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Li DX, Yang RJ, Chen HX, Kuzmina TA, Spraker TR, Li L. Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genomes of the zoonotic parasites Bolbosoma nipponicum and Corynosoma villosum (Acanthocephala: Polymorphida) and the molecular phylogeny of the order Polymorphida. Parasitology 2024; 151:45-57. [PMID: 37955106 PMCID: PMC10941042 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023001099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Acanthocephalans of the order Polymorphida mainly parasitic in birds and mammals, are of veterinary, medical and economic importance. However, the evolutionary relationships of its 3 families (Centrorhynchidae, Polymorphidae and Plagiorhynchidae) remain under debate. Additionally, some species of Polymorphida (i.e. Bolbosoma spp. and Corynosoma spp.) are recognized as zoonotic parasites, associated with human acanthocephaliasis, but the mitochondrial genomes for representatives of Bolbosoma and Corynosoma have not been reported so far. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genomes B. nipponicum and C. villosum (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) are reported for the first time, which are 14 296 and 14 241 bp in length, respectively, and both contain 36 genes [including 12 PCGs, 22 tRNA genes and 2 rRNA genes] and 2 non-coding regions (NCR1 and NCR2). The gene arrangement of some tRNAs in the mitogenomes of B. nipponicum and C. villosum differs from that found in all other acanthocephalans, except Polymorphus minutus. Phylogenetic results based on concatenated amino acid (AA) sequences of the 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs) strongly supported that the family Polymorphidae is a sister to the Centrorhynchidae rather than the Plagiorhynchidae, and also confirmed the sister relationship of the genera Bolbosoma and Corynosoma in the Polymorphidae based on the mitogenomic data for the first time. Our present findings further clarified the phylogenetic relationships of the 3 families Plagiorhynchidae, Centrorhynchidae and Polymorphidae, enriched the mitogenome data of the phylum Acanthocephala (especially the order Polymorphida), and provided the resource of genetic data for diagnosing these 2 pathogenic parasites of human acanthocephaliasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dai-Xuan Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology; 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - Rui-Jia Yang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology; 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - Hui-Xia Chen
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology; 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - Tetiana A. Kuzmina
- I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 15, Bogdan Khmelnytsky Street, Kyiv 01054, Ukraine
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 04001, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Terry R. Spraker
- Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Liang Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology; 050024 Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
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Muhammad N, Li DX, Ru SS, Suleman, Saood D, Alvi MA, Li L. Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Acanthogyrus ( Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis Chowhan, Gupta & Khera, 1987 (Eoacanthocephala: Quadrigyridae), the smallest mitochondrial genome in Acanthocephala, and its phylogenetic implications. J Helminthol 2023; 97:e87. [PMID: 37969070 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x23000561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The phylum Acanthocephala is an important group of parasites with more than 1,300 species parasitizing intestine of all major vertebrate groups. However, our present knowledge of the mitochondrial genomes of Acanthocephala remains very limited. In the present study, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis (Gyracanthocephala: Quadrigyridae) for the first time based on the specimens recovered from the intestine of common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus (Cyprinidae) in Pakistan. The mitochondrial genome of A. bilaspurensis is 13,360 bp in size and contains 36 genes, representing the smallest mitogenome of acanthocephalans reported so far. The mitogenome of A. bilaspurensis also has the lowest level of overall A+T contents (59.3%) in the mitogenomes of Eoacanthocephala, and the non-coding region 3 (NCR3) lies between trnS2 and trnI, which is different from all of the other acanthocephalan species. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenating the amino acid sequences of 12 protein-coding genes using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods revealed that the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae is a sister to the Arhythmacanthidae rather than the Cavisomatidae, and the families Rhadinorhynchidae and Cavisomatidae showed sister relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nehaz Muhammad
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology; 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Biology Postdoctoral Research Mobile Station, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - D-X Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - S-S Ru
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
| | - Suleman
- Department of Zoology, University of Swabi, Anbar, Swabi, 23561, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - D Saood
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University MardanKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M A Alvi
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - L Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment; College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
- Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology; 050024Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, P. R. China
