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| Author(s): |
Renata Molina Monteiro
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD) |
| Defense date: | 2011-10-20 |
| Examining board members: |
Rodrigo Martins Soares;
Solange Maria Gennari;
José Ricardo Jensen;
Hilda Fátima de Jesus Pena;
Silvio Luis Pereira de Souza
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| Advisor: | Rodrigo Martins Soares |
| Abstract | |
The present work aimed to design primers and amplify fragments of three loci that code for surface antigens of the protozoan genus Sarcocystis spp. isolated from intestine of marsupials of the genus Didelphis spp and to sequence the gene fragments of all isolates and compare them with each other and with fragments of homologous sequences available in GenBank. Thirty two samples of Sarcocystis spp. from opossums from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, had the nuclear DNA extracted and amplified using the molecular markers targeted to genes encoding surface antigens (SAG-2, SAG-3, and SAG-4). Among these samples, 28 had at least one of the gene fragments sequenced. It was possible to sequence the three gene fragments from 20 samples. The analysis of gene sequences yielded the following results: SAG-2: 275 nucleotides and seven alleles for 26 samples; SAG-3: 353 nucleotides and six alleles for 21 samples; SAG-4: 278 nucleotides and eleven alleles for 25 samples. For each marker phylogenetic analysis was performed employing distance methods. The phylogenetic reconstructions allowed us to verify the ancestry relationships between different alleles, which were named according to the criteria of evolution inferred from the tree topology. For the three loci, different alleles were grouped into three groups or genotypes, which were named with characters in Roman numerals I, II, III and IV. Intra-genotype differences (sub-genotypes) were represented by lowercase letters (Ia, Ib, Ic, etc.). Each allele was named with Arabic numerals (Ia1, Ia2, Ia3, etc.). With concatenated phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid dataset it was possible to divide the samples into three groups. The amino acid based phylogeny indicates that three groups of organisms must exist within the complex of individuals in the population studied (Sarcocystis-RS, Falcatula-like, and Neurona-like). Although the group designated as Sarcocystis-RS has a unique allele for the genetic locus SAG-3 (configuration type III), the taxa of this group share alleles with individuals in the Falcatula-like. Thus, it is plausible to assume that gene exchange occurs between these two populations. Regarding the Neurona-like group, none of the individuals in this group share alleles with individuals of the other groups. However, this observation remains to be confirmed, because this analysis was based on very few Neurona-like sequences (two sequences). This report reveals a striking genetic diversity among Sarcocystis spp isolated from opossums from Brazil. (AU) | |