Abstract
ObjectivesAnnually, 1.2 million humans are stung by scorpions and severely affected by their venom. Some of the scorpion species of medical importance have a similar morphology to species with low toxicity. To establish diagnostic tools for surveying scorpions, the current study was conducted to generate three mitochondrial markers, Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI gene), 12S rDNA and 16S rDNA for six species of medically important Iranian scorpions: Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta saulcyi, Mesobuthus caucasicus, M. eupeus, Odontobuthus doriae, and Scorpio maurus.ResultsPhylogenetic analyses of the obtained sequences corroborated the morphological identification. For the first time, 12S rDNA sequences are reported from Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta saulcyi, Mesobuthus caucasicus and M. eupeus and also the 16S rDNA sequence from Hottentotta saulcyi. We conclude that the mitochondrial markers are useful for species determination among these medically important species of scorpions.
Highlights
Scorpions comprise more than 1500 species of which fifty species are considered of medical importance [1]
In the current study, six species of Buthidae and Scorpionidae scorpions from northwestern and central Iran were identified based on morphological characteristics (Fig. 1)
The sequences of 16S 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of A. crassicauda, M. caucasicus, and M. eupeus, the 12S rDNA sequence of Odontobuthus doriae, and all three mitochondrial gene sequences of Scorpio maurus are the first reported from Iran
Summary
Phylogenetic analyses of the obtained sequences corroborated the morphological identification. 12S rDNA sequences are reported from Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta saulcyi, Mesobuthus caucasicus and M. eupeus and the 16S rDNA sequence from Hottentotta saulcyi. We conclude that the mitochondrial markers are useful for species determination among these medically important species of scorpions
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