Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of the Monogenean Gill Parasite <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Monogenea) Infecting Wild and Cage-Reared Populations of <i>Sparus aurata</i> (Teleostei) from the Mediterranean Sea

The diplectanid monogenean <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Wagener, 1857) is a specific and common gill parasite of the gilthead seabream <i>Sparus aurata</i> Linnaeus, 1758, in the Mediterranean Sea. Few isolated molecular studies of this monogenean have been conducted, and i...

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Main Authors: Sarra Farjallah, Nabil Amor, Francisco Esteban Montero, Aigües Repullés-Albelda, Mar Villar-Torres, Abdulaziz Nasser Alagaili, Paolo Merella
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Animals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/18/2653
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author Sarra Farjallah
Nabil Amor
Francisco Esteban Montero
Aigües Repullés-Albelda
Mar Villar-Torres
Abdulaziz Nasser Alagaili
Paolo Merella
author_facet Sarra Farjallah
Nabil Amor
Francisco Esteban Montero
Aigües Repullés-Albelda
Mar Villar-Torres
Abdulaziz Nasser Alagaili
Paolo Merella
author_sort Sarra Farjallah
collection DOAJ
description The diplectanid monogenean <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Wagener, 1857) is a specific and common gill parasite of the gilthead seabream <i>Sparus aurata</i> Linnaeus, 1758, in the Mediterranean Sea. Few isolated molecular studies of this monogenean have been conducted, and its population structure and genetic diversity are poorly understood. This study represents the first analysis of the population genetics of <i>L. echeneis</i>, isolated from wild and cage-reared gilthead seabream from fifteen localities in both the Southern (Tunisia) and Northern (Italy and Spain) regions of the Mediterranean Sea, using nuclear ITS rDNA markers and a partial fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). The phylogenetic trees based on the newly obtained dataset and the previously published sequences of <i>L. echeneis</i> corroborated the spread of only a single species throughout the Mediterranean Sea. The star-like haplotypes network, inferred by COI sequences, suggested a recent population expansion of <i>L. echeneis</i>. This is supported by the observed high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.918) and low nucleotide diversity (Pi = 0.01595). Population structure-based AMOVA for two groups (the Adriatic Sea and the rest of the Mediterranean Sea) attributed 35.39% of the total variation to differences within populations, 16.63% to differences among populations within groups, and 47.99% to differences among groups. Fixation indices were significant, with a high FST value (0.64612), likely related to the divergence of the parasite populations from the Adriatic Sea and other Mediterranean regions. Phylogenetic analyses grouped all samples into the main clade corresponding to <i>L. echeneis</i> from several localities. This study provides insight into the genetic variation between <i>L. echeneis</i> populations, and did not show a clear genetic structure between populations of <i>L. echeneis</i> throughout Tunisian, Italian, and Spanish localities, which can be attributed to the considerable gene flow between the populations favoured by the potential for host dispersion within the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, haplotypes shared between wild and cage-reared hosts provided evidence for the potential for cross-infection between wild and farmed hosts in the Mediterranean Sea.
