Genetic Variability of Hemiscorpius lepturus in Khuzestan using ISSR-PCR and Mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit I Gene sequencing

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Department of Basic Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, 61355, P.O.Box 145 Ahvaz, Iran

2 PhD student in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran; 2Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

3 Razi Vaccines and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research education and extension Organization, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Scorpion stings pose a serious public health concern, particularly in Khuzestan Province, Iran. The genus Hemiscorpius scorpions are a major cause to scorpion sting and its related death mostly in children.
Objectives: we have used Inter simple sequence repeat anchored polymerase chain reaction (ISSR-PCR) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) to study potential intraspecies variability of this scorpion.
Methods: Twenty-two specimens of Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion were collected from 5 geographically different regions of Khuzestan regions. Genomic DNA extraction was performed using phenol / chloroform method. For phylogeny analysis, target gene fragments were amplified by ISSR-PCR technique. By agarose gel electrophoresis of the PCR products, bands produced in each specimen were categorized using zero and one system and dendrogram was drawn using the UPGMA algorithm.
Results: ISSR-PCR generated 5 bands ranged from 0.9-2.5 kb. The results showed that specimen Hl4Ch was clearly different within their groups. To validate these findings, a 637-nucleotide fragment of the COI gene was amplified and sequenced from five genetically variable specimens. Out of 5 sequences, Hl1Ba and Hl6Be have a relatively close relationship (57%) with H. lepturus reference sequence (KU341987). However, Hl4Ch was placed with a relatively high distance (72%) from the rest of them, next to the other reference sequence Hemiscorpius sp. (OP433762.1).
Conclusion: Although the scorpions of each region were mostly placed together in the phylogeny tree, no major genetic diversity related to regional differences was observed in the province. Based on the genetic distance of Hl4Ch from other sequences (12.5%), it can be concluded that it is definitely an intraspecies variation.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 25 May 2025

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics