Preliminary evidence for the occurrence of β-tubulin isotype 3 polymorphisms in Fasciola hepatica isolates in cattle and sheep in Turkey

Fasciolosis caused by is a common parasitic disease of livestock especially sheep and cattle. In this study molecular characterization of β-tubulin isotype 3 gene in isolates from cattle and sheep in Turkey was carried out. For this purpose a total of 80 adult isolates were collected from 20 sheep and 20 cattle in Kayseri and Erzurum provinces. PCR-RFLP was performed on β-tubulin isotype 3 gene and revealed two fragments of approximately 350 bp and 390 bp, whereas enzyme yielded 210, 340 and 540 bp bands, yielded 380 and 450 bp bands in all samples. A total of 80 isolates were tested by SSCP and all of them presented the same band profiles. Six samples (4 sheep and 2 cattle) were randomly selected and DNA sequence of a 935 bp coding fragment of β-tubulin isotype 3 was performed. Sheep samples were more polymorphic than the cattle. This β-tubulin isotype 3 gene polymorphism of isolates from sheep and cattle of two distinct geographical areas of Turkey have been investigated for the first time.