Analysis of the genetic diversity and genetic structure of Dermatophagoides farinae in different habitats using microsatellite markers

The mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, is an allergen source that triggers allergy symptoms in humans. We studied how different habitats affect the genetic structure of D. farinae populations. We used 12 microsatellite loci to analyse the genetic structure of six D. farinae populations collected from four habitats: flour mill (FM), dormitory (DM), cotton mill (CM), and pillow (PL). The CM population had the highest genetic diversity (He = 0.641) while the FM population had less genetic diversity. AMOVA analysis showed 81% intrapopulation genetic variation and 19% interpopulation variation. The overall F-ST value of the six populations was 0.18531, indicating significant population genetic differentiation. Significant genetic differentiation occurred between the FM population and the other three habitat populations. Bayesian clustering analysis showed that the FM population was divided into two clusters. UPGMA tree and PCoA data supported the above results and indicated that the D. farinae populations from CM, PL, and DM1 had similar genetic ancestors. It was speculated that D. farinae could spread through the cotton-pillow-dormitory route. This study showed that D. farinae may have undergone habitat-associated differentiation and provides measures for preventing the dispersal of D. farinae.