DNA Types of Aspermic Fasciola Species in Japan

Abstract

ABSTRACT. In order to reveal DNA types of aspermic Fasciola forms in Japan, Fasciola specimens obtained from eight prefectures that had not been previously reported were analyzed for DNA of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 1 (ND1) gene. Five combinations in DNA types of both ITS1 and ND1 were revealed from the results of this study and previous studies. The DNA type Fsp2, which is identical to that of F. gigantica in both ITS1 and ND1, was the most predominant in Japan, followed by Fsp1, which is the same DNA type as that of F. hepatica. Fasciola forms with Fsp1 mainly occurred in the northern region of Japan and those with Fsp2 were mainly in the western region. The founder effect related to migration of definitive host and susceptibility of intermediate host snail might play an important role in both geographical distribution and frequency of DNA types in Japanese Fasciola specimens.

Molecular Analysis of Aspermic <i>Fasciola</i> Flukes from Korea on the Basis of the Nuclear ITS1 Region and Mitochondrial DNA Markers and Comparison with Japanese Aspermic <i>Fasciola</i> Flukes

“…The resultant sequencing ladders were determined using a 3500 Genetic Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, U.S.A.). The cox1 regions of the 26 Japanese aspermic Fasciola flukes that were analyzed in the previous study [7] were directly sequenced. Together with the previous studies [7,12], ITS1, nad1, and cox1 sequences are available for a total of 60 Japanese aspermic Fasciola flukes ( Table 2).…”

“…Aspermic Fasciola flukes from Japan and Korea displayed the 2 major nad1 haplotypes. One belongs to an F. hepatica clade and was detected in aspermic Fasciola flukes from Japan (Fsp1) [7,12] and Korea (Kor1) [10], and the other belongs to an F. gigantica clade and was also detected in aspermic Fasciola flukes from Japan (Fsp2) [7,12] and Korea (Kor2a) [10]. These phylogenetic situations indicate that the 2 lineages of aspermic Fasciola flukes are descendants of 2 common maternal lineages [10].…”

“…Aspermic Fasciola species are distributed throughout Asian countries, including Japan [7,12], Korea [10], China [15], Vietnam [11], and Myanmar [8]. Particularly in the former 2 countries, all of the Fasciola flukes analyzed were aspermic [7,10,12,18].…”

“…Particularly in the former 2 countries, all of the Fasciola flukes analyzed were aspermic [7,10,12,18]. Accurate species identification of aspermic Fasciola flukes remains uncertain, not only because they display intermediate morphological features of F. hepatica and F. gigantica but also because they possess no or only a few sperm in their seminal vesicles.…”

Identification of Fasciola spp. in the East of Iran, Based on the Spermatogenesis and Nuclear Ribosomal DNA (ITS1) and Mitochondrial (ND1) Genes

“…Both of these species may be identified by applying DNA sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS), and sequences of CO1 and ND1 as mitochondrial genes to analyze intraspecific phylogenetic relationship of Fasciola spp. (12)(13)(14).…”