Review

New molecular tools for the identification of trypanosome species

ER Adams

† Author for correspondence

School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1UG, UK.

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Email the corresponding author at emily.adams@bristol.ac.uk

PB Hamilton

School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK.

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Email the corresponding author at p.b.hamilton@exeter.ac.uk

Published Online:27 Mar 2008https://doi.org/10.2217/17460913.3.2.167

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Abstract

Trypanosomes are the causative agents of many diseases of medical and veterinary importance, including sleeping sickness and nagana in Africa, and Chagas disease in South America. Accurate identification of trypanosome species is essential, as some species are morphologically indistinguishable, yet differ greatly in their pathogenicity. A range of molecular tools has been developed for identification of species and strains of trypanosomes. PCR, using primer sets designed to amplify a specific DNA fragment from each trypanosome species, is frequently used. More recently, generic systems have been developed that can potentially recognize all trypanosome species, such as amplification of the internal transcribed spacer and fluorescent fragment length barcoding, both of which use interspecies size variation in PCR fragments amplified from the ribosomal RNA locus. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification is a promising technique and is able to detect trypanosomes in blood, serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The advantages of these techniques for high-throughput and sensitive molecular identification will be discussed.

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Published online 27 March 2008

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Financial & competing interests disclosure

ERA is funded by a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) studentship, and PBH by DEFRA, Environmental Agency and NERC.

The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

We would like to thank Professor W Gibson for help in the editing and presentation of this article. No other writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

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