Molecular characterization of Hyalomma dromedarii from North Western Region of India based on the gene sequences encoding Calreticulin and Internally Transcribed Spacer Region 2

In this study, complete nucleotide sequences of Calreticulin and Internally Transcribed Spacer Region -2 (ITS-2) encoding genes of Hyalomma dromedarii from one humped camels of Bikaner, India, were amplified by polymerase chain reaction from the whole tick. The full length of calreticulin gene of Hy. dromedarii from India is 1408 bp. Sequence analysis revealed that Calreticulin gene of Hy. dromedarii from India shared 96.59% sequence identity at the nucleotide level with Hy. excavatum (Hy. anatolicum excavatum). With other genera of the family Ixodidae, Hy. dromedarii from India showed 72.54-88.54% nucleotide identity. The full length of ITS-2 gene of Hy. dromedarii from India is 1285 bp. Nucleotide sequence analysis of ITS-2 gene revealed that Hy. dromedarii from India shared 81.92% nucleotide identity with that of Hy. dromedarii isolate Gansu from China. With other species of Hyalomma and ticks of the Genus Rhipicephalus, Hy. dromedarii from India exhibited 66.12-82.11% and 41.36-42.74% identity, respectively at the nucleotide level. It is concluded that Calreticulin and ITS-2 encoding genes could be used in the phylogenetic analysis of Ixodod ticks.