Identification of Sphaeroma terebrans via morphology and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene.
Sphaeroma terebrans, a wood-boring isopoda, is distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical mangroves. The taxonomy of S. terebrans is usually based on morphological characteristics, with its molecular identification still poorly understood. The number of teeth on the uropodal exopod and the length of the propodus of the seventh pereopod are considered as the major morphological characteristics in S. terebrans, which can cause difficulty in regards to accurate identification. In this study, we identified S. terebrans via molecular and morphological data. Furthermore, the validity of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene as a DNA barcode for the identification of genus Sphaeroma, including species S. terebrans, S. retrolaeve, and S. serratum, was examined. The mitochondrial COI gene sequences of all specimens were sequenced and analysed. The interspecific Kimura 2-parameter distances were higher than intraspecific distances and no intraspecific-interspecific distance overlaps were observed. In addition, genetic distance and nucleotide diversity (π) exhibited no differences within S. terebrans. Our results revealed that the mitochondrial COI gene can serve as a valid DNA barcode for the identification of S. terebrans. Furthermore, the number of teeth on the uropodal exopod and the length of the propodus of the seventh pereopod were found to be unreliable taxonomic characteristics for S. terebrans.
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
Xiu-Feng
XF
Li
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
Chong
C
Han
Management Bureau of Dongzhaigang Mangrove Natural Reserve, Haikou 571129, China.
Cai-Rong
CR
Zhong
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
Jun-Qiu
JQ
Xu
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China. lsshjr@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Jian-Rong
JR
Huang
D000818:Animals; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006239:Haplotypes; D033321:Isopoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D010802:Phylogeny
D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
COI gene; DNA barcode; Molecular identification; Sphaeroma terebrans
Nature. 2005 May 5;435(7038):17
15874991
Bioinformatics. 1999 Feb;15(2):174-5
10089204
Mol Biol Evol. 2011 Oct;28(10):2731-9
21546353
Mol Biol Rep. 2009 Sep;36(7):1733-40
18850326
Mol Biol Rep. 2011 Jan;38(1):291-9
20336381
Mol Ecol Resour. 2009 Nov;9(6):1431-8
21564929
Nucleic Acids Res. 1997 Dec 15;25(24):4876-82
9396791
Insect Mol Biol. 1993;2(2):89-91
9087547
Bioinformatics. 2009 Jun 1;25(11):1451-2
19346325
J Mol Evol. 1980 Dec;16(2):111-20
7463489
Mar Biotechnol (NY). 2006 Jul-Aug;8(4):380-5
16670970
Science. 1973 Oct 12;182(4108):173-4
17777897
Mol Ecol Resour. 2009 Sep;9(5):1311-21
21564902
Proc Biol Sci. 2003 Aug 7;270 Suppl 1:S96-9
12952648