title: Genetic differences among Haplorchis taichui populations in Indochina revealed by mitochondrial COX1 sequences.
abstract: Haplorchis taichui is an intestinal heterophyid fluke that is pathogenic to humans. It is widely distributed in Asia, with a particularly high prevalence in Indochina. Previous work revealed that the lack of gene flow between three distinct populations of Vietnamese H. taichui can be attributed to their geographic isolation with no interconnected river basins. To test the hypothesis that interconnected river basins allow gene flow between otherwise isolated populations of H. taichui, as previously demonstrated for another trematode, Opisthorchis viverrini, we compared the genetic structures of seven populations of H. taichui from various localities in the lower Mekong Basin, in Thailand and Laos, with those in Vietnam, using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene. To determine the gene flow between these H. taichui populations, we calculated their phylogenetic relationships, genetic distances and haplotype diversity. Each population showed very low nucleotide diversity at this locus. However, high levels of genetic differentiation between the populations indicated very little gene flow. A phylogenetic analysis divided the populations into four clusters that correlated with the country of origin. The negligible gene flow between the Thai and Laos populations, despite sharing the Mekong Basin, caused us to reject our hypothesis. Our data suggest that the distribution of H. taichui populations was incidentally associated with national borders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology,Faculty of Tropical Medicine,Mahidol University,Thailand.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Thaenkham
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology,Faculty of Tropical Medicine,Mahidol University,Thailand.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Phuphisut
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology,Faculty of Tropical Medicine,Mahidol University,Thailand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nuamtanong
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology,Faculty of Tropical Medicine,Mahidol University,Thailand.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoonuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology,Faculty of Tropical Medicine,Mahidol University,Thailand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sa-Nguankiat
authors.affiliation: Unit of Parasitology,Faculty of Basic Sciences,University of Health Sciences,Lao People's Democratic Republic.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vonghachack
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health and College of Public Health, University of the Philippines,Manila,The Philippines.
authors.forename: V Y
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Belizario
authors.affiliation: Parasitology Department,National Institute of Malariology and Entomology,Hanoi,Vietnam.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Dung
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology,Faculty of Tropical Medicine,Mahidol University,Thailand.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dekumyoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology,Faculty of Tropical Medicine,Mahidol University,Thailand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waikagul
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006239:Haplotypes; D006578:Heterophyidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007812:Laos; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013785:Thailand; D014744:Vietnam
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV