Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of Echinococcus granulosus of Iran

Abstract

Molecular and morphological analyses were used to study phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of two common sheep and camel strains of Echinococcus granulosus. Biometric analysis of fifteen characters showed that those 15 morphometric values of camel isolates have significantly higher than sheep isolates. Number of hooks, length and width total of the handle, the blade and the distance between the blade and the guard of large and small hooks were those characters that measured. Molecular analysis of ND1 fragment of mtDNA obtained from G1 and G6 genotypes using PCR-RFLP technique with two commercial restriction endonucleases enzyme AatI and BstHHI were in agreement with the morphological findings. PCR-RFLP band patterns using AatI demonstrated two bands of 170 and 301 bp in sheep strain whereas camel strain remained undigested. Besides PCR-RFLP profiles using BstHHI demonstrated two bands of 137 and 334 bp identical to the G6 genotype and one DNA fragment of 471 bp in G1 genotype. Because of the intraspecific variation of sheep and camel strains using both morphological and molecular tools concomitantly provides more accurate and reliable information about the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of E. granulosus isolates and emphasizes the valuable tools in transmission and epidemiological studies. © 2008 Asian Network for Scientific Information.