Original Research

Phylogenetic studies of larval digenean trematodes from freshwater snails and fish species in the proximity of Tshwane metropolitan, South Africa

Esmey B. Moema, Pieter H. King, Johnny N. Rakgole
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research | Vol 86, No 1 | a1729 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v86i1.1729 | © 2019 Esmey B. Moema, Pieter H. King, Johnny N. Rakgole | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 09 January 2019 | Published: 17 September 2019

About the author(s)

Esmey B. Moema, Department of Biology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Pieter H. King, Department of Biology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Johnny N. Rakgole, Department of Virology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

The classification and description of digenean trematodes are commonly accomplished by using morphological features, especially in adult stages. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of the genetic composition of larval digenean trematodes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from clinostomatid metacercaria, 27-spined echinostomatid redia, avian schistosome cercaria and strigeid metacercaria from various dams in the proximity of Tshwane metropolitan, South Africa. Polymerase chain reaction was performed using the extracted DNA with primers targeting various regions within the larval digenean trematodes’ genomes. Agarose gel electrophoresis technique was used to visualise the PCR products. The PCR products were sequenced on an Applied Bioinformatics (ABI) genetic analyser platform. Genetic information obtained from this study had a higher degree of discrimination than the morphological characteristics of seemingly similar organisms.

Keywords

digenean trematodes; classification; description; polymerase chain reaction; PCR; genetic composition; sequence analysis; nucleotide variations; molecular analysis

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