Molecular identification of pathogenic house dust mites using 12S rRNA sequences

• Published in: Electrophoresis Vol. 26; no. 15; pp. 2927 - 2934
• Main Authors: Suarez-Martinez, Edu B., Montealegre, Federico, Sierra-Montes, Julie M., Herrera, Rene J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01.08.2005; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: 12S rRNA gene; Acaridae - classification; Acaridae - genetics; Animals; Base Sequence; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus - classification; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus - genetics; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Dust mites; Evolution, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Pyroglyphidae - classification; Pyroglyphidae - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal - genetics; Sequence Alignment
• ISSN: 0173-0835; 1522-2683
• DOI: 10.1002/elps.200410353

House dust mites are microarthropods implicated in the cause of allergic diseases. Currently, there is no phylogenetic analysis of dust mites based on genomic or mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) evidence. For the first time, we report evolutionary relationships based on partial mtDNA 12S rRNA sequences among the four dust mite families Pyroglyphidae (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), Glycyphagoidea (Glycyphagus privatus), Acaridae (Aleuroglyphus ovatus), and Echimyopodidae (Blomia tropicalis). Thirteen sequence variants were obtained and phylogenetic analysis showed two monophyletic clades composed of two species each. Contrary to current taxonomic classification, the Acaridae clustered in a monophyletic group with the Pyroglyphidae. Considering the current difficulties in identifying these medically important species for the purpose of eradication and treatment, it is significant that sequence data are capable of discriminating between species belonging to different families of dust mites.