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Zhao TY, Yang RJ, Lü L, Ru SS, Wayland MT, Chen HX, Li YH, Li L. Phylomitogenomic Analyses Provided Further Evidence for the Resurrection of the Family Pseudoacanthocephalidae (Acanthocephala: Echinorhynchida). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071256. [PMID: 37048513 PMCID: PMC10093747 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Acanthocephala is an important monophyletic group of parasites, with adults parasitic in the digestive tracts of all major vertebrate groups. Acanthocephalans are of veterinary, medical, and economic importance due to their ability to cause disease in domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. However, the current genetic data for acanthocephalans are sparse, both in terms of the proportion of taxa surveyed and the number of genes sequenced. Consequently, the basic molecular phylogenetic framework for the phylum is still incomplete. In the present study, we reported the first complete mitochondrial genome from a representative of the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae Petrochenko, 1956. The mitogenome of Pseudoacanthocephalus bufonis (Shipley, 1903) is 14,056 bp in length, contains 36 genes (12 protein-coding genes (PCGs) (lacking atp8), 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes (rrnL and rrnS)) and two non-coding regions (NCR1 and NCR2), and displayed the highest GC-skew in the order Echinorhynchida. Phylogenetic results of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) using the amino acid sequences of 12 protein-coding genes in different models provided further evidence for the resurrection of the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae and also supported that the order Echinorhynchida is paraphyletic. A monophyletic clade comprising P. bufonis and Cavisoma magnum suggests a close affinity between Pseudoacanthocephalidae and Cavisomatidae. Our phylogenetic analyses also showed that Polymorphidae has a closer relationship with Centrorhynchidae than Plagiorhynchidae in the monophyletic order Polymorphida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-You Zhao
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Rui-Jia Yang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Liang Lü
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Si-Si Ru
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | | | - Hui-Xia Chen
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Yuan-Hao Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Liang Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline Cell Biology, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
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Gao JW, Yuan XP, Jakovlić I, Wu H, Xiang CY, Xie M, Song R, Xie ZG, Wu YA, Ou DS. The mitochondrial genome of Heterosentis pseudobagri (Wang & Zhang, 1987) Pichelin & Cribb, 1999 reveals novel aspects of tRNA genes evolution in Acanthocephala. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:95. [PMID: 36864372 PMCID: PMC9979467 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09177-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acanthocephala is a clade of obligate endoparasites whose mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) and evolution remain relatively poorly understood. Previous studies reported that atp8 is lacking from acanthocephalan mitogenomes, and that tRNA genes often have nonstandard structures. Heterosentis pseudobagri (Arhythmacanthidae) is an acanthocephalan fish endoparasite for which no molecular data are currently available, and biological information is unavailable in the English language. Furthermore, there are currently no mitogenomes available for Arhythmacanthidae. METHODS We sequenced its mitogenome and transcriptome, and conducted comparative mitogenomic analyses with almost all available acanthocephalan mitogenomes. RESULTS The mitogenome had all genes encoded on the same strand and unique gene order in the dataset. Among the 12 protein-coding genes, several genes were highly divergent and annotated with difficulty. Moreover, several tRNA genes could not be identified automatically, so we had to identify them manually via a detailed comparison with orthologues. As common in acanthocephalans, some tRNAs lacked either the TWC arm or the DHU arm, but in several cases, we annotated tRNA genes only on the basis of the conserved narrow central segment comprising the anticodon, while the flanking 5' and 3' ends did not exhibit any resemblance to orthologues and they could not be folded into a tRNA secondary structure. We corroborated that these are not sequencing artefacts by assembling the mitogenome from transcriptomic data. Although this phenomenon was not observed in previous studies, our comparative analyses revealed the existence of highly divergent tRNAs in multiple acanthocephalan lineages. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate either that multiple tRNA genes are non-functional or that (some) tRNA genes in (some) acanthocephalans might undergo extensive posttranscriptional tRNA processing which restores them to more conventional structures. It is necessary to sequence mitogenomes from yet unrepresented lineages and further explore the unusual patterns of tRNA evolution in Acanthocephala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Wei Gao
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153 Hunan China
| | - Xi-Ping Yuan
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153 Hunan China
| | - Ivan Jakovlić
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Hao Wu
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153 Hunan China
| | - Chuan-Yu Xiang
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Min Xie
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153 Hunan China
| | - Rui Song
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China.
