Estimating the genetic divergence and identification of three Trichinella species by isoenzyme analysis

Isoenzyme-based approach was applied to compare Trichinella spiralis, T. br itovi and T. pseudospiralis species. Among 13 enzyme systems examined, este rase (EST), malic enzyme (ME) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) have been found as fully diagnostic, with no common allele in species studied. Adenosine de aminase (ADA), adenylate kinase (AK), hexokinase (HK), peptidase leucyl-ala nine (PEP-C) and fructose-bis-phosphatase (FBP) have been capable of distin guishing the two species from resulting profiles. In addition, ADA, AK and PGM displayed the enzyme expression in the lowest amounts of muscle larvae in systems tested (100 larvae/100 mul of extracts). Based on allozyme data, T. pseudospiralis has been found as the most distinct species within the g roup of taxa. Only a subtle genetic variability was recorded for T. pseudos piralis in which solely phosphoglucomutase exhibited variant patterns. In a ddition to the study of reference isolates, T. spiralis from lowland fox in Eastern Slovakia has been evidenced by use of genetic markers. This findin g has proved that T. britovi is not the exclusive species parasitizing in t he sylvatic ecosystem of the Slovak region.