Molecular Identification of Musca domestica L. from Jazan (KSA) Based on Partial Mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase Gene Sequencing

Background and Objective: The housefly (Musca domestica L.) is a globally distributed insect in the order Diptera, family Muscidae that is well known throughout the world.The housefly is the primary cause of many epidemics in humans, domestic animals and livestock.This study was conducted in the Jazan region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to study the genetic resources and obtain baseline knowledge of the fundamental molecular identification of this insect.Material and Methods: The individuals (male and female) were collected from the Abu Arish area (eastern Jazan).Total genomic DNA was extracted for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the specific primers Fly-F and Fly-R for the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (mtCOI).A short partial fragment of the mtCOI gene (~272 nucleotides) was successfully amplified from all samples and the amplicons were subsequently sequenced.Results: The resultant sequences encoded ~87 amino acids and represented the mtCOI gene of M. domestica according to BLAST analysis.Pairwise nucleotide sequence analysis of the partial mtCOI gene revealed its closest identity was with Singapore and Thailand isolates (99%).However, we observed no genetic variability within our species from Jazan.Phylogenetic dendrograms grouped all species together with the M. domestica species reported from Singapore and Thailand.This study provides the first mitochondrial sequence analysis of the mtCOI gene of the housefly M. domestica for insect identification in Jazan region.Conclusion: This study revealed that a short fragment of the mtCOI gene could be successfully used for the identification of the housefly.