First record and analysis of the COI gene of Cobboldia elephantis obtained from a captive Asian elephant from Myanmar. (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chel, Hla Myet; Nakao, Ryo; Ohsawa, Natsuo; Oo, Zaw Min; Nonaka, Nariaki; Katakura, Ken
• Is Part Of: Parasitology international. Volume 75(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Cobboldia elephantis -- Asian elephant -- Myanmar -- stomach bot fly -- COI gene -- phylogenetic tree; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasites -- Periodicals; Parasitic Diseases -- Periodicals; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasitologie -- Périodiques; 571.99905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.102035
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1383-5769

Abstract

Abstract: The stomach bot fly species in Asian elephants has long been known as Cobboldia elephantis . However, there is no genetic information available for this species to date. Here, we report that a third-instar fly larva was excreted from a captive Asian elephant four months after export from an elephant camp in Myanmar to a zoological garden in Japan. Morphological characteristics of the larva were coincident with published descriptions of C. elephantis . The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ( COI) gene was amplified from the larva by PCR using primers modified from those designed for DNA barcoding of insects and amphibians. The COI gene of C . elephantis showed 76.6 % and 83.6 % identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively, to that of C . loxodontis, the stomach bot fly species in African elephants. Phylogenetic analysis of the COI genes of several stomach bot fly species revealed that the two Cobboldia species formed a clade separate from the stomach bot fly species found in rhinoceros and equids. Graphical abstract: Unlabelled Image Highlights: A fly larva of Cobboldia elephantis was detected from a captive Myanmar elephant. The COI DNA barcoding region of Cobboldia elephantis was determined. Phylogenetic tree was constructed for the COI protein of stomach bot flies.