Abstract
BackgroundCurrently, more than 300 genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) have been described throughout the world, demonstrating its wide genetic diversity. The SAG3 locus is one of the genes included in the genotyping panel of this parasite. It is associated with its virulence since it participates during the invasion process of the host cells. Therefore, cloning, sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis were used to deepen the understanding of the SAG3 locus genetic diversity of T. gondii in blood samples from feral cats.ResultsSix different SAG3 sequences were detected, five of which were detected in one feline. Three sequences were first reported here; one of them was an intragenic recombinant. In the cladogram, four out of ten SAG3 sequences did not share nodes with others reported worldwide.ConclusionsCloning and sequencing of samples with more than one restriction pattern by PCR-RFLP were very helpful tools to demonstrate the presence of more than three genotypes of T. gondii in the blood of feral cats from southeastern Mexico. This suggests a potential mixed infection of multiple T. gondii strains and high genetic diversity of the parasites in felines in this tropical region of Mexico.
Highlights
More than 300 genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) have been described throughout the world, demonstrating its wide genetic diversity
We previously reported two triple infections (I + II + III) by RFLP in blood samples of feral cats from the Mexican Caribbean, a finding that is becoming quite common in the country
Ten of the eleven feral cats sampled were positive for infection by T. gondii, and two of these ten cats (TgCatMxQR3 and TgCatMxQR6) had mixed infections detected by PCR-RFLP at the SAG3 locus, which was cloned and sequenced
Summary
More than 300 genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) have been described throughout the world, demonstrating its wide genetic diversity. The SAG3 locus is one of the genes included in the genotyping panel of this parasite It is associated with its virulence since it participates during the invasion process of the host cells. Cloning, sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis were used to deepen the understanding of the SAG3 locus genetic diversity of T. gondii in blood samples from feral cats. Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most successful parasites in the world because of its ability to infect and persist in most warm-blooded animals [1]. The presence of this parasite has been demonstrated in felines on all continents, including Antarctica [2, 3]. We performed a more profound approach and evaluated the degree of genetic diversity of SAG3 at the sequence level; we compared the results to those published in genetic databases and we present the results
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