Study on the genomic diversity of Hymenolepis nana between rat and mouse isolates by RAPD-PCR

Hymenolepis nana is a common parasite of rodents as well as human intestine. This parasite has beenreported from all over the world, including Iran. The infection rate has been reported up to 40% in someareas. The infection has various clinical manifestations. The parasite could establish severe hyperinfection inpatients with immune deficiency. Regarding the rodents as hosts of the parasite, the infection maydisseminate through these hosts to the nature. As H. nana is a zoonoses, phylogenic study of this parasite isof particular importance. Considering these criteria, the genomic diversity of 16 H. nana with the origin ofShiraz and Tehran were studied among the worms of mice and rats by RAPD-PCR. Genomic DNA extractedfrom individual worms by proteinase K method and three oligonucleotides primer (AB1-17, UBC-358, UBC-387) were used for RAPD-PCR. Similarity index were calculated by Nei and Li method. Data were analysedusing UPGMA analysis and dendrograms were obtained by group average method with 100 bootstrappinganalysis. The range of genomic similarity determined among specimens by AB1-17 primer was 48.3-90%, byUBC-358 primer 55-87% and by UBC-387 primer 53-97%. Regarding our data and genomic similarityindexes, various isolates were found in both specimens of rats and mice. However no differences wereobtained between H. nana from rat or mouse isolates by these primers. The results showed that it is notpossible to divide the isolates into two distinct groups based on their origin as Tehran and Shiraz.