title: Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from cats in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cats are the definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. The distribution of genetic diversity of T. gondii in cats is of importance to understand the transmission of this parasite. The objective of this study was to genetically characterize T. gondii isolates from cats in Yunnan province, southwestern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Genomic DNA was extracted from 5-10 g cat tissue samples (brain, tongue, heart, and liver). Using multilocous polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technology, we determined genetic diversity of T. gondii isolates from cats in Yunnan province.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 175 stray cats were tested for T. gondii DNA, respectively, 44 (25.14%) of which were found to be positive for the T. gondii B1 gene by PCR amplification. The positive DNA samples were typed at 11 genetic markers, including 10 nuclear markers, namely, SAG1, 5'-3'SAG2, alternative SAG2, SAG3, GRA6, L358, PK1, BTUB, c22-8, c29-2 and an apicoplast locus Apico. Of these, 16 isolates from cats were genotyped with data for more than 9 loci, revealed 5 genotypes in total, of which 11 of 16 samples were identified as ToxoDB#9, two samples may belong to genotye #225, one was Type II, one was ToxoDB#3, and one was ToxoDB#20 (http://toxodb.org/toxo/).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicated a wide distribution of T. gondii infection in cats in Yunnan province, which may pose significant public health concerns. To our knowledge, the present study is the first report of T. gondii prevalence and genotypes in cats in southwestern China, and the first report of Type II T. gondii from cats in China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Si-Yang
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Hai-Hai
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jian-Fa
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chunlei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Xing-Quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, 650201 Kunming, Yunnan Province, PR China. zfc1207@vip.163.com.
authors.forename: Feng-Cai
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Zou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D002415:Cats; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D015995:Prevalence; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan
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