BACKGROUND: Ostertagia species are the main domestic ruminants abomasum worms, which cause parasitic gastritis. Parasitic gastritis is associated with disruption of the endocrine structure of abomasum, and influence the function and pH of abomasums. This can lead to weight loss, reduced milk and wool production with potentially mal-digestion of proteins. These cause the economic loss to animal husbandry industry. So, the national research priority in veterinary parasitology is identification of different native species of Ostertagia in Iran. OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this study is identification and differentiation of Ostertagia species based on the molecular characterization. METHODS: During carcasses inspection at different abattoirs in Rey, Tehran, Mashhad and Bandar Abbas, 180 adult male worms of Ostertagia species from sheep and goat were collected. Morphological analysis was performed based on the morphometric characteristics of spicules. The ITS1, 5. 8s and ITS2 ribosomal DNA was ampilified from individual worms by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then purified PCR product were sequenced and analyzed by Blast tool. RESULTS: 946 bp PCR products for all sequenced samples were compared with the released sequences of Ostertagia isolates available from GenBank and showed 2-3% differences and 97-98% similarity. CONCLUSIONS: The three species included in the present study are different in terms of molecular property (with 2-3% difference) and it is necessary to determine transmittance pattern and host affinity rules from each one to be used by program managers and evaluators for Prevention and Control programs.

Tomato ring spot virus (ToRSV) is one of the most important viruses threatening vegetable production worldwide. During the years 2010 to 2012, a total of 110 asymptomatic and symptomatic pepper leaf samples with viral affecting like symptoms were randomly collected from fields and greenhouses of Tehran province. Plant samples were tested for the presence of ToRSV using Double Antibody Sandwich Elisa (DAS-ELISA) and Dot immunobinding assay (DBIA). Results indicated that 22% of the samples were infected with ToRSV. Bioassay was performed with the mechanical inoculation of herbaceous indicator plants to evaluate the biological properties of the detected isolates. The morphological features of the virus isolates were studied using Immunosorbent electron microscopy (ISEM). Specific pair of primers designed on the basis of a portion of the RdRP gene sequence and the presence of the ToRSV was confirmed with the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for serologically detected samples. An PCR amplicon of a sequence related to the RdRP gene from a representative isolate, was selected and cloned into the pTZ57R/T plasmid vector.Recombinant plasmid contained ToRSV-RdRP gene was transformed into Escherichia coli DH5α. Recombinanat plasmid was isolated and the inserted DNA fragment was sequenced and submitted to NCBI with accession number (JQ972695). At the deduced amino acid and nucleotide sequence levels of the RdRP gene, Iranian ToRSV isolate showed 94-98% and 87- 94% identity to corresponded American isolates respectively. Results of this study could be useful for ToRSV detection, host range determination, distribution condition and designing of control management strategies against ToRSV in pepper fields of Iran.

Results of ITS analyses Variation of amplicon length: The total length ofITS-I-5.8S-ITS-2 across Verticillium s. l. varied from 476 bp in IMI 130213 (v. nubilum, clade A) to 558 bp in CBS 248.83 (V. suchlasporium var. catenatum, clade D). The 5.8S gene is very conserved both in sequence and in length, ranging from 158 bp in Cephalosporium curtpes var. uredinicola CBS 154.61 to 205 bp in V. lamellicola CBS 116.25. Rotiferophthora species, which are close to clade D, had a comparatively longer 5.8S gene (200-207 bp). Size variation was much greater in the ITS region: for ITS-l from 126 bp (in V. tricorpus) to 189 bp (in V. antillanum) and ITS-2 from 145 bp (in V. zeosporum) to 188 bp (in V. suchlasporium var. catenatum). Rotiferophthora species had relatively long ITS-l (204-215 bp) and ITS-2 sequences (156-186 bp). Sequence divergence: Sequence variations were calculated using P AUP version 4.0b4a (SWOFFORD, 1998). Up to 60% sequence variation was observed in the ITS region across Verticillium s. I., rendering alignment problematic, particularly of the species included in Clade A. Only the 5.8S gene was highly conserved (Table I-Ill), serving as a basis for the alignment. Average pairwise sequence divergence of the ITS region within Verticillium s. l. was 10-36% in ITS-l and 5-43% in ITS-2, while these values were much smaller for the 5.8S gene, ranging from 2 to 10% (Table I-Ill). The highest differences were found between Verticillium clade A and the remaining clades, indicating their distant relationship. Rotiferophthora and clade D are closest to each other, with only 8-16 and 8-21% sequence difference in their ITS-l and ITS-2, respectively. ...