| | - Zhong-Gui Xie
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153 Hunan China
| | - Yuan-An Wu
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153 Hunan China
| | - Dong-Sheng Ou
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153 Hunan China
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Liu J, Yu J, Yu X, Bi W, Yang H, Xue F, Zhang G, Zhang J, Yi D, Ma R, Zhou Y, Lan G, Gu J, Wu W, Li Z, Qi G. Complete Mitogenomes of Ticks Ixodes acutitarsus and Ixodes ovatus Parasitizing Giant Panda: Deep Insights into the Comparative Mitogenomic and Phylogenetic Relationship of Ixodidae Species. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:2049. [PMID: 36360286 PMCID: PMC9691169 DOI: 10.3390/genes13112049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Ticks rank second in the world as vectors of disease. Tick infestation is one of the factors threatening the health and survival of giant pandas. Here, we describe the mitogenomes of Ixodes acutitarsus and Ixodes ovatus parasitizing giant pandas, and perform comparative and phylogenetic genomic analyses on the newly sequenced and other available mitogenomes of hard ticks. All six newly determined mitogenomes contain a typical gene component and share an ancient Arthropoda gene arrangement pattern. Our study suggests that I. ovatus is a species complex with high genetic divergence, indicating that different clades of I. ovatus represent distinct species. Comparative mitogenomic analyses show that the average A + T content of Ixodidae mitogenomes is 78.08%, their GC-skews are strongly negative, while AT-skews fluctuate around 0. A large number of microsatellites are detected in Ixodidae mitogenomes, and the main microsatellite motifs are mononucleotide A and trinucleotide AAT. We summarize five gene arrangement types, and identify the trnY-COX1-trnS1-COX2-trnK-ATP8-ATP6-COX3-trnG fragment is the most conserved region, whereas the region near the control region is the rearrangement hotspot in Ixodidae mitogenomes. The phylogenetic trees based on 15 genes provide a very convincing relationship (Ixodes + (Robertsicus + ((Bothriocroton + Haemaphysalis) + (Amblyomma + (Dermacentor + (Rhipicentor + (Hyalomma + Rhipicephalus))))))) with very strong supports. Remarkably, Archaeocroton sphenodonti is embedded in the Haemaphysalis clade with strong supports, resulting in paraphyly of the Haemaphysalis genus, so in-depth morphological and molecular studies are essential to determine the taxonomic status of A. sphenodonti and its closely related species. Our results provide new insights into the molecular phylogeny and evolution of hard ticks, as well as basic data for population genetics assessment and efficient surveillance and control for the giant panda-infesting ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabin Liu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Jiaojiao Yu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Xiang Yu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Wenlei Bi
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Management Center of Daxiangling Nature Reserve in Yingjing County, Ya’an 625200, China
| | - Fei Xue
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Gexiang Zhang
- College of Computer Science and Cyber Security, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
| | - Jindong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Dejiao Yi
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Rui Ma
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Yanshan Zhou
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Guanwei Lan
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
| | - Jiang Gu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Wei Wu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Zusheng Li
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
| | - Guilan Qi
- Chengdu Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Chengdu 611130, China
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Gao JW, Yuan XP, Wu H, Xiang CY, Xie M, Song R, Chen ZY, Wu YA, Ou DS. Mitochondrial phylogenomics of Acanthocephala: nucleotide alignments produce long-branch attraction artefacts. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:376. [PMID: 36261865 PMCID: PMC9583589 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05488-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Classification of the Acanthocephala, a clade of obligate endoparasites, remains unresolved because of insufficiently strong resolution of morphological characters and scarcity of molecular data with a sufficient resolution. Mitochondrial genomes may be a suitable candidate, but they are available for a small number of species and their suitability for the task has not been tested thoroughly. METHODS Herein, we sequenced the first mitogenome for the large family Rhadinorhynchidae: Micracanthorhynchina dakusuiensis. These are also the first molecular data generated for this entire genus. We conducted a series of phylogenetic analyses using concatenated nucleotides (NUC) and amino acids (AAs) of all 12 protein-coding genes, three different algorithms, and the entire available acanthocephalan mitogenomic dataset. RESULTS We found evidence for strong compositional heterogeneity in the dataset, and Micracanthorhynchina dakusuiensis exhibited a disproportionately long branch in all analyses. This caused a long-branch attraction artefact (LBA) of M. dakusuiensis resolved at the base of the Echinorhynchida clade when the NUC dataset was used in combination with standard phylogenetic algorithms, maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI). Both the use of the AA dataset (BI-AAs and ML-AAs) and the CAT-GTR model designed for suppression of LBA (CAT-GTR-AAs and CAT-GTR-NUC) at least partially attenuated this LBA artefact. The results support Illiosentidae as the basal radiation of Echinorhynchida and Rhadinorhynchidae forming a clade with Echinorhynchidae and Pomporhynchidae. The questions of the monophyly of Rhadinorhynchidae and its sister lineage remain unresolved. The order Echinorhynchida was paraphyletic in all of our analyses. CONCLUSIONS Future studies should take care to attenuate compositional heterogeneity-driven LBA artefacts when applying mitogenomic data to resolve the phylogeny of Acanthocephala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Wei Gao
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Xi-Ping Yuan
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Chuan-Yu Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Min Xie
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Rui Song
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China.
| | - Zhong-Yuan Chen
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Molecular Immunity Technology of Aquatic Animal Diseases, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hunan University of Arts and Science, Changde, 415000, Hunan, China
| | - Yuan-An Wu
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Ou
- Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, 728 Shuanghe Rd, Kaifu District, Changsha, 410153, Hunan, China
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