Parasitologia hungarica

Author(s): Szénási, Zs., Endo, T., Yagita, K., Urbán, E., Végh, M. & Nagy, E.
Title: Isolation and restriction enzyme analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of Hungarian Acanthamoeba isolates from human eye infection and from the environment
Title: Szemészeti anyagból és a környezetből Magyarországon izolált acanthamoebák jellemzése a mitokondriális DNS (mt DNS) restrikciós enzimes emésztésével
Year: 1995
Volume: 28
Pages: 5-12.

Abstract: Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was used for the typing of Acanthamoeba isolates from the contact lens container and corneal scrapings of a patient with keratitis (CI) and for typing isolates from the environment (Dun, Mos). The Acanthamoebae were isolated on agar plates covered with a suspension of Enterobacter aerogenes. The isolates were cloned by micromanipulation, then cultured and maintained on agar plates spread with a layer of heat-treated Escherichia coli DH1. The cloned isolates were adapted and cultured axenically. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was prepared by alkaline lysis and digested by BgI II and EcoR I endonucleases. The three isolates have distinct RFLP phenotypes. On the basis of the fragment sizes obtained with two restriction enzymes, the mtDNA genotypes of the three Hungarian isolates are comparable to those of human isolates from different countries. As all strains of Acanthamoeba may have pathogenic potential, the mtDNA RFLP phenotype may be a useful aid in the definition of their pathogenic potential.
Keywords: Acanthamoeba, eye infection, RFLP analysis, mtDNA

Journal: Parasitologia Hungarica
Journal abbreviation:
ISSN: 0303-688X
Publisher: Magyar Parazitológusok Társasága, Budapest
Editor(s): K. Murai, É., Thoma, A., Gubányi, A. & Tajti, T. Zs.