Can avian flyways reflect dispersal barriers of clinostomid parasites? First evidence from the mitogenome of Clinostomum complanatum

Gene. 2022 Oct 12:146952. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146952. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTClinostomum complanatum (Rudolphi, 1814) is an economically important parasitic flatworm (Trematoda, Digenea), yet little is known on the population structure of these animals. We characterise a new mitochondrial genome for C. complanatum, derived from an Iranian specimen. The newly obtained sequence is used to position the species in the digenean tree of life. The first-ever intraspecific comparison at mitogenome scale within C. complanatum revealed a high degree of similarity to the previously sequenced mitogenome of a distant (Italian) population. Avian migratory routes mirror phylogenetic clustering, and hence we suggest that infection of a flying host enables genetic exchange between parasites across large geographic distances. Comparative mitogenomic work in Clinostomum spp. at both the intra- (C. complanatum) and interspecific (C. complanatum-C. sinensis) level further shows that usage of new and/or additional mitochondrial markers is preferred over single-gene methods for high-resolution diagnostics and population biology.PMID:36243212 | DOI:10.1016/j.gene.2022.146952
Source: Gene - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Source Type: research