Pesticide resistant genetic strains of Boophilus microplus and B. annulatus were examined to reveal possible genetic variation in the 16S and 12S regions of the mitochondrial genome. Comparisons using single stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) of the approximately 460 bp of the 16S and approximately 400 bp of the 12S regions revealed no variation, i.e., a single mitochondrial haplotype for seven genetic strains of B. microplus, which differ in their resistance to acaricides, in contrast to a single strain of B. annulatus, which revealed two haplotypes in the 3' end of the 16S. These findings suggest that the 16S may not vary in one-host ticks to the same degree as in three-host metastriates or in prostriates.
Species 1: Acari Ixodidae Boophilus microplus (southern cattle tick)
Species 2: Acari Ixodidae Boophilus annulatus (cattle tick)
Keywords: SSCP, PCR
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