Evaluation of alpha-Tubulin as an Antigenic and Molecular Probe to Detect Giardia lamblia.
10.3347/kjp.2009.47.3.287
- Author:
Juri KIM
1
;
Myeong Heon SHIN
;
Kyoung Ju SONG
;
Soon Jung PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Environmental Medical Biology and Institute of Tropical Medicine, Post Brain Korea 21 Program, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea. sjpark615@yuhs.ac
- Publication Type:Brief Communication ; Evaluation Studies ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Giardia lamblia;
alpha-tubulin;
immunofluorescence assay;
PCR-RFLP
- MeSH:
Animals;
Antigens, Protozoan/*genetics/immunology;
Base Sequence;
Giardia lamblia/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification;
Giardiasis/*diagnosis/immunology/parasitology;
Humans;
Molecular Probes/genetics/immunology;
Molecular Sequence Data;
Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods;
Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length;
Protozoan Proteins/*genetics/immunology;
Sequence Alignment;
Tubulin/*genetics/immunology
- From:The Korean Journal of Parasitology
2009;47(3):287-291
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The alpha/beta-tubulin heterodimer is the basic subunit of microtubules in eukaryotes. Polyclonal antibodies specific to recombinant alpha-tubulin of Giardia lamblia were made, and found effective as a probe to specifically detect G. lamblia by immunofluorescence assays. Nucleotide sequences of alpha-tubulin genes were compared between G. lamblia WB and GS strains, prototypes of assemblage A and assemblage B, respectively. A set of primers was designed and used to amplify a portion of the alpha-tubulin gene from G. lamblia. PCR-RFLP analysis of this alpha-tubulin PCR product successfully differentiated G. lamblia into 2 distinct groups, assemblages A and B. The results indicate that alpha-tubulin can be used as a molecular probe to detect G. lamblia.
