Population genetic analysis of Colombian Trypanosoma cruzi isolates revealed by enzyme electrophoretic profiles

Although Colombia present an enormous biological diversity, few studies hav e been conducted on the population genetics of Trypanosoma cruzi. This stud y was carried out with 23 Colombian stocks of this protozoa analyzed for 13 isoenzymatic loci. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the genetic diversity a nd heterogeneity, the genetic relationships and the possible spatial struct ure of these 23 Colombian stocks of T. cruzi were estimated. The majority o f results obtained are in agreement with a clonal population structure. Nev ertheless, two aspects expected in a clonal structure were not discovered i n the Colombian T. cruzi stocks. There was an absence of given zymodemes ov er-represented from a geographical point of view and the presumed temporal stabilizing selective phenomena was not observed either in the Colombian st ocks sampled several times through the years of the study. Some hypotheses are discussed in order to explain the results found.