Genotyping Encephalitozoon cuniculi by multilocus analyses of genes with repetitive sequences

J Clin Microbiol. 2001 Jun;39(6):2248-53. doi: 10.1128/JCM.39.6.2248-2253.2001.

Abstract

Encephalitozoon cuniculi infects a wide range of mammalian hosts. Three genotypes based on the number of GTTT repeats in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the rRNA have been described, of which genotypes I and III have been identified in humans. In this study, the genetic diversity of E. cuniculi was examined at the polar tube protein (PTP) and spore wall protein I (SWP-1) loci. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the PTP gene divided 11 E. cuniculi isolates into three genotypes in congruence with the result of analysis of the ITS of the rRNA gene. The three PTP genotypes differed from one another by the copy number of the 78-bp central repeat as well as point mutations. These E. cuniculi isolates also differed from one another in the number of 15- and 36-bp repeats in the SWP-1 gene. In addition, some E. cuniculi isolates had heterogeneous copies of the SWP-1 gene with various numbers of repeats. Intragenotypic variation was also observed at the SWP-1 locus. Based on the length polymorphism and sequence diversities of the PTP and SWP-1 genes, two simple PCR tests were developed to differentiate E. cuniculi in clinical samples.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Encephalitozoon cuniculi / classification*
  • Encephalitozoon cuniculi / genetics*
  • Encephalitozoonosis / parasitology
  • Fungal Proteins*
  • Genes, Protozoan
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics*
  • Rabbits
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / genetics*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • PTP protein, Encephalitozoon hellem
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • SWP1 protein, Encephalitozoon

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AF310677
  • GENBANK/AF310678
  • GENBANK/AF310679
  • GENBANK/AF340007
  • GENBANK/AF340008
  • GENBANK/AF340009
  • GENBANK/AF340010
  • GENBANK/AF340011
  • GENBANK/AF340012