Identification of two genetic markers that distinguish pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of Acanthamoeba spp.
Species-level identification of Acanthamoeba isolates is difficult and gives little or no indication of the isolate's pathogenicity. We identified two amplification-based genetic markers that were highly correlated with pathogenicity in Acanthamoeba spp. One marker, designed to amplify a 485-bp fragment of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene (ssrDNA), was preferentially amplified from the nonpathogenic strains; amplifications from the pathogenic strains yielded anomalous fragments of 650 and 900 bp. A second marker was developed on the basis of the anomalous 650-bp fragment. Primers to this sequence preferentially amplified a noncoding locus (called Ac6) only from the pathogenic strains. These two genetic markers may be useful for identification of pathogenic Acanthamoeba spp. strains.
Howe
D K
DK
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA.
Vodkin
M H
MH
Novak
R J
RJ
Visvesvara
G
G
McLaughlin
G L
GL
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000818:Animals; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005819:Genetic Markers; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005819:Genetic Markers