ANALYSIS OF KINETOPLAST DNA OF FRESH-WATER FISH TRYPANOSOMES

The sequences of 10 conservative regions (CR) of minicircles of 6 sele cted isolates of freshwater fish trypanosomes have typical organizatio n of this region with high degree of sequence conservation. The compar ison with CRs of other trypanosomatids showed that freshwater fish try panosomes represent a compact separate group within the Trypanosoma. T he alignment of all sequences obtained revealed, however, the existenc e of 2 types of CRs in sequenced minicircles, with the differences con centrated in a short region. Taxonomic consequences of these results a re discussed.