Identifying Lungworms (Dictyocaulus) from Cattle and Deer (Family Cervidae) through DNA analysis
Abstract
Lungworms (Dictyocaulus) are a type of parasitic nematode that inhabit the lungs of their hosts and can cause disease such as bronchitis and pneumonia, even death. Dictyocaulus is a genus of lungworm specific to ruminants such as cattle (Bos taurus) and deer (Cervidae). The purpose of this study was to use DNA analysis to distinguish between different strains of Dictyocaulus among cattle, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and red deer (Cervus elaphus). Adult lungworms were collected from the lungs of cattle from research farms in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Mississippi, from the lungs of red deer from a research farm in New Zealand, and from the lungs of legally harvested white-tailed deer from Minnesota. DNA was extracted from individual lungworms. In past studies, amplification of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region via PCR and sequencing was used to determine molecular differences between species. This current study amplified the major sperm protein 1 (MSP1) and cyclooxygenase (COX-1) genes. After amplification, gel electrophoresis was used to visualize the quality of amplification of the desired gene. From past studies, MSP1 has been used to identify D. eckerti in both white-tailed deer and WI cattle, as well as D. viviparus from cattle in MO. The COX-1 gene has been used to identify D. viviparus in cattle from WI and MS and white-tailed deer, D. capreolus in white-tailed deer, and D. eckerti in red deer. The newly amplified DNA will be sent to be sequenced and compared to existing databases to determine species identifications and phylogenetic relationships.
College
College of Science & Engineering
Department
Biology
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Kimberly Bates
Start Date
4-19-2023 1:00 PM
End Date
4-19-2023 2:00 PM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
2a=1pm-2pm
Poster Number
22
Identifying Lungworms (Dictyocaulus) from Cattle and Deer (Family Cervidae) through DNA analysis
Lungworms (Dictyocaulus) are a type of parasitic nematode that inhabit the lungs of their hosts and can cause disease such as bronchitis and pneumonia, even death. Dictyocaulus is a genus of lungworm specific to ruminants such as cattle (Bos taurus) and deer (Cervidae). The purpose of this study was to use DNA analysis to distinguish between different strains of Dictyocaulus among cattle, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and red deer (Cervus elaphus). Adult lungworms were collected from the lungs of cattle from research farms in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Mississippi, from the lungs of red deer from a research farm in New Zealand, and from the lungs of legally harvested white-tailed deer from Minnesota. DNA was extracted from individual lungworms. In past studies, amplification of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region via PCR and sequencing was used to determine molecular differences between species. This current study amplified the major sperm protein 1 (MSP1) and cyclooxygenase (COX-1) genes. After amplification, gel electrophoresis was used to visualize the quality of amplification of the desired gene. From past studies, MSP1 has been used to identify D. eckerti in both white-tailed deer and WI cattle, as well as D. viviparus from cattle in MO. The COX-1 gene has been used to identify D. viviparus in cattle from WI and MS and white-tailed deer, D. capreolus in white-tailed deer, and D. eckerti in red deer. The newly amplified DNA will be sent to be sequenced and compared to existing databases to determine species identifications and phylogenetic relationships.
