Biotechnological potential of Actinobacteria from Canadian and Azorean volcanic caves

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Caves are regarded as extreme habitats with appropriate conditions for the development of Actinobacteria. In comparison with other habitats, caves have not...     

Biochemical genetic relationship of Thailand and Hawaii isolates of Parastrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae)

The genetic relationship of the Thailand and Hawaii isolates (strains) of the rat lungworm Parastrongylus (=Angiostrongylus) cantonensis was investigated by gene–enzyme systems using vertical polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis. Six gene–enzyme systems were successfully determined, with each being represented by two presumptive loci. Glucose phosphate dehydrogenase, glucose phosphate isomerase, lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme were monomorphic at both loci, and the respective bands exhibited similar mobility in both isolates implying absence of genetic variation.     

Molecular diagnosis of eosinophilic meningitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea) by polymerase chain reaction-DNA sequencing of cerebrospinal fluids of patients

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from clinically diagnosed patients with detectable Angiostrongylus canto-nensis-specific antibodies (n = 10), patients with clinically suspected cases that tested negative for A. cantonensis-an-tibodies (n = 5) and patients with cerebral gnathostomiasis (n = 2) and neurocysticercosis (n = 2) were examined by a single-step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using the AC primers for the 66-kDa native protein gene. The PCR method detected A. cantonensis DNA in CSF samples from four of 10 serologically confirmed angiostrongyliasis cases. The PCR results were negative for the remaining CSF samples. The nucleotide sequences of three positive CSF-PCR samples shared 98.8-99.2% similarity with the reference sequence of A. cantonensis. These results indicate the potential application of this PCR assay with clinical CSF samples for additional support in the confirmation of eosinophilic meningitis due to A. cantonensis.     

Genetic Variability of Plasmodium malariae dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) in Four Asian Countries

The dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) genes of 44 P. malariae strains from four Asian countries were isolated. Only a limited number of polymorphisms were observed. Comparison with homologous mutations in other Plasmodium species showed that these polymorphisms are unlikely to be associated with sulfadoxine resistance.