title: Trypanosoma cruzi: genetic group with peculiar biochemical and biological behavior.
abstract: Thirty-two Trypanosoma cruzi strains, isolated from chronic chagasic patients in the northwest of the state of Paran  (Brazil), were analyzed using molecular, biochemical and biological characteristics. Genotypic analysis using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA and simple sequence repeat-anchored polymerase chain reaction amplified profiles showed a large, genetically well-correlated group that contained the majority of the strains and a divergent group that included the PR-150 strain. For glycoconjugate composition, the PR-150 strain was different from the other strains considering the absence or presence of specific bands in aqueous or detergent phases. This strain was also totally different from the others in one out of the six parameters related to in vitro and in vivo biological behavior. We highlight the fact that the PR-150 was totally resistant to benznidazole. For the other biological parameters this strain was not totally distinct from the others, but it showed a peculiar behavior.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maring , PR, 87020-900, Brasil. mlgomes@uem.br
authors.forename: Mônica Lúcia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Max Jean de Ornelas
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Toledo
authors.forename: Celso Vataru
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Nilza de Lucas Rodrigues
authors.initials: Nde L
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.forename: Egler
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chiari
authors.forename: Silvana Marques
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de Araújo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D006001:Glycoconjugates; D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; C009999:benzonidazole