Assessing the Efficiency of Molecular Markers for the Species Identification of Gregarines Isolated from the Mealworm and Super Worm Midgut

Protozoa, of the taxon Gregarinasina, are a heterogeneous group of Apicomplexa that includes ~1600 species. They are parasites of a large variety of both marine and terrestrial invertebrates, mainly annelids, arthropods and mollusks. Unlike coccidians and heamosporidians, gregarines have not proven...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microorganisms (Basel) 2018-11, Vol.6 (4), p.119
Main Authors: Nocciolini, Chiara, Cucini, Claudio, Leo, Chiara, Francardi, Valeria, Dreassi, Elena, Carapelli, Antonio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apicomplexa
Arthropods
edible insects
Food
Genomes
gregarine
Identification
Insects
Invertebrates
Larvae
Life sciences
Markers
Microscopy
Midgut
Mitochondrial DNA
molecular phylogenetics
molecular taxonomy
Mollusks
Morphology
Parasites
Phylogenetics
Phylogeny
Protozoa
Ribosomal DNA
Shellfish
Species
species identification
Taxonomy
Tenebrio molitor
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Summary:Protozoa, of the taxon Gregarinasina, are a heterogeneous group of Apicomplexa that includes ~1600 species. They are parasites of a large variety of both marine and terrestrial invertebrates, mainly annelids, arthropods and mollusks. Unlike coccidians and heamosporidians, gregarines have not proven to have a negative effect on human welfare; thus, they have been poorly investigated. This study focuses on the molecular identification and phylogeny of the gregarine species found in the midgut of two insect species that are considered as an alternative source of animal proteins for the human diet: the mealworm , and the super-worm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Gregarine specimens were isolated from the gut of both larval and adult stages of specimens, as well as from larvae. The morphological analyses were restricted to the identification of the different parasite morpho-types, likely corresponding either to different life-cycle stages or to alternative gregarine species. The samples were also used for the DNA extraction necessary for their genetic characterization. Finally, the efficiency of different molecular markers (i.e., rDNA gene alone or combined with the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1) was assessed when applied either to gregarine species identification and to phylogenetic inference.
ISSN:2076-2607
2076-2607
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms6040119