RIBOPRINTING - A TOOL FOR THE STUDY OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN MICROORGANISMS

Classical morphology-based methods of taxonomic and phylogenetic analy sis are inadequate in many groups of structurally simple eukaryotes. M olecular methods can generate data independently of the complexity of the organisms' morphology. Riboprinting is one such technique, and inv olves restriction enzyme analysis of polymerase chain reaction amplifi ed small subunit ribosomal RNA genes. The utility of the method is ill ustrated with examples from several genera of intestinal and bloodstre am parasites. Among the applications of riboprinting are the detection of cryptic genetic variation within species, organism misidentificati ons and culture mix-ups, independent verification of DNA sequences, an d the rapid generation of data useful in phylogenetic analyses.