IDENTIFICATION OF A HAEMONCHUS-PLACEI-SPECIFIC DNA-PROBE

A partial DNA library was generated from Haemonchus placei and differe ntially screened to identify clones containing repetitive and species- specific sequences. A DNA sequence, which hybridized with H. placei ge nomic DNA by dot-blot analysis and did not hybridize with Haemonchus c ontortus DNA, was identified and characterized. The probe, designated pHp3, was sequenced and found to be 723 bp in length, constituting 0.3 4% of the H. placei genome. The pHp3 probe is useful in differentiatin g the morphologically similar parasites H. placei and H. contortus.