KARYOTYPE VARIABILITY IN TRYPANOSOMA-RANGELI

The molecular karyotypes of several different protozoan parasites show high intra-species variation, including different kinetoplastids such as Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania ssp. In this study, the molecular karyotype of Trypanosoma rangeli was examined. To evaluate potential intra-species molecular karyotype variations, 16 d ifferent samples were studied by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFG E) followed by ethidium bromide staining and hybridizations with 6 dif ferent probes. The result showed that different T. rangeli populations are highly polymorphic regarding the molecular karyotype, and thus su ggests that PFGE analysis can be used for classification of different T. rangeli isolates. In addition, the molecular karyotype of T. rangel i was compared to molecular karyotypes of other kinetoplastids, and wa s shown to be distinctly different from that of T. cruzi, but shows so me similarities with the karyotype described for T. brucei. Among the probes used one was identified as highly polymorphic, and thus informa tive for studies of different T. rangeli populations, and another was useful for differentiation between T. rangeli and T. cruzi.