OBJECTIVES: Our study focuses on determining the presence of bat CoVs in dusky fruit bat (Penthetor lucasi).
METHODS: Guano samples belonging to P. lucasi were collected from Wind Cave Nature Reserve. The samples were screened for the presence of CoVs using validated hemi-nested consensus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase consensus primers.
RESULTS: The bat CoV positivity rate was 38.5% (n = 15/39), with the viruses belonging to two subgenera: Alphacoronavirus (α-CoV) and Betacoronavirus (β-CoV). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CoVs from 14 samples of P. lucasi belong to the genus α-CoV and may represent previously described genetic lineages in insectivorous bats in Wind Cave. However, only one sample of P. lucasi was detected with β-CoV which is closely related to subgenus Nobecovirus, which is commonly seen in frugivorous bats.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first available data on CoVs circulating in P. lucasi.
METHODS AND RESULTS: The amplification of genomic DNA with 32 ISSR markers detected an average of 97.64% polymorphism while 35.15% and 51.08% polymorphism per population and geographical zone, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance revealed significant variation within population 75% and between population 25% whereas within region 84% and between region 16%. The Bidillali exposed greater number of locally common band i.e., NLCB (≤ 25%) = 25 and NLCB (≤ 50%) = 115 were shown by Cancaraki while the lowest was recorded as NLCB (≤ 25%) = 6 and NLCB (≤ 50%) = 72 for Roko and Maibergo, accordingly. The highest PhiPT value was noted between Roko and Katawa (0.405*) whereas Nei's genetic distance was maximum between Roko and Karu (0.124). Based on Nei's genetic distance, a radial phylogenetic tree was constructed that assembled the entire accessions into 3 major clusters for further confirmation unrooted NJ vs NNet split tree analysis based on uncorrected P distance exposed the similar result. Principal coordinate analysis showed variation as PC1 (15.04%) > PC2 (5.81%).
CONCLUSIONS: The current study leads to prompting the genetic improvement and future breeding program by maximum utilization and better conservation of existing accessions. The accessions under Cancaraki and Jatau are population documented for future breeding program due to their higher genetic divergence and homozygosity.
METHODS: In this study, 135 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences were established for 45 species in the genus Simulium in Vietnam, encompassing three subgenera (Gomphostilbia, Nevermannia, and Simulium), with 64 paratypes of 27 species and 16 topotypes of six species. Of these COI sequences, 71, representing 27 species, are reported for the first time.
RESULTS: Combined with GenBank sequences of specimens from Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, a total of 234 DNA barcodes of 53 nominal species resulted in a 71% success rate for species identification. Species from the non-monophyletic Simulium asakoae, S. feuerborni, S. multistriatum, S. striatum, S. tuberosum, and S. variegatum species groups were associated with ambiguous or incorrect identifications. Pairwise distances, phylogenetics, and species delimitation analyses revealed a high level of cryptic diversity, with discovery of 15 cryptic taxa. The current study also revealed the limited utility of a fast-evolving nuclear gene, big zinc finger (BZF), in discriminating closely related, morphologically similar nominal species of the S. asakoae species group.
CONCLUSION: This study represents the first comprehensive molecular genetic analysis of the black fly fauna in Vietnam to our knowledge, providing a foundation for future research. DNA barcoding exhibits varying levels of differentiating efficiency across species groups but is valuable in the discovery of cryptic diversity.