SEQUENCE OF CDNA CODING FOR A 65-KDA ADHESIVE PROTEIN FOR THE SPECIFIC DETECTION OF TRICHOMONAS-VAGINALIS BY PCR

A Trichomonas vaginalis cDNA library was constructed and recombinant p laques were screened using rabbit immunoglobulins specific for P65, a protozoan protein involved in pathogenicity that we identified in a pr evious study. A 1.38 kilobases cDNA fragment coding for the P65 protei n was cloned in E. coli and then sequenced. On the basis of of the seq uence obtained, six primers were synthesised and used to set up a Poly merase Chain Reaction. The presence of a specific amplicon in all 30 c linical isolates tested shows that P65 is a conserved and stable gene. The reaction is highly sensitive (as few as 5 to 10 parasites can be detected) and specific for Trichomonas vaginalis; the gene coding P65 adhesin can be therefore considered a very good molecular target for p olymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic purposes.