Species and strain differentiation ofEimeria spp. of the domestic fowl using DNA polymorphisms amplified by arbitrary primers

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Abstract
Eimeria spp. from the domestic fowl were examined for genetic relatedness by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay. Nine different oligonucleotide decamers with arbitrary DNA sequences were tested as primers to amplify DNA from sixEimeria species infecting chickens. Two strains each ofE. acervulina andE. tenella were used. Depending on the species/strain-primer combination, between 1 and 12 DNA segments ranging in size from 0.16 to 4.95 kb were amplified. The two strains ofE. acervulina showed minor and major differences in their amplified DNA patterns, giving a similarity coefficient of 61%. The two strains ofE. tenella seemed to be more closely related, yielding a similarity coefficient of 98%. The differences observed between species were greater than those found between strains with every primer used, indicating that the RADP assay could be a useful tool for the study of relationships among these coccidia. The results obtained in this study also indicate the presence of unique, species-specific, amplified DNA segments that could be exploited to identifyEimeria species of the chicken.