Extensive Countrywide Molecular Identification and High Genetic Diversity of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Domestic Ruminants in Greece
The gastrointestinal nematode parasite <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. is one of the most pathogenic parasites of ruminants, due to its blood-sucking activity, which causes large economic losses in the ruminant industry. The latest epizootiological data recorded an increase in the infection, not...
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| author | Konstantinos V. Arsenopoulos Styliani Minoudi Isaia Symeonidou Alexandros Triantafyllidis George C. Fthenakis Elias Papadopoulos |
| author_facet | Konstantinos V. Arsenopoulos Styliani Minoudi Isaia Symeonidou Alexandros Triantafyllidis George C. Fthenakis Elias Papadopoulos |
| author_sort | Konstantinos V. Arsenopoulos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The gastrointestinal nematode parasite <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. is one of the most pathogenic parasites of ruminants, due to its blood-sucking activity, which causes large economic losses in the ruminant industry. The latest epizootiological data recorded an increase in the infection, not only in Greece but also in other countries, mainly attributed to climatic changes. The study of the population structure and the investigation of the phylogenetic relationships of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. are essential for the understanding of its biology and epizootiology to implement appropriate control and prevention strategies. In addition, the molecular approach allows the determination of evolutionary relationships between different species of this parasite, the diverse hosts they infect, as well as the different geographic compartments from which they originate. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the species of the sympatric populations of the genus <i>Haemonchus</i>, a nematode parasite infecting ruminants (sheep, goats, cattle, and buffaloes) from different regions of Greece (continental and insular) using molecular methods. At the same time, an attempt was made to identify the possible subpopulations of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Greece, to investigate their phylogenetic relationships, as well as to determine the genetic diversity of each population. A total of 288 worms of the genus <i>Haemonchus</i> were processed using molecular methods; of these, 96 were collected from sheep, 96 from goats, 48 from cattle, and finally, 48 from buffaloes. A fragment of 321 base pairs of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) sequence of nuclear DNA was amplified for species identification, and, after basic local alignment search tool (Blast) analysis, it was revealed that they belonged to <i>H. contortus</i>. A fragment of 820 base pairs of subunit 4 of the nicotinamide dehydrogenase (ND4) gene of mitochondrial DNA was amplified for genetic diversity analysis. The Greek mitochondrial ND4 sequences of <i>H. contortus</i> were classified into 140 haplotypes, and the values of the average nucleotide and haplotype diversity were lower compared to the respective values derived from Italy, Malaysia, the USA, and China. The phylogenetic analysis of the ND4 gene revealed a clear grouping of the Greek haplotypes when compared with Asian ones, and, at the same time, there was no profound grouping of the same haplotypes with regard to their different hosts and geographical origin within different regions of Greece. The aforementioned findings confirmed that <i>H. contortus</i> prevails in our country and can infect all species of ruminants, without geographical boundaries, when the right conditions (i.e., common grazing) are created. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-8979084bf58741b790bb315fb76417492024-03-27T13:58:55ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172024-03-0113323810.3390/pathogens13030238Extensive Countrywide Molecular Identification and High Genetic Diversity of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Domestic Ruminants in GreeceKonstantinos V. Arsenopoulos0Styliani Minoudi1Isaia Symeonidou2Alexandros Triantafyllidis3George C. Fthenakis4Elias Papadopoulos5Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Genetics, Development and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceVeterinary Faculty, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, GreeceLaboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceThe gastrointestinal nematode parasite <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. is one of the most pathogenic parasites of ruminants, due to its blood-sucking activity, which causes large economic losses in the ruminant industry. The latest epizootiological data recorded an increase in the infection, not only in Greece but also in other countries, mainly attributed to climatic changes. The study of the population structure and the investigation of the phylogenetic relationships of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. are essential for the understanding of its biology and epizootiology to implement appropriate control and prevention strategies. In addition, the molecular approach allows the determination of evolutionary relationships between different species of this parasite, the diverse hosts they infect, as well as the different geographic compartments from which they originate. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the species of the sympatric populations of the genus <i>Haemonchus</i>, a nematode parasite infecting ruminants (sheep, goats, cattle, and buffaloes) from different regions of Greece (continental and insular) using molecular methods. At the same time, an attempt was made to identify the possible subpopulations of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Greece, to investigate their phylogenetic relationships, as well as to determine the genetic diversity of each population. A total of 288 worms of the genus <i>Haemonchus</i> were processed using molecular methods; of these, 96 were collected from sheep, 96 from goats, 48 from cattle, and finally, 48 from buffaloes. A fragment of 321 base pairs of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) sequence of nuclear DNA was amplified for species identification, and, after basic local alignment search tool (Blast) analysis, it was revealed that they belonged to <i>H. contortus</i>. A fragment of 820 base pairs of subunit 4 of the nicotinamide dehydrogenase (ND4) gene of mitochondrial DNA was amplified for genetic diversity analysis. The Greek mitochondrial ND4 sequences of <i>H. contortus</i> were classified into 140 haplotypes, and the values of the average nucleotide and haplotype diversity were lower compared to the respective values derived from Italy, Malaysia, the USA, and China. The phylogenetic analysis of the ND4 gene revealed a clear grouping of the Greek haplotypes when compared with Asian ones, and, at the same time, there was no profound grouping of the same haplotypes with regard to their different hosts and geographical origin within different regions of Greece. The aforementioned findings confirmed that <i>H. contortus</i> prevails in our country and can infect all species of ruminants, without geographical boundaries, when the right conditions (i.e., common grazing) are created.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/3/238<i>Haemonchus contortus</i>genetic diversityphylogenetic relationshipdomestic ruminantsITS2 sequenceND4 gene |
| spellingShingle | Konstantinos V. Arsenopoulos Styliani Minoudi Isaia Symeonidou Alexandros Triantafyllidis George C. Fthenakis Elias Papadopoulos Extensive Countrywide Molecular Identification and High Genetic Diversity of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Domestic Ruminants in Greece Pathogens <i>Haemonchus contortus</i> genetic diversity phylogenetic relationship domestic ruminants ITS2 sequence ND4 gene |
| title | Extensive Countrywide Molecular Identification and High Genetic Diversity of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Domestic Ruminants in Greece |
| title_full | Extensive Countrywide Molecular Identification and High Genetic Diversity of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Domestic Ruminants in Greece |
| title_fullStr | Extensive Countrywide Molecular Identification and High Genetic Diversity of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Domestic Ruminants in Greece |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extensive Countrywide Molecular Identification and High Genetic Diversity of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Domestic Ruminants in Greece |
| title_short | Extensive Countrywide Molecular Identification and High Genetic Diversity of <i>Haemonchus</i> spp. in Domestic Ruminants in Greece |
| title_sort | extensive countrywide molecular identification and high genetic diversity of i haemonchus i spp in domestic ruminants in greece |
| topic | <i>Haemonchus contortus</i> genetic diversity phylogenetic relationship domestic ruminants ITS2 sequence ND4 gene |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/3/238 |
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