title: Differential diagnosis of Triaenophorus crassus and T. nodulosus experimental infection in Cyclops abyssorum praealpinus (Copepoda) from the Alpine Lake Grundlsee (Austria) using PCR-RFLP.
abstract: In 2005, an epidemic of the cestode Triaenophorus crassus in Arctic charr, Salvelinus umbla from Lake Grundlsee (Austria) was reported, resulting in the closure of the local fisheries. The parasite uses a copepod and a salmonid fish as intermediate hosts, and the European pike (Esox lucius) as definitive host. In Lake Grundlsee procercoids of T. crassus, T. nodulosus and Eubothrium salvelini use the copepod Cyclops abyssorum praealpinus as their first intermediate host. We report on the development of a PCR-RFLP assay for the specific differentiation between the procercoids of the three cestode species. Ban I restriction sites within a 207-bp 18S rRNA-amplified fragment yielded two and three species-specific products to unequivocally distinguish between T. crassus and T. nodulosus, respectively. The assay is sufficiently sensitive to characterise a single procercoid of both Triaenophorus species in their copepod host, enabling a direct measure of infection. This assay will be useful in monitoring the progress of the control methods currently in place.
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford Crescent, M5 4WT Salford, Greater Manchester, UK. b.boufana@salford.ac.uk
authors.forename: Belgees
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boufana
authors.forename: Uroš
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zibrat
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jehle
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gassner
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schabetsberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001317:Austria; D002589:Cestoda / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D033342:Copepoda / Q000469:parasitology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005618:Fresh Water; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S