Abstract
BackgroundThe mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene is being used increasingly for evaluating inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity of ciliated protists. However, very few studies focus on assessing genetic divergence of the COI gene within individuals and how its presence might affect species identification and population structure analyses.Methodology/Principal findingsWe evaluated the genetic variation of the COI gene in five Paramecium species for a total of 147 clones derived from 21 individuals and 7 populations. We identified a total of 90 haplotypes with several individuals carrying more than one haplotype. Parsimony network and phylogenetic tree analyses revealed that intra-individual diversity had no effect in species identification and only a minor effect on population structure.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the COI gene is a suitable marker for resolving inter- and intra-specific relationships of Paramecium spp.
Highlights
The ciliated protozoa comprise one of the most ecologically important microbial eukaryotic groups [1]
Our results suggest that the c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene is a suitable marker for resolving inter- and intra-specific relationships of Paramecium spp
We examined a total of 147 clones from five species of Paramecium: P. bursaria, P. duboscqui, P. neprhridiatum, P. caudatum and Paramecium sp
Summary
The ciliated protozoa comprise one of the most ecologically important microbial eukaryotic groups [1]. Their morphology is extremely diverse encompassing a multitude of shapes and sizes [2,3,4]. A variety of genetic-based methods were used to complement and in some cases substitute for morphologybased approaches. These included the use of isoenzymes, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP), and the sequencing of nuclear genes [2]. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene is being used increasingly for evaluating interand intra-specific genetic diversity of ciliated protists. Very few studies focus on assessing genetic divergence of the COI gene within individuals and how its presence might affect species identification and population structure analyses
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