Comparison of the Mitochondrial Genomes of the Common Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius), Eastern Bat Bug (Cimex adjunctus), and Swallow Bug (Oeciacus vicarius)
Date
2015-08-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
Species within the family Cimicidae (bed bugs) are hematophagous ectoparasites of mammals and birds. Many cimicids are of socio-economic importance. Despite the global
resurgence of these pests, there is currently a paucity of information regarding the mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences of cimicids. Therefore, I used a PCR-based primer walking strategy to amplify and sequence the near complete mitogenome of the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius), and several mitochondrial gene regions of the Eastern bat bug
(Cimex adjunctus) and swallow bug (Oeciacus vicarius). I compared the mitochondrial genetic variability between C. lectularius from two populations to look for molecular
markers useful for population genetic studies. Furthermore, the mt DNA sequences of these species of medical and veterinary importance were compared to those of other heteropterans to infer the evolutionary relationships of species in the family Cimicidae.
Description
Keywords
Cimicidae, bed bug, mitochondria, DNA, genome, phylogeny
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Biology
Program
Biology