Differential diagnosis of oocysts of Hammondia-like organisms of dogs and cats by PCR-RFLP analysis of 70-kilodalton heat shock protein (HSP70) gene.
Organisms of the genera Toxoplasma, Hammondia and Neospora, the Hammondia-like organisms, are closely related coccidian with similarly sized oocysts. Therefore, a diagnosis based on microscopy of oocysts in feces is not a method of choice for species identification of these important parasites. In this paper, we present a polymerase chain reaction coupled with restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method to differentially diagnose oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii from oocyst of Hammondia hammondi. Another PCR-RFLP was designed to differentiate oocysts of Hammondia heydorni from oocysts of Neospora spp. Both PCR-RFLP are based on nucleotide sequences of the Hsp70 coding gene. In conclusion, we presented two alternative molecular diagnostic assays that can be successfully applied for the differentiation of oocysts of Hammondia-like organisms shed by felids and canids.
Monteiro
Renata Molina
RM
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, CEP 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. renatamm@usp.br
Pena
Hilda Fátima de Jesus
HF
Gennari
Solange Maria
SM
de Souza
Sheila Oliveira
SO
Richtzenhain
Leonardo José
LJ
Soares
Rodrigo Martins
RM
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D033661:Oocysts / Q000145:classification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D021745:Sarcocystidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins