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Background: Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases infecting a broad variety of animals and humans. In the present study, Nested PCR-RFLP-based assay was applied for genotyping of‏ ‏‏sheep cryptosporidiosis. The target of amplification was the 18S rRNA gene ‎‎used to identify Cryptosporidium species
‎Materials and Methods: In the first step, 1300 faecal samples were collected from sheep in Tehran province, then the samples were examined for the presence of ‎Cryptosporidium using modified acid fast staining. In the second step, DNA was extracted from the ‎positive samples. Next, 18S rRNA gene was amplified by ‎Nested-PCR in order to differentiate between the species. The PCR product was digested by Ssp1 restriction enzyme. ‎
Results: Twenty two positive ‎sheep samples were detected by modified acid fast method. The results were confirmed by molecular techniques. The 845 bp fragment of 18S rRNA was digested ‎by restriction enzymes. Twenty samples showed ‎a similar band on 2.5% agarose gel whereas 2 samples demonstrated different pattern. The sequences of two patterns indicated two species of C. andersoni and C. parvum.
Conclusion:  In spite of other studies results introducing C. parvum as the major agent of ‎cryptosporidiosis in sheep, in our study, C. andersoni was found to be dominant. 

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Leptonchus granulosus, recovered from Lorestan province, is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric and molecular data. The Iranian population of the species is characterized by its body length of 1091 - 1374 mm, cuticle distinctly two layered, outer layer finely annulated, inner layer distinctly annulated, being partly separated from the body and shriveled after fixation, cap-like lip region separated from the rest of body by constriction, distinctly sclerotised walls of prestoma and stoma, delicate needle-like odontostyle with distinct narrow lumen, 8.0-9.5 mm long, slightly arcuate odontophore, 17-21 mm long, with arms slightly thickened at base, small pear-shaped pharyngeal bulb, occupying 16.6-24.3% of pharynx length, simple intestine, very long prerectum (617-663 µm long), its junction with intestine having three distinct guard cells located between anterior ovary and cardia, didelphic female reproductive system, composed of equally sized less developed tracts, but with distinct parts (tubular uterus, simple oviduct and ovary), conoid to hemispheroid tail and absence of males. In comparison with the available reports of the species, no remarkable variation in morphometric data ranges was observed. This is the first representative of the genus for Iran’s nematode fauna found so far. Molecular phylogenetic studies of Iranian population of L. granulosus using 1669 nt partial sequences of 18S rDNA revealed it forming a clade with another isolate of the species in Bayesian inference (BI) with 0.95 Bayesian posterior probability (BPP).

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Molecular phylogenetic reconstruction of the suborder Zygoptera based on sequences of the nuclear ribosomal gene 18S and mitochondrial gene COI was carried out using species collected from India. Sequence samples of 19 species belonging to 7 families of Zygoptera were used for the analysis. All the existing family levels in Zygoptera were confirmed as monophyletic clades in both analyses. While the 18S analysis resolved deep relations well, the COI analyses supported recently diverged clades. The analysis based on the COI gene showed the monophyly of families Coenagrionidae, Calopterygidae, Lestidae, Chlorocyphidae, and Platycnemididae and was found as a distinct clade. The remaining families Platystictidae and Euphaeidae were polyphyletic to the former clade showing more genetic divergence. In the 18S analysis, from the common ancestor, a monophyletic clade of Coenagrionidae, Platycnemididae, Lestidae and Chlorocyphidae evolved. Euphaeidae, Platystictidae and Calopterygidae were polyphyletic.

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Dunaliella is a green halotolerant microalga, which has several industrial applications e.g. β-carotene production. Identification of different Dunaliella species has been carried out by morpho-physiological and recently molecular studies. To achieve an improved understanding of taxonomy, these studies are required to be in linkage. The present study describes molecular and specific morpho-physiological properties of a Dunaliella isolate obtained from Gavkhooni salt marsh in Iran. Phylogenetic analysis of Internal Transcribed Spacer region demonstrated that the isolate was associated with different species except D. salina (CCAP 19/18 and 19/30) and D.viridis. 18S rDNA size of the isolate was identical to that of D. tertiolecta and intron-lacking strains of D. salina. 18S rDNA fingerprint profile and phylogenetic analysis revealed D. tertiolecta as the closest taxon to the isolate. Features of optimum growth salinity (1.5-3% w/v) and maximum carotenoid per cell (0.7 pg cell^-1) were comparable with reported data for D. terrtiolecta. Morphological characteristics including the size and color of the cells, presence and location of stigma and refractile granules were similar to those of D. tertiolecta. Totally, considering molecular and morpho-physiological properties, the isolate was attributed to the species D. tertiolecta and was named as Dunaliella tertiolecta ABRIINW-G3.

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Objective :Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most important parasitic infections in Iran which causes diarrhea in humans and animals. The identification of the Cryptosporidium species among humans is necessary. This study aims to identify species of Cryptosporidium isolated from patients that referred to three hospitals in Tehran based on the 18s rRNA gene by nested PCR-RFLP assay. ‎Methods :In the first step of the present descriptive cross-sectional study, 1128 human fecal samples were collected from patients that referred to three hospitals (Ali Asgar, Mofid and Imam Khomeini) in Tehran. The samples were examined for ‎Cryptosporidium by modified acid fast staining. In the second step, DNA of the ‎positive samples were extracted, then gene of 18s rRNA was amplified by ‎nested PCR in order to differentiate between species. The PCR products were subsequently digested by Vsp1 restriction enzyme and their sequences determined. Results: The modified acid fast method detected 12 (1.06%) positive samples which was confirmed by a molecular technique. The 845bp fragment of 18s rRNA was digested ‎by restriction enzymes. There were 10 samples identified as Cryptosporidium parvum that showed ‎similar patterns on 2.5% agarose gel; 2 other samples were identified as Cryptosporidium homonis and Cryptosporidium andersoni based on the different patterns and sequence results. Conclusion: Although Cryptosporidium parvum is introduced as the major agent for ‎cryptosporidiosis in humans, Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium andersoni may also infect humans.

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 As the world’s second saltiest lake, Urmia Lake is the main source of halotolerant unicellular microalga, Dunaliella, in Iran. Recently, this lake and, consequently, its biodiversity are being threatened environmentally. Hence collecting, preserving, and identification of indigenous microorganisms of the lake are of great importance. The objective of the present study was the molecular screening of Dunaliella isolates in Urmia Lake. For this purpose, 32 samples were taken from different geographical regions of the lake. Then, their molecular pattern was examined based on 18S rDNA gene and intron-sizing method. Results based on conserved and species-specific primers of 18S rDNA illustrated that, depending on the various parts of the lake, the genetic variation of Dunaliella population differs. The amplified pattern for individual isolates was similar to that previously described for D. tertiolecta, D. bardawil and Dunaliella sp. ARIINW-M1/2. Also,18S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of five index isolates showed that the isolates Dunaliella sp. ABRIINW-Ch5, -Sh6.3 and -U1/1 were grouped with different intron lacking species of Dunaliella, ABRIINW-Ch3.1 was clustered with Dunaliella sp. ABRIINW-M1/2, while the isolate Dunaliella sp. ABRIINW-S1.5 was clustered with intron-harboring species of D. bardawil, D. parva, and D. viridis. The results indicated that Urmia Lake is composed of isolates with different 18S rDNA profiles with various intron arrangement.