Taking advantage of the polymorphism in Babesia bovis MSA-2 family for strain characterization

WILKOWSKY, S.; FARBER, M.; ECHAIDE, I.; MOSQUEDA, J.; ALCARAZ, E.; SUAREZ, C.; MONICA OFELIA JACOBSEN

Parassitologia

Università di Roma. Istituto di parassitologia; Società italiana di parassitologia

Año: 2007 vol. 49 p. 1 - 1

The Merozoite Surface Antigen-2 (MSA-2) family of Babesia bovis is a group of variable genes which share conserved 5´and 3´conserved ends. These genes encode membrane anchored glycoproteins, named MSA-2a1, a2, b and c, which are immunodominant antigens located on the surface of sporozoites and merozoites. In this work, we have analyzed the sequences of the msa-2a1, a2 and 2b genes in two geographically distant strains from Mexico and Argentina and detected a certain degree of genotypic diversity that can be exploited for the development of a new molecular tool for the discrimination of B. bovis field samples. Here, we describe a PCR restriction assay based on the msa2-a1, -a2 and -2b genes of B. bovis. When field strains from Argentina, Mexico and USA were analyzed, the results showed a strain-specific band pattern indicating the presence of differentially located BspMI restriction sites. This approach provides a simple method for the genotyping /strain differentiation of B. bovis field samples.