A DNA probe from Schistosoma mansoni allows rapid determination of the sex of larval parasites.
A DNA clone representing a 0.4 kb degenerative repeat has been isolated. The DNA sequence is present only in the genome of female Schistosoma mansoni at different stages of the life cycle, at a frequency of approximately 75 copies per adult female genome. The sequence is not expressed and probably represents satellite DNA in the heterochromatin region of the W chromosome. It is demonstrated that the DNA clone may be used for the rapid determination of the sex of cercariae without the need for DNA isolation or Southern blotting.
Walker
T K
TK
Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), London, U.K.
Rollinson
D
D
Simpson
A J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000235:genetics*; D012728:Sex Chromatin / Q000032:analysis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013045:Species Specificity
D015342:DNA Probes