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spelling doaj-art-129264bbf8dd4937a7a175c0f068c1012025-08-20T01:56:04ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152024-09-011418265310.3390/ani14182653Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of the Monogenean Gill Parasite <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Monogenea) Infecting Wild and Cage-Reared Populations of <i>Sparus aurata</i> (Teleostei) from the Mediterranean SeaSarra Farjallah0Nabil Amor1Francisco Esteban Montero2Aigües Repullés-Albelda3Mar Villar-Torres4Abdulaziz Nasser Alagaili5Paolo Merella6Laboratory of Ecology, Biology and Physiology of Aquatic Organisms LR18ES41, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, TunisiaLaboratory of Ecology, Biology and Physiology of Aquatic Organisms LR18ES41, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, TunisiaMarine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, SpainMarine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, SpainMarine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, SpainDepartment of Zoology, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna, 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyThe diplectanid monogenean <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Wagener, 1857) is a specific and common gill parasite of the gilthead seabream <i>Sparus aurata</i> Linnaeus, 1758, in the Mediterranean Sea. Few isolated molecular studies of this monogenean have been conducted, and its population structure and genetic diversity are poorly understood. This study represents the first analysis of the population genetics of <i>L. echeneis</i>, isolated from wild and cage-reared gilthead seabream from fifteen localities in both the Southern (Tunisia) and Northern (Italy and Spain) regions of the Mediterranean Sea, using nuclear ITS rDNA markers and a partial fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). The phylogenetic trees based on the newly obtained dataset and the previously published sequences of <i>L. echeneis</i> corroborated the spread of only a single species throughout the Mediterranean Sea. The star-like haplotypes network, inferred by COI sequences, suggested a recent population expansion of <i>L. echeneis</i>. This is supported by the observed high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.918) and low nucleotide diversity (Pi = 0.01595). Population structure-based AMOVA for two groups (the Adriatic Sea and the rest of the Mediterranean Sea) attributed 35.39% of the total variation to differences within populations, 16.63% to differences among populations within groups, and 47.99% to differences among groups. Fixation indices were significant, with a high FST value (0.64612), likely related to the divergence of the parasite populations from the Adriatic Sea and other Mediterranean regions. Phylogenetic analyses grouped all samples into the main clade corresponding to <i>L. echeneis</i> from several localities. This study provides insight into the genetic variation between <i>L. echeneis</i> populations, and did not show a clear genetic structure between populations of <i>L. echeneis</i> throughout Tunisian, Italian, and Spanish localities, which can be attributed to the considerable gene flow between the populations favoured by the potential for host dispersion within the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, haplotypes shared between wild and cage-reared hosts provided evidence for the potential for cross-infection between wild and farmed hosts in the Mediterranean Sea.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/18/2653<i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i><i>Sparus aurata</i>population geneticsphylogeneticgene flowpopulation expansion
spellingShingle Sarra Farjallah
Nabil Amor
Francisco Esteban Montero
Aigües Repullés-Albelda
Mar Villar-Torres
Abdulaziz Nasser Alagaili
Paolo Merella
Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of the Monogenean Gill Parasite <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Monogenea) Infecting Wild and Cage-Reared Populations of <i>Sparus aurata</i> (Teleostei) from the Mediterranean Sea
Animals
<i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i>
<i>Sparus aurata</i>
population genetics
phylogenetic
gene flow
population expansion
title Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of the Monogenean Gill Parasite <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Monogenea) Infecting Wild and Cage-Reared Populations of <i>Sparus aurata</i> (Teleostei) from the Mediterranean Sea
title_full Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of the Monogenean Gill Parasite <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Monogenea) Infecting Wild and Cage-Reared Populations of <i>Sparus aurata</i> (Teleostei) from the Mediterranean Sea
title_fullStr Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of the Monogenean Gill Parasite <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Monogenea) Infecting Wild and Cage-Reared Populations of <i>Sparus aurata</i> (Teleostei) from the Mediterranean Sea
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of the Monogenean Gill Parasite <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Monogenea) Infecting Wild and Cage-Reared Populations of <i>Sparus aurata</i> (Teleostei) from the Mediterranean Sea
title_short Assessment of the Genetic Diversity of the Monogenean Gill Parasite <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i> (Monogenea) Infecting Wild and Cage-Reared Populations of <i>Sparus aurata</i> (Teleostei) from the Mediterranean Sea
title_sort assessment of the genetic diversity of the monogenean gill parasite i lamellodiscus echeneis i monogenea infecting wild and cage reared populations of i sparus aurata i teleostei from the mediterranean sea
topic <i>Lamellodiscus echeneis</i>
<i>Sparus aurata</i>
population genetics
phylogenetic
gene flow
population expansion
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/18/2653
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