Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sevilla, Profesor García González s/n., 41012, Sevilla, Spain.
Parasitol Res. 2012 Jan;110(1):227-33. doi: 10.1007/s00436-011-2476-3. Epub 2011 Jun 7.
A morphobiometrical and molecular study of two populations of Demodex folliculorum from humans isolated from different habitats, skin and eyelashes follicles, were carried out. Morphological and biometrical studies revealed two closely related populations with any distinctive characteristics. For molecular study, a 436-bp region of the 16S rDNA gene and a 453-bp region of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene from individual mites of each population considered were sequenced. Intraindividual and interindividual sequence variation was studied in both populations. Our data show that 16S rDNA is not a useful marker to discriminate between populations; however, COI gene sequences can help to identify the two populations considered, which are morphologically very close and difficult to separate by classic methods. These results are in agreement with the morphological and biometrical differences detected between D. folliculorum from eyelashes and human skin. This study appeals for the revision of the taxonomic status of the D. folliculorum populations, as well as for the species included within genus Demodex.
对分别来自不同栖息地（皮肤和睫毛毛囊）的两个人群的毛囊蠕形螨进行了形态生物测量学和分子研究。形态学和生物测量学研究表明，这两个种群密切相关，没有任何明显特征。对于分子研究，对每个种群的单个螨虫的 16S rDNA 基因的 436bp 区域和细胞色素氧化酶 I（COI）基因的 453bp 区域进行了测序。在两个种群中研究了个体内和个体间的序列变异。我们的数据表明，16S rDNA 不是区分种群的有用标记；然而，COI 基因序列有助于识别这两个形态上非常接近且难以用经典方法分离的种群。这些结果与睫毛和人体皮肤的蠕形螨之间检测到的形态和生物测量学差异一致。这项研究呼吁修订毛囊蠕形螨种群的分类地位，以及包括在蠕形螨属内的物种。
