Molecular markers of some tick genera in Egypt based on the internal transcribed spacer ( ITS - 2 ) : 1 - Ixodidae ( Boophilus and Hyalomma )

A method for the identification of three ixodid tick species; the cow tick (Boophilus annulatus), the camel tick (Hyalomma dromedarii) and the cattle tick (Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum) based on restriction enzyme analysis of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) in the nuclear ribosomal DNA was adopted. PCR products with MW 1375 bp, 1650 bp and 1835 bp from B. annulatus, H. dromedarii and H. anatolicum excavatum, respectively were amplified. These products were digested by the restriction enzymes Bgl II, EcoR I, Cfo I and Xmn I and the PCRRFLP patterns of the enzyme Cfo I showed differences among the three tick species. Speciesspecific restriction enzyme patterns were identified for B. annulatus (500bp), H. dromedarii (750 bp) and H. anatolicum excavatum (940 bp). The PCR-RFLP patterns of the enzyme Xmn I showed species-specific restriction enzyme patterns for H. dromedarii species (1000 and 650 bp). Further studies on different ixodid and argasid tick species in Egypt are taken place.