Species delimitation based on mtDNA genes suggests the occurrence of new species of Mesocestoides in the Mediterranean region

Antonio Varcasia,Daria Sanna,Samia Lahmar,Claudia Tamponi,Anna Paola Pipia,Giorgia Dessì,Gabriella Gaglio,Antonio Scala,Domenico Otranto,Gabriela Hrčková,Marco Casu

doi:10.1186/s13071-018-3185-x

Abstract

BackgroundThis study is the first contribution to the molecular taxonomy of Mesocestoides spp. from domestic and wild carnivores in the Mediterranean area. A total of 13 adult worms and 13 larval stages of Mesocestoides spp. were collected from domestic and wild carnivore hosts in Italy and Tunisia. Samples collected in the Slovak Republic were used as comparative samples from outside the Mediterranean. The genes cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) of the mitochondrial genome were used as molecular markers to investigate the presence of cryptic Mesocestoides species in the area analysed.ResultsResults were consistent in showing three well-supported clusters of Mesocestoides spp. in southern Italy and Tunisia, which were strongly divergent from Mesocestoides litteratus, M. corti and M. lineatus. High levels of genetic variation and no evidence of geographical structuring was found between the clusters.ConclusionsConsidering the low dispersal capability of the intermediate hosts of Mesocestoides spp., the lack of geographical structuring among the Mediterranean regions could be due to a high potential for dispersion of the definitive hosts. This study provides a foundation for future formal descriptions of new species of the genus Mesocestoides in the Mediterranean area.

Highlights

This study is the first contribution to the molecular taxonomy of Mesocestoides spp. from domestic and wild carnivores in the Mediterranean area
They were attributed to M. litteratus and M. lineatus respectively
Such a finding is consistent with a study [46], which highlighted the occurrence of a species genetically divergent from M. lineatus, M. litteratus and M. corti, in northern Italy

Summary

Introduction

This study is the first contribution to the molecular taxonomy of Mesocestoides spp. from domestic and wild carnivores in the Mediterranean area. A total of 13 adult worms and 13 larval stages of Mesocestoides spp. were collected from domestic and wild carnivore hosts in Italy and Tunisia. Adult Mesocestoides worms have been recorded in up to 13.8% of cats, 26.5% of dogs, 70% of jackals and 81.8% of foxes [2, 5,6,7,8] The latter species seem to be the most. Seven species of Mesocestoides have been recorded in Europe (in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Spain) [4, 5, 16, 17] with M. litteratus and M. lineatus being the most widely distributed species. Information regarding intermediate and paratenic hosts of M. litteratus and M. lineatus in natural conditions is lacking [4]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion