title: Mitochondrial genomes of Anisakis simplex and Contracaecum osculatum (sensu stricto)--comparisons with selected nematodes.
abstract: Anisakid nematodes parasitize mainly fish, marine mammals and/or fish-eating birds, and can be transmitted to a range of fish-eating mammals, including humans, where they can cause gastrointestinal disease linked to larval infection or allergic responses. In spite of the animal and human health significance of these parasites, there are still gaps in our understanding of the systematics, biology, epidemiology and ecology of anisakids. Mitochondrial (mt) DNA provides useful genetic markers for investigations in these areas, but complete mt genomic data have been lacking for most anisakids. In the present study, the mt genomes of Anisakis simplex sensu stricto and Contracaecum osculatum sensu stricto were amplified from genomic DNA by long-range polymerase chain reaction and sequenced using 454 technology. The circular mt genomes of these species were 13,926 and 13,823 bp, respectively, and each of them contained 12 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNA, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes consistent for members of the Ascaridida, Oxyurida, Spirurida, Rhabditida and Strongylida. These mt genomes provide a stepping-stone for future comparative analyses of a range of anisakids and a basis for reinvestigating their genetic relationships. In addition, these markers might be used in prospecting for cryptic species and exploring host affiliations.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Namitha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mohandas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jabbar
authors.affiliation: National Marine Fisheries Research Institute (NMFRI), Kollataja 1, 81-332 Gdynia, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podolska
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730046, China.
authors.forename: Xing-Quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: D Timothy J
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Littlewood
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Aaron R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jex
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. Electronic address: robinbg@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Robin B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gasser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001199:Ascaridoidea / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D049751:Genome, Helminth; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
keywords: Anisakidae; Epidemiology; Genetics; Mitochondrial genome; Nematoda; Systematics