A simple strain typing assay for Trypanosoma cruzi: discrimination of major evolutionary lineages from a single amplification product.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas' Disease. The parasite has a complex population structure, with six major evolutionary lineages, some of which have apparently resulted from ancestral hybridization events. Because there are important biological differences between these lineages, strain typing methods are essential to study the T. cruzi species. Currently, there are a number of typing methods available for T. cruzi, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. However, most of these methods are based on the amplification of a variable number of loci.

Methodology/principal findings

We present a simple typing assay for T. cruzi, based on the amplification of a single polymorphic locus: the TcSC5D gene. When analyzing sequences from this gene (a

SUBMITTER: Cosentino RO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3409129 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature