title: A new species of Litomosoides (Nematoda: Onchocercidae), parasite of Nectomys palmipes (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) from Venezuela: description, molecular evidence, Wolbachia pipientis screening.
abstract: Abstract: The onchocercid filaria Litomosoides taylori sp. n. is described from the sigmodontine cricetid Nectomys palmipes Allen et Chapman in northeast Venezuela. A voucher specimen of the new species was used for molecular analysis of the coxI and 12S rDNA genes, and screened for the presence of the endobacterium Wolbachia pipientis. Litomosoides taylori belongs to the "sigmodontis group" of Litomosoides and a combination of characters can be used to distinguish it from the remaining 18 species forming this group. Among the five Nectomys species, all living near running water, N. squamipes also harbours Litomosoides species, L. khonae in Brazil and L. navonae in Argentina. These three Litomosoides species of the "sigmodontis group" do not share any particular characters. Gene sequences of L. taylori differ from those of the five Litomosoides species available, the three of the "carinii group" being the most distant. The new species harbours W pipientis, which is concurrent with the great majority of Litomosoides species screened to date.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biologia de Vectores y Parisitos, Instituto de Zoologia y Ecologia Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela, P.O. Box 47058, Caracas, 1041A, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: Odile
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bain
authors.forename: Coralie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbuto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005370:Filarioidea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D016205:Sigmodontinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D014687:Venezuela; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth