title: A low stringency polymerase chain reaction approach to the identification of Biomphalaria glabrata and B. tenagophila, intermediate snail hosts of Schistosoma mansoni in Brazil.
abstract: The low stringency-polymerase chain reaction (LS-PCR) with a pair of specific primers for the amplification of the 18S rRNA gene was evaluated as a means of differentiating between the two Schistosoma mansoni intermediate host species in Brazil: Biomphalaria glabrata and B. tenagophila. Individual snails obtained from different states of Brazil were used and the amplification patterns obtained showed a high degree of genetic variability in these species. Nevertheless, 4 and 3 clearly defined specific diagnostic bands was observed in individuals from B. glabrata and B. tenagophila respectively. The detection of snail specific diagnostic bands suggests the possibility of reliable species differentiation at the DNA level using LS-PCR.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Helmintoses Intestinais, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Vidigal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dias Neto
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology; D001938:Brazil; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni