title: Molecular characteristics of representatives of the genus Brachylecithum Shtrom, 1940 (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae) with comments on life cycle and host specificity.
abstract: The genus Brachylecithum was for the first time subject to molecular taxonomic phylogenetic analysis in order to ascertain relationships among its component taxa. We used two markers-the nuclear ribosomal 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene and the mitochondrial cox1 gene, for six species of the genus; 11 sequences of partial 28S rDNA and partial cox1 were obtained from adult B. capilliformis, B. glareoli, B. kakea, B. laniicola, B. lobatum, and B. strigis, and from larval stages obtained from snails of the genus Cepaea. We propose to synonymize B. strigis with B. lobatum, while the genetic differences in the 28S rDNA gene and mitochondrial cox1 gene confirm the species status of B. capilliformis and indicate a distinct group within Brachylecithum, including B. kakea and B. laniicola. Cercarial and metacercarial isolates from the snails showed 100 % similarity to B. lobatum; thus, it is the first record of Cepaea snails as intermediate hosts of this species and the first report on life cycle abbreviation within the Dicrocoeliidae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland. joanna.hildebrand@uwr.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hildebrand
authors.affiliation: Comenius Museum, Horní nám. 7, 750 11, Přerov, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jilji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sitko
authors.affiliation: Department of Invertebrates Systematic and Ecology, Institute of Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 5b, 51-631, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaleśny
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818, Warszawa, Poland.
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jeżewski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818, Warszawa, Poland.
authors.forename: Zdzisław
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Laskowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058487:Cercaria; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004012:Dicrocoeliidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D058507:Host Specificity; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D010802:Phylogeny; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
keywords: Brachylecithum; Dicrocoeliidae; Digenea; Life cycle abbreviation; Molecular phylogeny