Xth ICT, August 2000

Estimating the genetic divergence and identification of three trichinella species by isoenzyme analysis

¹ Parasitological Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia.
² Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Ridebanevej 3, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
³ Department of Infectious Diseases, Lithuanian Veterinary Academy, Tilzes 18, 3022 Kaunas, Lithuania.

^* Correspondence : Viliam Šnábel. Fax : +421 95 6334455 - Tel. : +421 95 6331414 E-mail : snabel@saske.sk

Abstract

Isoenzyme-based approach was applied to compare Trichinella spiralis, T. britovi and T. pseudospiralis species. Among 13 enzyme systems examined, esterase (EST), malic enzyme (ME) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) have been found as fully diagnostic, with no common allele in species studied. Adenosine deaminase (ADA), adenylate kinase (AK), hexokinase (HK), peptidase leucyl-alanine (PEP-C) and fructose-bis-phosphatase (FBP) have been capable of distinguishing the two species from resulting profiles. In addition, ADA, AK and PGM displayed the enzyme expression in the lowest amounts of muscle larvae in systems tested ( 100 larvae/100 μl of extracts). Based on allozyme data, T. pseudospiralis has been found as the most distinct species within the group of taxa. Only a subtle genetic variability was recorded for T. pseudospiralisin which solely phosphoglucomutase exhibited variant patterns. In addition to the study of reference isolates, T. spiralis from lowland fox in Eastern Slovakia has been evidenced by use of genetic markers. This finding has proved that T. britovi is not the exclusive species parasitizing in the sylvatic ecosystem of the Slovak region.