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Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii strains by random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

Z. G. Guo
Affiliation:
Molecular Parasitology Unit, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Technology, Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
A. M. Johnson
Affiliation:
Molecular Parasitology Unit, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Technology, Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia

Summary

The technique of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR has been used to detect DNA polymorphisms among Toxoplasma gondii strains. Seven arbitrary oligonucleotides (10-mer) were used as primers to amplify total genomic DNAs and significant genetic heterogeneity was detected among 11 T gondii strains with different virulence for mice. The polymorphisms observed allowed relationship dendrograms of T. gondii strains to be constructed by PHYLIP and PAUP analyses. The genetic relationships of the T. gondii strains generated by 2 analyses using completely different assumptions were similar. Both analyses revealed 2 groups of T. gondii strains, one formed by the 6 virulent strains and the other formed by the 5 avirulent strains. This suggests that the genus Toxoplasma may actually contain 2 groups, correlated with their virulence, which have probably evolved independently following their initial separation. Significant polymorphisms were also detected between 2 different laboratory stocks of the T. gondii RH strain.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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