Article

A single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) approach for investigating genetic interactions of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma guineensis in Loum, Cameroon.

Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington London, SW7 5BD, UK.
Parasitology Research (impact factor: 2.15). 04/2007; 100(4):739-45. DOI:10.1007/s00436-006-0310-0
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA provides a molecular tool for the identification of Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma guineensis and the hybrids of these two species. This molecular tool was utilized to provide a detailed analysis of the interactions between S. haematobium and S. guineensis in hybrid zones of Loum, Littoral Province, Cameroon. Individual hybrid schistosomes were identified within the natural populations collected from Loum in 1990, 1999 and 2000, which would have been misidentified as S. haematobium using solely morphological and sequence criteria. This study indicates the complexities of the hybridization between S. haematobium and S. guineensis and emphasizes the importance of assessing morphological, biological and molecular data to gain insights into the interaction of these two species over time.

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Keywords

biological
 
detailed analysis
 
hybrid zones
 
hybridization
 
hybrids
 
Individual hybrid schistosomes
 
interactions
 
Littoral Province
 
molecular data
 
molecular tool
 
natural populations
 
nuclear ribosomal DNA
 
S. guineensis
 
S. haematobium
 
Schistosoma haematobium
 
second internal transcribed spacer
 
Single-strand conformation polymorphism
 

B L Webster