title: Genetic detection of Babesia bigemina from Mongolian cattle using apical membrane antigen-1 gene-based PCR assay.
abstract: We developed a new nested PCR (nPCR) assay based on the Babesia bigemina apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) gene sequence for parasite-specific detection. The primers were designed to amplify 738-bp and 211-bp fragments of the AMA-1 gene by primary and nested PCRs, respectively. The assay was proven to be specific for the B. bigemina, whereas the previously established SpeI-AvaI nPCR assay amplified not only the target fragment of B. bigemina but also a homologous one from Babesia ovata. The AMA-1 nPCR assay was also evaluated using field DNA samples extracted from 266 bovine blood samples collected from Mongolia in 2010. In a comparative evaluation, 90 (33.8%) and 25 (9.4%) of the blood samples showed positive reactions for B. bigemina by the SpeI-AvaI nPCR and AMA-1 nPCR assays, respectively. The sequencing analysis of the nPCR products confirmed that the AMA-1 nPCR method had specifically detected the target B. bigemina DNA. However, 4 different kinds of sequences were determined among the SpeI-AvaI nPCR amplicons. Two of them were derived from B. bigemina and B. ovata, while the origins of the others were unknown. In the current study, the presence of B. bigemina was clearly demonstrated among Mongolian cattle populations by the current nPCR assay for the first time. Furthermore, our findings also indicate that the AMA-1 nPCR assay may be a useful diagnostic tool for the specific detection of B. bigemina.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Thillaiampalam
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sivakumar
authors.forename: Khukhuu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Altangerel
authors.forename: Badgar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Battsetseg
authors.forename: Banzragch
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Battur
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aboulaila
authors.forename: Tserendorj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Munkhjargal
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshinari
authors.forename: Naoaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Igarashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008986:Mongolia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins