Mitochondrial genome sequencing reveals potential origins of the scabies mite Sarcoptes scabiei infesting two iconic Australian marsupials

Tamieka A Fraser; Renfu Shao; Nicholas M Fountain-Jones; Michael Charleston; Alynn Martin; Pam Whiteley; Roz Holme; Scott Carver; Adam Polkinghorne

doi:10.1186/s12862-017-1086-9

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Mitochondrial genome sequencing reveals potential origins of the scabies mite Sarcoptes scabiei infesting two iconic Australian marsupials

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Mitochondrial genome sequencing reveals potential origins of the scabies mite Sarcoptes scabiei infesting two iconic Australian marsupials

Tamieka A Fraser, Renfu Shao, Nicholas M Fountain-Jones, Michael Charleston, Alynn Martin, Pam Whiteley, Roz Holme, Scott Carver and Adam Polkinghorne

BMC Evolutionary Biology, Vol.17(1), 233

2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-017-1086-9

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Abstract

Sarcoptes scabiei

wombat

koala

mitochondrial genome sequencing

cox1

phylogeny

conservation

Background: Debilitating skin infestations caused by the mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, have a profound impact on human and animal health globally. In Australia, this impact is evident across different segments of Australian society, with a growing recognition that it can contribute to rapid declines of native Australian marsupials. Cross-host transmission has been suggested to play a significant role in the epidemiology and origin of mite infestations in different species but a chronic lack of genetic resources has made further inferences difficult. To investigate the origins and molecular epidemiology of S. scabiei in Australian wildlife, we sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of S. scabiei from diseased wombats (Vombatus ursinus) and koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) spanning New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and compared them with the recently sequenced mitochondrial genome sequences of S. scabiei from humans. Results: We found unique S. scabiei haplotypes among individual wombat and koala hosts with high sequence similarity (99.1% - 100%). Phylogenetic analysis of near full-length mitochondrial genomes revealed three clades of S. scabiei (one human and two marsupial), with no apparent geographic or host species pattern, suggestive of multiple introductions. The availability of additional mitochondrial gene sequences also enabled a re-evaluation of a range of putative molecular markers of S. scabiei, revealing that cox1 is the most informative gene for molecular epidemiological investigations. Utilising this gene target, we provide additional evidence to support cross-host transmission between different animal hosts. Conclusions: Our results suggest a history of parasite invasion through colonisation of Australia from hosts across the globe and the potential for cross-host transmission being a common feature of the epidemiology of this neglected pathogen. If this is the case, comparable patterns may exist elsewhere in the 'New World'. This work provides a basis for expanded molecular studies into mange epidemiology in humans and animals in Australia and other geographic regions. © 2017 The Author(s).

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Title: Mitochondrial genome sequencing reveals potential origins of the scabies mite Sarcoptes scabiei infesting two iconic Australian marsupials
Authors: Tamieka A Fraser (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Renfu Shao (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Nicholas M Fountain-Jones (Author) - University of Minnesota, United States
Michael Charleston (Author) - University of Tasmania
Alynn Martin (Author) - University of Tasmania
Pam Whiteley (Author) - University of Melbourne
Roz Holme (Author) - Cedar Creek Wombat Rescue Inc. and Hospital
Scott Carver (Author) - University of Tasmania
Adam Polkinghorne (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Publication details: BMC Evolutionary Biology, Vol.17(1), 233; 9
Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd.
Date published: 2017
DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1086-9
ISSN: 1471-2148
Copyright note: Copyright © The Author(s). 2017 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450913402621
Output Type: Journal article

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Web Of Science research areas: Evolutionary Biology; Genetics & Heredity

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