Intraspecific variation in the rDNA its loci of 37-collar-spined echinostomes from North America: Implications for sequence-based diagnoses and phylogenetics

The recent finding of the 37-collar-spined Echinostoma revolutum in North America prompted rDNA nucleotide sequence comparisons between this worm and the sympatric Echinostoma trivolvis. Three isolates of E. revolutum from distinct sites and 2 isolates of E. trivolvis collected from a single site were used in this analysis. Sequence data were compared to those from previously sequenced members of the 37-collar-spine group. The 3 North American isolates of E. revolutum were found to be identical, but they differed from Eurasian isolates of E. revolutum at 9 of the 1,006 sites sequenced. Further, 1 of the E. trivolvis isolates studied herein was identical to the published sequence for this species, but 6 nucleotide changes were observed in the second E. trivolvis isolate. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms at this locus support the nucleotide differences found between the E. trivolvis isolates. The degree of intraspecific variation detected raises questions regarding the utility of the internal-transcribed spacer regions of the ribosomal DNA repeat for taxonomic diagnosis and in phylogenetic studies for poorly differentiated groups, such as the 37-collar-spined congeners.