Existence of genetic variability among Indian isolates of Trypanosoma evansi

Genetic heterogeneity within Trypanosoma evansi isolates derived from buffalo, dog, horse and camel was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR was carried out using 17 arbitrary decamers with a GC content ranging from 60 to 70% and potentially informative primers on the genome of T. evansi were identified. The data on percentage difference between each pair of parasite isolates and the average percentage difference value for each of the isolate pairs for a given random oligonucleotide primer were elucidated. Depending upon the T. evansi isolate-primer combination between 3 and 15 reproducible DNA fingerprints of 179 bp to 4039 bp were amplified suggesting minor and major differences in their random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles. One arbitrary primer, 5¡ä-CCCCGGTAAC¨C3¡ä was identified as potentially informative for intra-species differentiation of T. evansi.