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Title: PCR-RFLP ANALYSIS OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA IN SCREWWORMS

Author
item MALIPHAN, SASI - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item Skoda, Steven
item KRUMM, JEFF - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
item FOSTER, JOHN - UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Regional Meetings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/3/2004
Publication Date: 3/28/2004
Citation: Maliphan, S., Skoda, S.R., Krumm, J.T., Foster, J.E. 2004. Pcr-rflp analysis of mitochondrial dna in screwworms. Entomological Society of America Regional Meetings. Poster.

Interpretive Summary: Screwworms are among the most severe and economically important pests of livestock in the Western Hemisphere. They have been eradicated from the U. S., Mexico, and Central America (to the Darien Gap of Panama) using the sterile insect technique. An increase in information on the genetics of screwworms would be useful in developing a genetic sexing strain (beneficial to eradication because only sterile males would be released) and understanding genetic variation of screwworms from different geographic origins (helpful in identifying the origin of screwworm outbreaks when they occur). In this study, reporting preliminary results, we've begun to analyze a region of the mitochondrial DNA of screwworms that, in previous research, could not be analyzed. Further analysis of this type will provide new information on the genetics of screwworms that could prove useful to the eradication efforts.

Technical Abstract: Screwworms (Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel)) are among the most severe and economically important pests of livestock in the Western Hemisphere. Previously, polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to analyze genetic variability of mtDNA (~80% of the genome) from different populations of screwworms. Using BLAST® (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) we identified and predicted primers for PCR-RFLP of previously un-amplified regions of mtDNA. Five redesigned primer pairs resulted and two of these pairs successfully amplified mtDNA sequences. Further work will continue to increase the portion of mtDNA that can be amplified by PCR and then further analyzed.