title: Characterization of Sarcocystis species in domestic animals using a PCR-RFLP analysis of variation in the 18S rRNA gene: a cost-effective and simple technique for routine species identification.
abstract: Thirteen restriction endonucleases were used to investigate nuclotide sequence variation in the 18S rRNA DNA of 88 individuals from ten Sarcocystis taxa collected as cysts from their intermediate hosts, swine, cattle and water buffalo. A DNA sequence of approximately 900 bp was used. A total of 26 electromorphs were detected. The electromorphs were sorted into seven different haplotypes that coincided with the six named species and an unidentified species from cattle. These findings support those of our morphological examinations, which suggested that the taxa resembling Sarcocystis hirsuta, S. hominis, both found in water buffalo, and S. sinensis found in cattle, are not new species but are in fact S. hirsuta and S. hominis as found in cattle, and S. sinensis as found in water buffalo; this finding supports the idea that these species can utilize both cattle and water buffalo as intermediate hosts and are not restricted to one or the other host group as previously thought. PCR-RFLP resolved by agarose gel electrophoresis is shown to be an easy and rapid method of discriminating between these species.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Parasitology Department, Kunming Medical College, Biology Department, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Qing
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qing-Qing
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yang-Xian
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Xin-Wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong-Jiu
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Chang-Gue
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jia-Shun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zen
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Attwood
authors.forename: Xue-Zheng
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000469:parasitology*; D002020:Buffaloes; D002417:Cattle; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000191:economics / Q000662:veterinary*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S