DNA sequence analysis was used to characterize the nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS1 region and a portion of the COII and 16S rDNA genes of the mitochondrial genome from Steinernema entomopathogenic nematodes. Nuclear ITS1 nucleotide divergence among seven Steinernema spp. ranged from 6 to 22%, and mtDNA divergence among five species ranged from 12 to 20%. No intraspecific variation was observed among...

This study was designed to clarify the differences in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 and 5.8S nucleotide sequences of Moniezia expansa, M. benedeni and M. monardi isolated from ruminants in Japan and to determine their phylogenetic relationships. A 98% similarity in the 5.8S sequences was observed among the 3 Moniezia species, whereas many nucleotide indels and substitutions were obser...

DNA sequences of the first ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) were isolated from 10 ladybird beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) representing four subfamilies (Coccinellinae, Chilocorinae, Scymninae, and Coccidulinae). The spacers ranged in length from 791 to 2,572 bp, thereby including one of the longest ITS1s and exhibiting one of the most extreme cases of ITS1 size variation...

Colony-forming cyanobacteria of the genus Aphanizomenon form massive blooms in the brackish water of the Baltic Sea during the warmest summer months. There have been recent suggestions claiming that the Baltic Sea Aphanizomenon species may be different from Aphanizomenon flos-aquae found in lakes. In this study, we examined variability in the morphology and 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spa...

Canine taeniids are among the major tapeworms with remarkable medical and economic significance. Reliable diagnosis and differentiation of dog taeniids using simple and sensitive tools are of paramount importance for establishing an efficient surveillance system. Microsatellites as abundant unique tandem repeats of short DNA motifs are useful genetic markers for molecular epidemiological studie...

The utility of various regions of the ribosomal repeat unit for phylogenetic analysis was examined in 16 species representing four families, nine genera, and two orders of the subclass Copepoda (Crustacea). Fragments approximately 2000 bp in length containing the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) 18S and 28S gene fragments, the 5.8S gene, and the internal transcribed spacer regions I and II (ITS1 and ITS2) ...

Analysis of sequence variations among isolates of Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. macacae from 14 Indian rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) at the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear rRNA gene was undertaken. Like those from P. carinii f. sp. hominis, the ITS sequences from various P. carinii f. sp. macacae isolates were not identical. Two major types of sequences were found. One ...

Hematodinium spp. infections have been reported from blue crabs Callinectes sapidus in high-salinity waters of the USA from New Jersey to Texas. Recently, H. perezi (genotype III) has been proposed as the parasite species and genotype infecting blue crabs from Virginia; however, it is unknown whether this same genotype is present in blue crabs from other locations. To address this question, we ...

The nucleotide sequence variations in the internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS1) and region 2 (ITS2) of rRNA genes were found to be useful for typing Pneumocystis carinii isolates that infect humans. Two types of ITS1 (A and B) and three types of ITS2 (a, b, and c) sequences have been found, and P. carinii isolates are classified based on sequence types of ITS1 and ITS2 as Ax or Bx (where ...