Abstract
BackgroundToxascaris leonina is one of the most common intestinal parasites of canids and felids. In this study, we characterised the entire mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence of T. leonina from the cheetah and compared it with that of T. leonina from the dog.ResultsThe entire mt genome sequence of T. leonina from the cheetah is 14,685 bp in size, which is 375 bp longer than that from the dog, and it is 408 bp longer than that from the South China tiger. The overall nucleotide sequence (except for the non-coding region) identity was 92.8% between the two mt genomes of T. leonina from the cheetah and the dog. For the 12 protein-coding genes, sequence difference between T. leonina from the cheetah and the dog was 5.0–9.7% at the nucleotide level and 1.0–7.2% at the amino acid level. Moreover, comparison of mt cox1 sequences among T. leonina isolates (n = 23) from different hosts revealed substantial nucleotide differences (10.6%). Phylogenetic analysis showed the separation of T. leonina from canid and felid hosts into three distinct clades.ConclusionsTaken together, these mtDNA datasets indicate that T. leonina from canid and felid hosts represents a species complex. Our results have implications for further studies of the molecular epidemiology, systematics and population genetics of this nematode.
Highlights
Toxascaris leonina is one of the most common intestinal parasites of canids and felids
It may not always be possible to identify to the species level nematodes from different hosts and geographical locations based on these criteria
Our preliminary comparative study has indicated that the mitochondrial cox1 gene sequence of T. leonina from cheetahs and dogs differed by 6.8% [8]
Summary
Toxascaris leonina is one of the most common intestinal parasites of canids and felids. Nematodes (roundworms) are common parasites which inhabit in the gastrointestinal tract of humans, and domestic and wild animals, and most of them can cause significant economic losses and public health problems [1]. Toxascaris leonina (Nematoda: Ascarididae) is a common nematode of various animals, including dogs, cats, wolves, tigers, lions and foxes. It has a diverse range of definitive hosts, to date, it has been the only species described in the genus Toxascaris. Our preliminary comparative study has indicated that the mitochondrial (mt) cox gene sequence of T. leonina from cheetahs and dogs differed by 6.8% [8]. Substantial nucleotide difference in part of the mt nad (9.0%) and nad (10.8%) were detected between T. leonina from canid and
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