The mitochondrial genome of Protostrongylus rufescens - implications for population and systematic studies

Abstract

Background: Protostrongylus rufescens is a metastrongyloid nematode of small ruminants, such as sheep and goats, causing protostrongylosis. In spite of its importance, the ecology and epidemiology of this parasite are not entirely understood. In addition, genetic data are scant for P. rufescens and related metastrongyloids.

Methods: The mt genome was amplified from a single adult worm of P. rufescens (from sheep) by long-PCR, sequenced using 454-technology and annotated using bioinformatic tools. Amino acid sequences inferred from individual genes of the mt genomes were concatenated and subjected to phylogenetic analysis using Bayesian inference.

Results: The circular mitochondrial genome was 13,619 bp in length and contained two ribosomal RNA, 12 protein-coding and 22 transfer RNA genes, consistent with nematodes of the order Strongylida for which mt genomes have been determined. Phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated amino acid sequence data for the 12 mt proteins showed that P. rufescens was closely related to Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Angiostrongylus costaricensis.

Conclusions: The mt genome determined herein provides a source of markers for future investigations of P. rufescens. Molecular tools, employing such mt markers, are likely to find applicability in studies of the population biology of this parasite and the systematics of lungworms.

Figure 1

Schematic representation of the circular mt genome of Protostrongylus rufescens. Each transfer RNA gene is identified by a one-letter amino acid code in the map (external), and the AT rich region is also indicated. All genes are transcribed in the clockwise direction.

Figure 2

Phylogenetic relationship of Protostrongylus rufescens with other nematodes. Concatenated amino acid sequence data for all protein-encoding mitochondrial genes of Protostrongylus rufescens (bold) and other metastrongyloids, including Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, An. costaricensis, An. vasorum, Metastrongylus pudendotectus and M. salmi (metastrongyloids), as well as other concatenated sequence data representing different superfamilies, including Ancylostoma caninum and Necator americanus (hookworms; ancylostomatoids); Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus axei (trichostrongyloids); Oesophagostomum dentatum and Strongylus vulgaris (strongyloids); and Strongyloides stercoralis (a rhabditid outgroup) were analyzed using Bayesian inference. The numbers above each tree branch represent the statistical support for each node (based on posterior probability [pp] score). GenBank accession numbers are in round brackets.