Analysis of sequence homogenisation in rDNA arrays of Haemonchus contortus by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

Testing different theories of concerted evolution experimentally has been hampered mainly due to the lack of appropriate model systems and technical limitations. In this study, we employed a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach for the display and definition of nucleotide variations in the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of the parasitic nematode, Haemonchus contortus. The ITS-2 was amplified from individual adult nematodes by PCR and subjected to DGGE. Of the 94 individuals (representing nine different populations) analysed, 13 different DGGE profiles were displayed. Eighteen bands representing those profiles were excised and sequenced. Sequencing defined 13 different types of ITS-2 with 12 nucleotide variations (4 transitions, 5 transversions, 1 insertion and 2 deletions) which could be related to particular positions of the predicted secondary structure for the ITS-2 pre-rRNA. The results showed that individuals of interbreeding populations of H. contortus can have rDNA arrays that are partially or fully homogenised for different sequence variants (despite interindividual variation), suggesting that the homogenisation process is driven mainly by intrachromosomal exchange. The findings also demonstrated the capacity of the DGGE-sequencing strategy to quantify the frequency of ITS-2 sequence types within individual nematodes from different populations without the need for cloning or Southern blot procedures. This has important implications for studying the mechanisms of sequence homogenisation in rDNA and pre-rRNA processing as well as for elucidating speciation events and population differentation at the molecular level.