[Analysis of molecular karyotype of Leishmania isolates from hilly foci and plain foci of China].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the molecular karyotypes of Leishmania isolates from hilly and plain foci of China.


METHODS
Pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) was performed in 1% agarose at 6 V/cm in 0.5 x TBE at 14 degrees C with a pulse time of 60 s for 15 h and a pulse time 90 s for 9 h.


RESULTS
Each isolate was resolved into 15 different EtBr-staining bands ranging in size from 200 to 2,200 kb, in which the karyotypes of 6 isolates from hilly foci were similar (including karyotypes of canine isolates similar with those of human isolates), and they were partly similar with those of L. infantum. The karyotypes of the two isolates from plain foci were similar, but the isolates from the two topographically different foci were different from each other.


CONCLUSIONS
Homology exists between L. d. isolates from hilly foci and plain foci respectively, and exists in part between L. d. isolates from hilly foci and L. infantum; while heterogeneity exists between L. d. isolates from hilly foci and plain foci. The reservoir host, domestic dog, plays an important role as the infection source of leishmaniasis in the hilly foci of China.
Lu
F
F
Department of Parasitology, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041.
Hu
X
X
Tang
H
H
Zeng
F
F
Zhang
Y
Y
Dai
B
B
D000818:Animals; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007621:Karyotyping; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D017385:Sequence Homology