Ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 sequence analysis and phylogenetic comparison of seven cockroach species in northwestern Iran

BMC Res Notes. 2019 Jan 23;12(1):53. doi: 10.1186/s13104-019-4089-3.

Abstract

Objectives: The current study was conducted to identify cockroach species (Blattodea) of northwestern Iran in public places using morphological characteristics and ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (rDNA-ITS2). Sequences were analyzed with Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) searches, Neighbor-Joining methods based on and Tamura-Nei phylogenetic analyses. In addition, eight cockroach rDNA-ITS2 sequences from China, India, Iran and the United States obtained from GenBank were compared to those obtained in this study.

Results: Specimens collected in Iran were identified as Periplaneta americana (L.), Shelfordella lateralis (Walker), Blatta orientalis (L.) (Blattodea: Blattidae), Blattella germanica (L.), Supella longipalpa (F.) (Blattodea: Ectobiidae), Polyphaga aegyptiaca (L.), and Polyphaga saussurei (Dohrn) (Blattodea: Corydiidae). rDNA-ITS2 nucleotide sequence analysis showed 100% similarity between P. aegyptiaca and P. saussurei species collected from Iran despite morphological differences. However, ITS2 sequence of P. americana submitted from China showed 30.49-31.71% difference to P. americana sequences from Iran and the United States. The results highlight the importance of morphological identification of cockroach species before conducting molecular techniques.

Keywords: Blattidae; Corydiidae; Ectobiidae; Phylogeny; rDNA-ITS2.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cockroaches / classification
  • Cockroaches / genetics*
  • DNA, Ribosomal Spacer*
  • Iran
  • Phylogeny*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • DNA, Ribosomal Spacer