High-resolution typing of Toxoplasma gondii using microsatellite loci.
High-resolution typing of Toxoplasma gondii is essential to understand the effect of genetic differences among strains on the variation in disease manifestation and transmission patterns. Current typing methods discern 3 lineages with minimal within-lineage variation. Described here are 6 new variable loci. These loci, including a minisatellite and 5 microsatellites, were more polymorphic than allozymes, restriction fragment length polymorphisms, and sequence variation in introns. Most importantly, these loci revealed, for the first time, substantial within-lineage variation that was over 6-fold higher than that detected by other markers. Genotyping at these loci facilitates classification of isolates beyond the lineage level.
Blackston
C R
CR
Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chamblee, Georgia 30341, USA.
Dubey
J P
JP
Dotson
E
E
Su
C
C
Thulliez
P
P
Sibley
D
D
Lehmann
T
T
D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D005787:Gene Frequency; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*
D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan