J. Langand et al., DETECTION OF GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN SNAIL INTERMEDIATE HOSTS OF THEGENUS BULINUS BY USING RANDOM AMPLIFIED POLYMORPHIC DNA MARKERS (RAPDS), Acta Tropica, 55(4), 1993, pp. 205-215
A polymerase chain reaction-based polymorphic assay procedure (RAPD) w
as used to study the genetic diversity of intermediate host snails wit
hin the genus Bulinus. Genetic differentiation was detected between tw
o closely related species: Bulinus globosus and Bulinus umbilicatus. E
vidence is presented demonstrating the potential of RAPD markers for d
ifferentiating populations of B. forskalii from different countries (C
ameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast) or from the same country (
Cameroon). RAPDs may be also used to identify offspring from cross- an
d self-fertilized hermaphrodite bulinid snails: RAPDs provide a cost-e
ffective and routine method for genetic studies of snails transmitting
schistosomiasis and for the evaluation of diversity between snail pop
ulations.