Molecular characterization of Ribosomal DNA (ITS2) of hard ticks in Iran: understanding the conspecificity of Dermacento
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RESEARCH NOTE
Molecular characterization of Ribosomal DNA (ITS2) of hard ticks in Iran: understanding the conspecificity of Dermacentor marginatus and D. niveus Parisa Soltan‑Alinejad1,2, Zahra Ramezani1,2, Hamideh Edalat3, Zakkyeh Telmadarraiy3, Farrokh Dabiri2, Hassan Vatandoost3, Mohammad Ali Oshaghi3, Mehdi Mohebali3, Seyyed Javad Seyyed‑Zadeh2, Zabihollah Zarei3, Haleh Hanifian2, Faham Faghihi3, Mandan Abolhasani3, Mulood Mohammadi Bavani2, Jalil Musavi4, Olle Terenius5 and Ali Reza Chavshin1,2*
Abstract Objectives: Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are ectoparasites of medical and veterinary importance. They are obligate blood-feeding vectors with the ability to transmit a wide variety of pathogens. Standard morphological keys are normally used for the identification of tick species. However, considering the importance of accurate species identi‑ fication and the determination of bio-ecological characteristics of species, relying on morphological keys alone can be questionable. In this study, two DNA fragments (ITS2 and COI) were selected for phylogenetic evaluation of Iranian hard tick species belonging to the genera Dermacentor, Hyalomma, and Rhipicephalus. Results: 1229 specimens of Dermacentor marginatus, D. niveus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Rhipicephalus bursa, and R. sanguineus s.l constituting 11 populations were collected from three different climatic and zoogeographical zones in Iran. Morphological studies revealed notable differences in important morphological characteristics between different populations of D. marginatus. The results of ITS2 sequence analysis provided additional evidence which supports the conspecificity of D. niveus and D. marginatus. Contrary to this finding, the sequence analysis of COI and phylogeny favored the separation of the two species. Given the greater importance of COI in identifying and discriminating species, a possibility heterospecificity between the two species should be considered. Keywords: Ixodidae, Molecular systematics, Dermacentor, ITS2, COI Introduction Hard ticks are obligate blood-feeding ectoparasites of medical and veterinary importance. They transmit a wide range of bacterial and viral diseases such as ehrlichiosis, *Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] 1 Social Determinants of Health, Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
Lyme disease, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), tularemia and anaplasmosis [1]. Considering the importance of species identification and the determination of bio-ecological characteristics of species, there is a need for thorough investigations on the taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships among hard-tick taxa. Morphological methods have been widely used for these purposes, but in some species relying solely on morphological methods may be questionable [2]. Molecular
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