Medical and Veterinary Entomology (2014) 28, 287-296

B. Beroiz, F. Couso-Ferrer, F. Ortego, M.J. Chamorro, C. Arteaga, M. Lombardero, P. Castañera and P. Hernández-Crespo (2014)
Mite species identification in the production of allergenic extracts for clinical use and in environmental samples by ribosomal DNA amplification
Medical and Veterinary Entomology 28 (3), 287-296
Abstract: The identification of allergy-causing mites is conventionally based on morphological characters. However, molecular taxonomy using ribosomal DNA (rDNA) may be particularly useful in the analysis of mite cultures and purified mite fractions in the production of allergenic extracts. Full-length internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) were obtained from Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides microceras and Euroglyphus maynei (Astigmata: Pyroglyphidae), Glycyphagus domesticus and Lepidoglyphus destructor (Astigmata: Glycyphagidae), Tyrophagus fanetzhangorum, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Tyrophagus longior, Tyrophagus neiswanderi, Acarus farris and Acarus siro (Astigmata: Acaridae), and Blomia tropicalis (Astigmata: Echymopodidae), using mite-specific primers. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were digested with HpaII and RsaI restriction enzymes in order to produce species-specific PCR restricted fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profiles. A semi-nested re-amplification step was introduced before the RFLP in order to apply the method to environmental samples. Results demonstrate that rDNA sequences can be used for the unambiguous identification of mite species. The PCR–RFLP system allows the identification of species in purified mite fractions when the availability of intact adult mite bodies for morphological identification is limited. This reliable and straightforward PCR–RFLP system and the rDNA sequences obtained can be of use in the identification of allergy-causing mite species.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Félix Ortego

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
identification/taxonomy

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Dermatophagoides farinae
	Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
	Tyrophagus putrescentiae
	Acarus siro
	Acarus farris
	Lepidoglyphus destructor
	Tyrophagus longior
	Euroglyphus maynei
	Blomia tropicalis
	Glycyphagus domesticus
	Tyrophagus neiswanderi
	Dermatophagoides microceras