Elucidating diversity in the class composition of the minicircle hypervariable region of Trypanosoma cruzi: New perspectives on typing and kDNA inheritance.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan causative of Chagas disease, is classified into six main Discrete Typing Units (DTUs): TcI-TcVI. This parasite has around 105 copies of the minicircle hypervariable region (mHVR) in their kinetoplastic DNA (kDNA). The genetic diversity of the mHVR is virtually unknown. However, cross-hybridization assays using mHVRs showed hybridization only between isolates belonging to the same genetic group. Nowadays there is no methodologic approach with a good sensibility, specificity and reproducibility for direct typing on biological samples. Due to its high copy number and apparently high diversity, mHVR becomes a good target for typing.

Methodology/principal findings

Around 22 million reads, obtained by amplicon sequencing of the mHVR, wer

SUBMITTER: Rusman F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6619836 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature