Molecular Study on Cryptosporidium andersoni Strains Isolated from Sheep Based on ‎18S rRNA Gene

Authors
1 Parasitology Department, Medical Sciences Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IR Iran
2 Parasitology Department, Medical Sciences Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IR Iran Parasitology Department, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti Medical Sciences University, Faculty, Tehran, IR Iran
Abstract
Background: Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases infecting a broad variety of animals and humans. In the present study, Nested PCR-RFLP-based assay was applied for genotyping of‏ ‏‏sheep cryptosporidiosis. The target of amplification was the 18S rRNA gene ‎‎used to identify Cryptosporidium species
Materials and Methods: In the first step, 1300 faecal samples were collected from sheep in Tehran province, then the samples were examined for the presence of ‎Cryptosporidium using modified acid fast staining. In the second step, DNA was extracted from the ‎positive samples. Next, 18S rRNA gene was amplified by ‎Nested-PCR in order to differentiate between the species. The PCR product was digested by Ssp1 restriction enzyme. ‎
Results: Twenty two positive ‎sheep samples were detected by modified acid fast method. The results were confirmed by molecular techniques. The 845 bp fragment of 18S rRNA was digested ‎by restriction enzymes. Twenty samples showed ‎a similar band on 2.5% agarose gel whereas 2 samples demonstrated different pattern. The sequences of two patterns indicated two species of C. andersoni and C. parvum.
Conclusion: In spite of other studies results introducing C. parvum as the major agent of ‎cryptosporidiosis in sheep, in our study, C. andersoni was found to be dominant.

Keywords


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