Phylogenetic analysis of 23 species of Medicago (Fabaceae) was performed based on 90 morphological characteristics by maximum parsimony approach as implemented in PAUP software-using heuristic search and branch swapping option of tree bisection-reconnection. Analysis of the characters with successive weighting using rescaled consistency index generated more reasonable phylogentic trees than the analysis with equally weighting characters. M. radiata was as outgroup. The analyses showed that there are five clades in Medicago that to some extent are in accordance with sections in Medicago genus. Perennial species, M. sativa and M.lupulina, with 91% confident intervals grouped together in the clade and among annual medics. This implies that annual medics are paraphyletic and in evolutionary process cross-pollinated species (M. sativa) have been evolved from self-pollinated species (annual medics). The most phylogenetical relationships was observed between M. rugosa and M. scutellata, M. sativa and M. lupulina, M. coronata and M. minima, M. rigidula and M. rigiduloides, M. polymorpha and M. arabica, M. tornata and M. turbinata. This information can be used in determining the dgree of success of inter-specific hybridization between different species in Medicago genus.

The Lythraceae consists of a group of plants with a complex taxonomy. The difficulty of classifying them becomes particularly clear when morphological characteristics are used. In the Flora Iranica and the Flora of Iran, this family is represented by five and four genera, respectively. In the present study, three genera Lythrum, Ammannia, and Rotala, and six species of Lythraceae growing in Iran were analyzed, using nine cpDNA trnH-psbA and 21 nrDNA ITS sequences retrieved from GenBank. Phylogenetic relationships within the family were evaluated based on cpDNA trnH-psbA and nrDNA ITS, as well as combined datasets using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference methods. Most of the reconstructed trees revealed the monophyly of the above-mentioned genera in Iran. All trees confirmed the distinctiveness of species within these three genera. The results of this study indicate a phylogenetic alliance of L. thesioides with L. silenoides and the three species L. thymifolia, L. junceum and L. hyssopifolia. Moreover, A. coccinea is evolutionarily related to A. multiflora and A. baccifera to A. auriculata. The results indicate that, a taxonomic revision of these genera is required. In addition, the evolutionary patterns of some diagnostic morphological and micromorphological characters were evaluated in this study.

Background: Fascioliasis is one of important zoonotic disease caused by Fasciola gigantica and F. hepatica. The final hosts of this parasite are ruminants and humans. Iran is one of the endemic areas in the world, about six million people at risk of infection. The aim of this study was to identify and determine the genetic diversity of Fasciola species in cattle after distinguish of their species. Methods: One hundred and seventeen liver specimens collected from naturally infected cattle in 5 geograph-ical regions in 2014-2017. Flukes stained with Hematoxylin-Carmine dye to examine for the existence of sperm within seminal vesicles. DNA was extracted from each individual, and ITS1, ND1and CO1 genes were ampli-fied using specific primers. For discrimination of Fasciola species, ITS1 PCR-RFLP was used based on diges-tion pattern of RsaI enzyme. Genetic analyses and diversity and neutrality indices estimated by Dnasp5 based on NDI. Results: Six nonspermic and 111 spermic flukes were diagnosed. All of nonspermic specimens were F. gigantica and collected from South East, South West and North West of Iran. Genetic haplotype diversity has been observed in F. gigantica based on ND1. Fst value analysis showed that minimum and maximum genetic difference between Iranian F. gigantica with Bangladesh (Fst = 0. 01414) and Egypt (Fst = 0. 36653) respectively. Conclusion: It is the first report of existing of nonspermic Fasciola. High haplotype and nucleotide diversity could be due to ecological factors in life cycle, animal migration and coexisting of the final host of this para-site. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity of spermic F. gigantica in Iran and other countries in the world led to creating a variety of haplogroups.