ARBITRARILY PRIMED POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION OF INDIVIDUAL TRICHINELLA SPECIMENS

Recently, 5 sibling species and 3 other phenotypes were identified in the genus Trichinella, Single primers of arbitrary nucleotide sequence were used to produce random amplified polymorphic DNA starting from d ecreasing amounts of Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella britovi DNA. Reproducible amplification products from 30 pg of DNA were obtained u sing 1 of 6 examined primers. These fragments distinguish between 2 Eu ropean Trichinella species, T. spiralis, showing a 1,350-bp band, and T britovi, showing 400- and 1, 100-bp bands. The developed procedure a llows the characterization of crude DNA preparations of single muscle- stage larvae, avoiding time-consuming passages of parasites in laborat ory animals.