Premium
Restriction Endonuclease Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA as an Aid in the Taxonomy of Naegleria and Vahlkampfia 1
Author(s) -
MILLIGAN STEPHEN M.,
BAND R. NEAL
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1988.tb04323.x
Subject(s) - naegleria , biology , mitochondrial dna , genetics , homology (biology) , strain (injury) , phylogenetics , taxonomy (biology) , genetic divergence , naegleria fowleri , restriction enzyme , nucleic acid sequence , dna , zoology , virology , genetic diversity , gene , protozoa , meningoencephalitis , population , demography , anatomy , sociology
Using restriction enzyme analysis, mitochondrial DNA fragment patterns from seven strains of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Naegleria and one strain of Vahlkampfia were compared to estimate nucleotide sequence divergence. Significantly high levels of estimated genetic variation between strains of N. gruberi, N. fowleri , and N. jadini support the current taxonomic level of the individual Naegleria species and suggest a distinct phylogeny for each group. Naegleria lovaniensis , strain TS, was shown to have significant nucleotide sequence homology with N. gruberi , strain EGs, suggesting that the two groups share a close taxonomic relationship. The pathogenic strain MB‐41 of N. fowleri exhibited distinct genetic divergence from the highly homologous, pathogenic strain Nf66 and the drug‐cured strain 6088. Morphologically distinct strains EGs and 1518/la of N. gruberi exhibited significantly large sequence divergence consistent with a more distant taxonomic relationship. Amoebae from the genus Vahlkampfia expressed genetic similarity with strains of N. gruberi.