IDENTIFICATION OF A HUMAN ISOLATE OF ENCEPHALITOZOON-CUNICULI TYPE-I FROM ITALY

A microsporidial strain, obtained from a person with AIDS living in It aly was isolated and cultivated on RK13 (rabbit kidney) cell monolayer s. Identification at the species level was performed by immunological and molecular methods. Western blot analysis showed that the human iso late and the Encephalitozoon cuniculi reference strain lad similar ban ding patterns. The small subunit rRNA sequence analysis confirmed the identification of the isolate as E. cuniculi, which is a widespread mi crosporidian species infecting a wide range of natural hosts, includin g humans. Moreover, based on the sequence of the rDNA internal transcr ibed spacer region, this isolate was classified as E. cuniculi type I (rabbit strain), previously reported in six persons with AIDS living i n Switzerland. These results provide further information on the geogra phical distribution of E. cuniculi types. (C) 1998 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.