes. J Mol Biol 63: 57–73
Cameron TWM (1933) Some notes on the parasitic worms of the Scottish red deer. Proc R Soc Edinburgh Sect A 22: 91–97
Dikmans G (1936) A note on Dictyocaulus from domestic and wild ruminants. J Wash Acad Sci 26: 298–303
Ellis RE, Sulston JE, Coulson AR (1986) The rDNA of C. elegans: sequence and structure. Nucleic Acids Res 14: 2345–2364
Epe C, Bienioschek S, Rehbein S, Schnieder T (1995) Comparative RAPD-PCR analysis of lungworms (Dictyocaulidae) from fallow deer, cattle, sheep and horses. Zentralbl Veterinarmed[B] 42: 187–191
Gasser RB, Chilton NB (1995) Characterisation of taeniid cestode species by PCR-RFLP of ITS2 ribosomal DNA. Acta Trop (Basel) 59: 31–40
Gasser RB, Chilton NB, Hoste H, Beveridge I (1993) Rapid sequencing of rDNA from single worms and eggs of parasitic helminths. Nucleic Acids Res 21: 2525–2526
Hillis DM, Davis SK (1986) Evolution of ribosomal DNA: fifty million years of recorded history in the frog genus Rana. Evolution 40: 1275–1288
Hoste H, Chilton NB, Gasser RB, Beveridge I (1995) Differences in the second internal transcribed spacer (ribosomal DNA) between five species of Trichostrongylus (Nematoda: Tricho-strongylidae). Int J Parasitai 25: 75–80
Lazlo S (1995) Importance and control of the lungworm infection in Cervidae (in Hungarian). Magy Allatorv Lapja 50: 161–164
Luton K, Walker D, Blair D (1992) Comparison of ribosomal internal transcribed spacers from two congeneric species of flukes (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda: Digenea). Mol Biochem Parasitai 56: 323–328
Porter CH, Collins FH (1991) Species-diagnostic differences in a ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer from the sibling species Anopheles freeborni and Anopheles hermsi (Diptera: Culicidae). Am J Trop Med Hyg 45: 271–279
Sambrook J, Fritsch EF, Maniatis T (1989) Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
Skrjabin KI (1931) Dictyocauliasis of cattle in the USSR (in Russian). Vet Spets Sots Streike 19: 23–32
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schnieder, T., Epe, C. & Samson-Himmelstjerna, G.v. Species differentiation of lungworms (Dictyocaulidae) by polymerase chain reaction/restriction-fragment-length polymorphism of second internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA. Parasitol Res 82, 392–394 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004360050134
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004360050134