Phylogenetic evidence of a possible Trichuris globulosa species complex in Arabian camels from Kuwait

Abstract

During a one-year study, Trichuris adults were obtained after necropsy of Arabian camels (Camelus dromedarius) from a slaughterhouse in Kuwait. Morphological and molecular identification was performed to confirm the identity of the Trichuris specimens obtained from Camelus dromedarius. Fifteen male Trichuris specimens were selected, and molecular identification was done using the mitochondrial Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), 12S ribosomal RNA, 16S ribosomal RNA genes, and the nuclear Internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region. Through phylogenetic analysis, two distinct groups were obtained using the mitochondrial genes, where group 1 showed a close relationship to T. globulosa while group 2 showed a close relationship to T. ovis, providing molecular evidence of a possible T. globulosa species complex. Additionally, the nuclear ITS2 region did not provide enough resolution to distinguish between the 2 groups of Trichuris specimens. Observation of morphological characters revealed variations in the shape of the male spicule sheath, where specimens present either a globular posteriorly truncated swelling or the absence posteriorly truncated swelling. Moreover, the variations in male spicule sheath does not corroborate with the results of molecular data, suggesting the limited use of this character for identification of T. globulosa. In conclusion, molecular analysis suggests a possible species complex in T. globulosa, with the mitochondrial genetic markers successfully differentiating between the 2 groups. The limited use of the male spicule sheath as a diagnostic character for identification of T. globulosa is suggested.