Biochemical characterisation of flagellates isolated from fruits and seedsfrom Brazil

Seven flagellates of the family Trypanosomatidae have been isolated from di fferent fruits and seeds from Brazil, three from tomato fruit (Lycopersicum esculentum), one from urucum fruit (Bixa orellana), two from maize kernels (Zea mays) and one from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). These isolates were cha racterised by isoenzymatic analysis, using nine enzymatic systems and the i soenzymatic profiles were compared with those obtained From different flage llates already described as belonging to the genera Phytomonas, Herpetomona s and Crithidia. Most of the isoenzymes were able to distinguish the new pl ant isolates from insect trypanosomatids (Herpetomonas and Crithidia). Six of the isolates could be ascribed to the genus Phytomonas, five of them bei ng phylogenetically closely related to Phytomonas serpens. The new isolates excreted the same metabolic end-products into the external medium and only small quantitative differences were found among the different isolates. (C ) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.