The Stability and Evolution of Genes and Genomes

The existence of current species can be attributed to a dynamic interplay between evolutionary forces and the maintenance of genetic information [...].

Calomyscid Rodents (Rodentia: Calomyscidae) as a Potential Reservoir of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in a Mountainous Residential Area in the Plateau of Iran: Inferring from Molecular Data of kDNA and ITS2 Genes of Leishmania Major

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), a neglected tropical disease, is an important health problem in Fars Province, southern Iran. Fars, the fourth most populous Province in Iran, is the center of both anthroponotic and zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). Rodents, the reservoir of Leishmania major, play an important role in transmitting ZCL. In the present study, we report Leishmania infection in calomyscid rodents for the first time in mountainous residential areas of Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province, in southern Iran. Rodents were trapped in urban mountainous areas. The skin, liver, and spleen of rodents were examined microscopically for Leishmania infection. In addition, DNA was extracted from the tissues and they were evaluated for Leishmania infection by targeting the kDNA and subsequent sequencing of the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer two (ITS2) region. DNA of L. major was detected in the spleen and liver of calomyscid rodents. Molecular evolution based on DNA-sequencing of the ITS2 gene confirmed the taxonomic situation of the parasite as L. major. Our findings suggest the eco-epidemiological importance of calomyscid rodents in the foci of leishmaniasis in the mountainous residential area on the plateau of Iran. These rodents may play a role in the transmission of leishmaniasis in a residential area and could be considered a potential reservoir for CL.

Detection and phylogenetic analysis of Sarcocystis moulei and Sarcocystis spp. (Sarcocystidae: Apicomplexa) from slaughtered sheep in southwest Iran

Sarcocystis species are intracellular protozoan which mostly complete their life cycle in two hosts. The parasite has a significant economic, medical and veterinary impact in many regions of the world and considered as a significant health problem in Iran. However, most of infections are asymptomatic and mortality is extremely rare. The present study aimed to determine the molecular phylogeny of the Sarcocystis species isolated from sheep slaughtered in southwest Iran, using mitochondrial DNA sequences of 18 S rRNA gene. The DNA was extracted from sheep muscular tissue (n = 60), and partial sequence of 18 S rDNA was amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two monophyletic clades representing S. moulei (n = 3) and Sarcocystis spp. (n = 3). BI posterior probability and MP bootstrap values strongly supported the monophyly of these clades. In conclusion, phylogenetic analysis of Sarcocystis species using 18 S rRNA gene could be helpful in identifying the new species of the Sarcocystis.

New Data on Comparative Cytogenetics of the Mouse-Like Hamsters (Calomyscus Thomas, 1905) from Iran and Turkmenistan

The taxonomy of the genus Calomyscus remains controversial. According to the latest systematics the genus includes eight species with great karyotypic variation. Here, we studied karyotypes of 14 Calomyscus individuals from different regions of Iran and Turkmenistan using a new set of chromosome painting probes from a Calomyscus sp. male (2n = 46, XY; Shahr-e-Kord-Soreshjan-Cheshme Maiak Province). We showed the retention of large syntenic blocks in karyotypes of individuals with identical chromosome numbers. The only rearrangement (fusion 2/21) differentiated Calomyscus elburzensis, Calomyscus mystax mystax, and Calomyscus sp. from Isfahan Province with 2n = 44 from karyotypes of C. bailwardi, Calomyscus sp. from Shahr-e-Kord, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari-Aloni, and Khuzestan-Izeh Provinces with 2n = 46. The individuals from Shahdad tunnel, Kerman Province with 2n = 51-52 demonstrated non-centric fissions of chromosomes 4, 5, and 6 of the 46-chromosomal form with the formation of separate small acrocentrics. A heteromorphic pair of chromosomes in a specimen with 2n = 51 resulted from a fusion of two autosomes. C-banding and chromomycin A3-DAPI staining after G-banding showed extensive heterochromatin variation between individuals.