title: Genotype and Phenotype of Echinococcus granulosus Derived from Wild Sheep (Ovis orientalis) in Iran.
abstract: The aim of the present study is to determine the characteristics of genotype and phenotype of Echinococcus granulosus derived from wild sheep and to compare them with the strains of E. granulosus sensu stricto (sheep-dog) and E. granulosus camel strain (camel-dog) in Iran. In Khojir National Park, near Tehran, Iran, a fertile hydatid cyst was recently found in the liver of a dead wild sheep (Ovis orientalis). The number of protoscolices (n=6,000) proved enough for an experimental infection in a dog. The characteristics of large and small hooks of metacestode were statistically determined as the sensu stricto strain but not the camel strain (P=0.5). To determine E. granulosus genotype, 20 adult worms of this type were collected from the infected dog. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and cytochrome c oxidase 1 subunit (COX1) of the mitochondrial DNA were amplified from individual adult worm by PCR. Subsequently, the PCR product was sequenced by Sanger method. The lengths of ITS2 and COX1 sequences were 378 and 857 bp, respectively, for all the sequenced samples. The amplified DNA sequences from both ribosomal and mitochondrial genes were highly similar (99% and 98%, respectively) to that of the ovine strain in the GenBank database. The results of the present study indicate that the morpho-molecular features and characteristics of E. granulosus in the Iranian wild sheep are the same as those of the sheep-dog E. granulosus sensu stricto strain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (Center of Excellent of Ecosystem and Ultrastructural Changes of Helminthes).
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eslami
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (Center of Excellent of Ecosystem and Ultrastructural Changes of Helminthes).
authors.forename: Behnam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meshgi
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran (Center of Excellent of Ecosystem and Ultrastructural Changes of Helminthes).
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jalousian
authors.affiliation: Under Graduate Student, School of Specialized Sciences of Veterinary Medicine, Unit of Sciences and Research, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.affiliation: Under Graduate Student, School of Specialized Sciences of Veterinary Medicine, Unit of Sciences and Research, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Salari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D007492:Iran; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
keywords: Echinococus granulosus; Iran; genotype; phenotype; wild sheep