title: LSSP-PCR for characterization of strains of Entamoeba histolytica isolated in Brazil.
abstract: Strains of Entamoeba histolytica isolated in Brazil were characterized using the Low-Stringency Single Specific Primer PCR (LSSP-PCR), that detects single or multiple mutations in gene size DNA fragments. Using this technique, a 482-bp genomic DNA fragment from a structural gene in 8 strains and 2 clones of E. histolytica, isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in Brazil, including pathogenic and non-pathogenic zymodemes were studied. The results obtained indicate that LSSP-PCR is a valuable method for differentiating strains of E. histolytica. Moreover, the results are consistent with the concept that pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of E. histolytica may represent distinct species or subspecies and are in accord with phenotypically characteristic isoenzyme patterns.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Macedo
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Vago
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Melo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000235:genetics*; D004749:Entamoebiasis / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan