title: Genetic variants within the genus Echinococcus identified by mitochondrial DNA sequencing.
abstract: The pattern of species and strain variation within the genus Echinococcus is complex and controversial. In an attempt to characterise objectively the various species and strains, the sequence of a region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (CO1) gene was determined for 56 Echinococcus isolates. Eleven different genotypes were detected, including 7 within Echinococcus granulosus, and these were used to categorise the isolates. The 4 generally accepted Echinococcus species were clearly distinguishable using this approach. In addition, the consensus view of the strain pattern within E. granulosus, based on a variety of criteria of differentiation, was broadly upheld. Very little variation was detected within Echinococcus multilocularis. Remarkable intra-strain homogeneity was found at the DNA sequence level. This region of the rapidly evolving mitochondrial genome is useful as a marker of species and strain identity and as a preliminary indication of evolutionary divergence within the genus Echinococcus.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Health Program, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bowles
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: McManus
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial