title: The beta-tubulin genes of two Strongyloides species.
abstract: The World Health Organization is sponsoring major treatment programs with the aim of controlling helminth infection throughout the tropical world. Prominent among the anthelmintics recommended for use in these programs are drugs in the benzimidazole (BZ) class. Resistance to these drugs has been associated with polymorphisms in the beta-tubulin gene. We have cloned and sequenced the beta-tubulin genes of Strongyloides stercoralis and Strongyloides ratti and have proceeded to develop a protocol for genotyping single worms for polymorphisms in beta-tubulin. Our findings indicate that S. ratti has a single beta-tubulin gene, making DNA sequence analysis of a single larva PCR product a feasible means of studying BZ resistance in these species. Our genotyping test allows the identification of polymorphisms at codons 167, 198, and 200 in the Strongyloides beta-tubulin gene, thus enabling survey for BZ resistant genotypes.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Tropical Medicine Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Lewis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Melville
authors.forename: Alex M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sykes
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry*; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry*; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018510:RNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017170:Strongyloides ratti / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D018510:RNA, Helminth; D014404:Tubulin