Complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of Ixodes acutitarsus (Acari: Ixodidae)

Xinyan Lu; Dandan Jiang; Chunhong Du; Caihong Rao; Jianqiang Yin; Yihao Fang; Xing Yang

doi:10.1080/23802359.2022.2089066

Complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of Ixodes acutitarsus (Acari: Ixodidae)

Mitochondrial DNA B Resour. 2022 Jun 22;7(6):1134-1136. doi: 10.1080/23802359.2022.2089066. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Xinyan Lu¹, Dandan Jiang², Chunhong Du³, Caihong Rao⁴, Jianqiang Yin⁴, Yihao Fang⁵, Xing Yang¹

Affiliations

¹ Integrated Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, College of Preclinical Medicine, Dali University, Dali, P. R. China.
² School of Public Health, Dali University, Dali, P. R. China.
³ Endemic Diseases Control and Prevention, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Diseases Control and Prevention, Dali, China.
⁴ HighliGongshan National Nature Reserve Fugong Management and Protection Branch, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China.
⁵ Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China.

Abstract

Ixodes acutitarsus is regarded as the largest Ixodes tick around the world. I. acutitarsus is capable to transmit a wide range of animal and human pathogens. This research pioneered sequencing of the complete mitochondrial genome of I. acutitarsus. With a length of 14,475 bp, the complete mitochondrial genome encodes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and one replication-initiating region. The phylogenetic relationship was established using the Maximum-likelihood method to indicate that I. acutitarsus and the others of the genus Ixodes fit into the same branch, which confirms the inclusion of I. acutitarsus in the genus Ixodes. The complete mitogenome of sequenced I. acutitarsus provides molecular evidence for the taxonomic status and phylogenetic position of several Ixodes species.

Keywords: Ixodes acutitarsus; complete mitogenome; phylogeny.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No.81760607, U2002219]; Yunnan Natural Science Foundation [2017FD139]; Scientific Research Fund of Yunnan Education Department [2022J0687].