Molecular identification and characterization of partial COX1 gene from caecal worm (Aulonocephalus pennula) in Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) from the Rolling Plains Ecoregion of Texas

•A. pennula COX1 region obtained using nematode-specific degenerative primers.•A. pennula COX1-specific primers designed and standardized for diagnostic PCR.•Phylogeny of A. pennula COX1 region revealed a genetic similarity to Ascaridida.

Aulonocephalus pennula is a nematode living in the caeca of the wild Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) present throughout the Rolling Plains Ecoregion of Texas. The cytochrome oxidase 1 (COX 1) gene of the mitochondrial genome was used to screen A. pennula in wild quail. Through BLAST analysis, similarity of A. pennula to other nematode parasites was compared at the nucleotide level. Phylogenetic analysis of A. pennula COX1 indicated relationships to Subuluridae, Ascarididae, and Anisakidae. This study on molecular characterization of A. pennula provides new insight for the diagnosis of caecal worm infections of quail in the Rolling plains Ecoregion of Texas.

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