[12] A study on the genetic relationship of mites in the genus Sarcoptes (Acari: Sarcoptidae) in China

Abstract

The status of the genus Sarcoptes is the subject of repeated revisions and ongoing debate. To clarify the taxonomic status of this genus, the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of the rRNA gene was investigated for the first time on 6 isolates obtained from rabbits and swine from China. The length of ITS-2 was 361bp in these isolates, and the base composition was biased, averaging 60.9 % A+T. A total of 4.16 % (15/361) nucleotide positions were variable. There were no deletions or insertions in nucleotide sequences. Homology analyses indicated that the identity levels of nucleotide of ITS-2 amongthe 6 isolates ranged from 96.9 % to 99.7 %. Phylogenese analysis showed that theSarcoptes scabiei(De Geer) isolates from China and other locations belonged to a single, heterogenous species.