title: Polymorphism analysis of the internal transcribed spacer and small subunit of ribosomal RNA genes of Leishmania mexicana.
abstract: Leishmania mexicana causes a wide spectrum of clinical diseases. In spite of the variety of clinical forms, no data exist regarding genetic polymorphism of L. mexicana. We analyzed the polymorphism of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the small subunit rRNA genes of 3 reference strains and 24 Mexican isolates of L. mexicana, by means of polymerase chain reaction and subsequent digestion by restriction enzymes. All strains of L. mexicana had invariant patterns for both the ITS and the small subunit of rRNA genes. Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania venezuelensis displayed polymorphism only in the ITS. The high degree of identity of this region was confirmed by sequencing DNA from three L. mexicana isolates. There was almost complete identity of the sequence for the ITS region of L. venezuelensis and that of strains of Leishmania major, suggesting that these species may be more closely related than previously thought.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, U.N.A.M., Dr. Balmis 148, Colonia Doctores, México D.F., 06726 México.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berzunza-Cruz
authors.forename: Nallely
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crippa-Rossi
authors.forename: Tayde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sosa Cabrera
authors.forename: Ruy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez-Montfort
authors.forename: Ingeborg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000032:analysis; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D006801:Humans; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000235:genetics*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes