Molecular detection of Sarcocystis lutrae in the European badger (Meles meles) in Scotland

Neck samples from 54 badgers and 32 tongue samples of the same badgers (Meles meles), collected in the Lothians and Borders regions of Scotland, were tested using polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) directed against the 18S ribosomal DNA and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) region of protozoan p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology 2017-09, Vol.144 (11), p.1426-1432
Main Authors: LEPORE, T., BARTLEY, P. M., CHIANINI, F., MACRAE, A. I., INNES, E. A., KATZER, F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Badgers
Conserved sequence
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Diaphragm
Diaphragm (anatomy)
DNA
DNA, Protozoan - genetics
DNA, Ribosomal
DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics
Enhydra
Lutra lutra
Lutrinae
Meles meles
Microscopy
Molecular biology
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
Mustelidae
Mustelidae - parasitology
Neck
Nucleotide sequence
Parasites
Parasitology
Phylogeny
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Protozoa
Sarcocystis - classification
Sarcocystis - genetics
Sarcocystis - isolation & purification
Sarcocystosis - diagnosis
Sarcocystosis - epidemiology
Sarcocystosis - parasitology
Sarcocystosis - veterinary
Scotland - epidemiology
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Skeletal muscle
Spacer
Tongue
Toxoplasma gondii
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Neck samples from 54 badgers and 32 tongue samples of the same badgers (Meles meles), collected in the Lothians and Borders regions of Scotland, were tested using polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) directed against the 18S ribosomal DNA and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) region of protozoan parasites of the family Sarcocystidae. Positive results were obtained from 36/54 (67%) neck and 24/32 (75%) tongue samples using an 18S rDNA PCR. A 468 base pair consensus sequence that was generated from the 18S rDNA PCR amplicons (KX229728) showed 100% identity to Sarcocystis lutrae. The ITS1 PCR results revealed that 12/20 (60%) neck and 10/20 (50%) tongue samples were positive for Sarcocystidae DNA. A 1074 bp consensus sequence was generated from the ITS1 PCR amplicons (KX431307) and showed 100% identity to S. lutrae. Multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis support the finding that the rDNA found in badgers is identical to that of S. lutrae. This parasite has not been previously reported in badgers or in the UK. Sarcocystis lutrae has previously only been detected in tongue, skeletal muscle and diaphragm samples of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Norway and potentially in the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus).
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S0031182017000762