First molecular and phylogenetic analysis of Physaloptera clausa parasitizing long-eared hedgehogs (Hemiechinus auritus) in Iran

Abstract Purpose Physalopteridae nematodes pose a threat to a broad spectrum of animals, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The current study is the first molecular and phylogenetic analysis of Physaloptera clausa parasitizing long-eared hedgehogs (Hemiechinus auritus) in Iran. Methods A male road-killed H. auritus was collected from Shahriar City, Tehran province in May 2022 and it was subjected to necropsy. After isolating parasites, they underwent morphological analysis using a light microscope and based on an identification key. For molecular analysis, the genomic DNA was isolated using the FavorPrepTM Tissue Genomic DNA Extraction Mini Kit. The PCR products were sequenced, the sequence data were analyzed and multiple alignments were conducted using the Clustal Omega. For phylogenetic analysis, these nucleotide sequences were aligned in MEGA 11 based on the lowest Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) score. Results A cluster of parasites found on the mucosa of the hedgehog's stomach. All the nematodes were identified as P. clausa. The sequence obtained in this study has been submitted to GenBank with the accession number OR088573. The phylogeny analysis revealed that the genus Physalopteraformed a major clade where P. clausa was clustered with various Physalopteraspecies, closely related to Turgida, Physalopteroides, and Skrjabinopteragenera. Conclusion Our study specified the necessity for additional taxonomic and phylogenetic research on Physalopteraspecies and related genera to fully understand the evolutionary dynamics and ecological significance of these parasites.