Sequence analysis of a few species of termites (Order: Isoptera) on the basis of partial characterization of COII gene

Mol Cell Biochem. 2009 Nov;331(1-2):145-51. doi: 10.1007/s11010-009-0152-z. Epub 2009 May 12.

Abstract

The present study was aimed to get the nucleotide sequences of a part of COII mitochondrial gene amplified from individuals of five species of Termites (Isoptera: Termitidae: Macrotermitinae). Four of them belonged to the genus Odontotermes (O. obesus, O. horni, O. bhagwatii and Odontotermes sp.) and one to Microtermes (M. obesi). Partial COII gene fragments were amplified by using specific primers. The sequences so obtained were characterized to calculate the frequencies of each nucleotide bases and a high A + T content was observed. The interspecific pairwise sequence divergence in Odontotermes species ranged from 6.5% to 17.1% across COII fragment. M. obesi sequence diversity ranged from 2.5 with Odontotermes sp. to 19.0% with O. bhagwatii. Phylogenetic trees drawn on the basis of distance neighbour-joining method revealed three main clades clustering all the individuals according to their genera and families.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / genetics*
  • India
  • Isoptera / classification
  • Isoptera / genetics*
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA*
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Electron Transport Complex IV