title: New insights from molecular characterization of the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in Brazil.
abstract: The Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus complex currently consists of five taxa, namely R. australis, R. annulatus, R. (B.) microplus clade A sensu, R. microplus clade B sensu, and R. (B.) microplus clade C sensu. Mitochondrial DNA-based methods help taxonomists when they are facing the morpho-taxonomic problem of distinguishing members of the R. (B.) microplus complex. The purpose of this study was to perform molecular characterization of ticks in all five regions of Brazil and infer their phylogenetic relationships. Molecular analysis characterized 10 haplotypes of the COX-1 gene. Molecular network analysis revealed that haplotype H-2 was the most dispersed of the studied populations (n = 11). Haplotype H-3 (n = 2) had the greatest genetic differentiation when compared to other Brazilian populations. A Bayesian phylogenetic tree of the COX-1 gene obtained strong support. In addition, it was observed that the population of R. (B.) microplus haplotype H-3 exhibited diverging branches among the other Brazilian populations in the study. The study concludes that the different regions of Brazil have R. (B.) microplus tick populations with distinct haplotypes.
authors: Pós-graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, Brasil.
authors: Bárbara Guimarães
authors: BG
authors: Csordas
authors: Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Carrapato, Departamento de Sanidade Animal, Embrapa Gado de Corte, Campo Grande, MS, Brasil.
authors: Marcos Valério
authors: MV
authors: Garcia
authors: Programa de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas - UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
authors: Rodrigo Casquero
authors: RC
authors: Cunha
authors: Laboratório Multiusuário de Bioinformática, Embrapa Informática Agropecuária, Campinas, SP, Brasil.
authors: Poliana Fernanda
authors: PF
authors: Giachetto
authors: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, Campo Grande, MS, Brasil.
authors: Isabella Maiumi Zaidan
authors: IM
authors: Blecha
authors: Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Carrapato, Departamento de Sanidade Animal, Embrapa Gado de Corte, Campo Grande, MS, Brasil.
authors: Renato
authors: R
authors: Andreotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001938:Brazil; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D010802:Phylogeny; D048494:Rhipicephalus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial