THE 5.8S-RDNA SEQUENCES OF 18 SPECIES OF BURSATE NEMATODES (ORDER STRONGYLIDA) - COMPARISON WITH RHABDITID AND TYLENCHID NEMATODES

The 5.8S rDNA sequences of 18 species of bursate nematode were 153 bp in length and had a G+C content of 47-50%. Interspecific differences i n rDNA sequence among the bursate nematodes were low (0-5.2%), but the extent of the sequence differences between the parasitic bursate nema todes, a free-living rhabditid nematode and 2 species of parasitic tyl enchid nematodes (12-33%) suggests that the 5.8S rRNA gene may provide useful phylogenetic information with respect to the relationships of the different orders within the phylum Nematoda. Copyright (C) 1997 Au stralian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.