A study on mitochondrial genome and the glycolysis pathway of diminazene aceturate-resistant Babesia gibsoni isolate in vitro

Babesia gibsoni is a blood protozoan of dogs and a causative pathogen of canine babesiosis. In the treatment of canine babesiosis, possible relapses and the development of drug-resistant isolates are matters of concern. Thus, the goal of this study was to understand the mechanism of DA resistance in the DA-resistant B. gibsoni isolate. In the present study, the changes in the mitochondrial genome and the glycolysis pathway were considered as possible candidates for the development of DA resistance in B .gibsoni. Therefore, the mitochondrial genome and the glycolysis pathway in the DA-resistant B. gibsoni isolate were analyzed and compared with that of the wild-type. In chapter I, the mitochondrial genome in the DA-resistant B. gibsoni isolate was investigated. First, to observe the stability of the capacity of DA resistance, the DA-resistant isolate was cultured without DA for 4 weeks and then cultured with 200 ng/ml DA for 2 weeks. As a result, this isolate proliferated both with and without DA, indicating that the characteristic of DA resistance was stable in the DA-resistant isolate.