Low Genetic Diversity in Wide-Spread Eurasian Liver Fluke Opisthorchis felineus Suggests Special Demographic History of This Trematode Species

Abstract

Opisthorchis felineus or Siberian liver fluke is a trematode parasite (Opisthorchiidae) that infects the hepato-biliary system of humans and other mammals. Despite its public health significance, this wide-spread Eurasian species is one of the most poorly studied human liver flukes and nothing is known about its population genetic structure and demographic history. In this paper, we attempt to fill this gap for the first time and to explore the genetic diversity in O. felineus populations from Eastern Europe (Ukraine, European part of Russia), Northern Asia (Siberia) and Central Asia (Northern Kazakhstan). Analysis of marker DNA fragments from O. felineus mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 3 (cox1, cox3) and nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences revealed that genetic diversity is very low across the large geographic range of this species. Microevolutionary processes in populations of trematodes may well be influenced by their peculiar biology. Nevertheless, we suggest that lack of population genetics structure observed in O. felineus can be primarily explained by the Pleistocene glacial events and subsequent sudden population growth from a very limited group of founders. Rapid range expansion of O. felineus through Asian and European territories after severe bottleneck points to a high dispersal potential of this trematode species.

Population structure of Opisthorchis felineus (Trematoda) and its second intermediate hosts — cyprinid fishes in the Ob-Irtysh focus of opisthorchiasis, based on allozyme data

“…It is unlikely that in closely related species (O. felineus and O. viverrini), forming a similar parasitic system, the factors determining population differentiation would be different. Low genetic diversity in O. felineus can be explained by the Pleistocene glacial events and subsequent sudden population growth from a very limited group of founders (Brusentsov et al, 2013).…”

Opisthorchiasis: An Overlooked Danger

“…The research group of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, under the leadership of Aleksei Katokhin, has conducted phylogeographic genetics studies of Opisthorchiidae flukes in order to compare their genetic diversities and species histories [ 54 ]. These studies are aimed at explaining pronounced differences in capacities of the three flukes to parasitize in various mammals and shedding light on the degree of zoonosis of the different species [ 2 ].…”

A review on the molecular characterization of digenean parasites using molecular markers with special reference to ITS region

“…Barnett et al (2010) characterized morphologically and genetically two new Stephanostomum resembling cercariae, Cercaria capricornia VII and C. capricornia VIII from gastropods from Australia using LSU and ITS-2 rDNA sequences. No intra-specifi c variation was not noticed for these ceracariae.…”