title: Development of species-specific primers for identification of Biomphalaria arabica, the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: Schistosoma mansoni is mediated through the intermediate host Biomphalaria arabica which lives in Saudi Arabia. Molecular characterization and identification of this intermediate host are important for epidemiological studies of schistosomiasis. The present work aimed to determine the molecular variations among the populations of B. arabica found in Southern part of Saudi Arabia, and to develop species-specific primers for identification of these snails as a first step in the development of multiplex PCR for simultaneously identifying the snails and diagnosing its infections in a single step. Five populations of Saudi B. arabica snails were collected from freshwater bodies. Three populations were collected from Asser and two populations were collected from AL-Baha. Genomic DNA was extracted from snails and was amplified using five different RAPD-PCR primers. The banding patterns of amplified materials by primers P1 and P5 were identical in all populations. However, the rest primers displayed intra-specific differences among populations with variable degrees. Largest sizes of RAPD-PCR products were cloned into TA cloning vector as a preparatory step for DNA sequence analysis. After sequencing, similarity searches of obtained DNA sequences revealed that there are no similar sequences submitted to genebank data bases and its associated banks. The results obtained will be helpful in the development of simultaneous identification of B. arabica snails and diagnosis of S. mansoni infection within it in a single step by an implementation of multiplex PCR.
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saleh A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Quraishy
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khaled University, Abha P.O. Box 9004, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saad M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bin Dajem
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khaled University, Abha P.O. Box 9004, Saudi Arabia ; Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia 11566, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Osama M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khaled University, Abha P.O. Box 9004, Saudi Arabia ; Blood Products Quality Control and Research Department, National Organization for Research and Biological Control, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Essam H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Research, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Qahtani
keywords: Biomphalaria arabica; Genetic variability; Genomic DNA inter/intra-specific variation; RAPD–PCR; Saudi; Schistosoma mansoni; Species-specific primer