Identification of planorbids from Venezuela by polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism of internal transcriber spacer of the RNA ribosomal gene

Snails of the genus Biomphalaria from Venezuela were subjected to morpholog ical assessment as well as polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragme nt length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Morphological identification wa s carried out by comparison of characters of the shell and the male and fem ale reproductive apparatus. The PCR-RFLP involved amplification of the inte rnal spacer region ITS1 and ITS2 of the RNA ribosomal gene and subsequent d igestion of this fragment by the restriction enzymes DdeI, MnlI, HaeIII and MspI. The planorbids were compared with snails of the same species and oth ers reported from Venezuela and present in Brazil, Cuba and Mexico. All the enzymes showed a specific profile for each species, that of DdeI being the clear est. The snails were identified as B. glabrata, B. prona and B. kuhn iana.