Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #161473
Title: PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME OF THE TAPEWORM BOTHRIOCEPHALUS ACHEILOGNATHI

Author
item CARTWRIGHT, DEBORAH - USDI, USGS
item BLAZER, VICKI - USDI, USGS
item SEHILL, WILLIAM - USDI, USGS
item BEAUCHAMP, KATHERINE - USDI, USGS
item Mitchell, Andrew

Submitted to: Annual Eastern Fish Health Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2004
Publication Date: 3/22/2004
Citation: Cartwright, D.O., Blazer, V.S., Sehill, W.B., Beauchamp, K.A., Mitchell, A.J. 2004. Preliminary study on the mitochondrial genome of the tapeworm bothriocephalus acheilognathi [abstract]. In: Annual Eastern Fish Health Workshop. p. 59.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The tapeworm, Bothriocephalus acheilognathi has been a problem with aquacultured grass carp and golden shiners for about 30 years and has recently been reported in many other cyprinids. Several states restrict the importation of fish with B. acheilognathi therefore identification and detection of these worms are very important. Since definitive identification methods vital to the inspection process do not exist a study has been initiated to develop such methods. Molecular genetic approaches using both nuclear and mitochondrial genes have been used in studies on the phylogenetic relationship of closely related organisms including several species of cestodes. Past studies on the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) have determined genetic variation in B. acheilognathi in different fish hosts. It was found that there were three closely related genotypes with certain degrees of host-specificity. Metazoan mitochondrial sequences are known to evolve rapidly, but gene arrangements will remain unchanged for long evolutionary periods of time. Therefore, information on the mitochondrial genome is important in understanding the evolutionary relationships of cestodes. In this study we will attempt to look at the mitochondrial sequences of B. acheilognathi using the cytochrome B region and several primers designed for long chain PCR. Samples of B. acheilognathi from were collected from grass carp at a private aquaculture facility in Arkansas, USA.