Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Dec 2011)

Biological, biochemical and molecular features of Trypanosoma cruzi strains isolated from patients infected through oral transmission during a 2005 outbreak in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil: its correspondence with the new T. cruzi Taxonomy Consensus (2009)

  • Sonia Gumes Andrade,
  • Rozália Figueira Campos,
  • Mario Steindel,
  • Marcos Lázaro Guerreiro,
  • Juracy Barbosa Magalhães,
  • Marcio Cerqueira de Almeida,
  • Joice Neves Reis,
  • Viviane Corrêa Santos,
  • Helder Magno Silva Valadares,
  • Mitermayer Galvão dos Reis,
  • Andréa Mara Macedo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0074-02762011000800009
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 106, no. 8
pp. 948 – 956

Abstract

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We examined strains of Trypanosoma cruzi isolated from patients with acute Chagas disease that had been acquired by oral transmission in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil (2005) and two isolates that had been obtained from a marsupial (Didelphis aurita) and a vector (Triatoma tibiamaculata). These strains were characterised through their biological behaviour and isoenzymic profiles and genotyped according to the new Taxonomy Consensus (2009) based on the discrete typing unities, that is, T. cruzi genotypes I-VI. All strains exhibited the biological behaviour of biodeme type II. In six isolates, late peaks of parasitaemia, beyond the 20th day, suggested a double infection with biodemes II + III. Isoenzymes revealed Z2 or mixed Z1 and Z2 profiles. Genotyping was performed using three polymorphic genes (cytochrome oxidase II, spliced leader intergenic region and 24Sα rRNA) and the restriction fragment length polymorphism of the kDNA minicircles. Based on these markers, all but four isolates were characterised as T. cruzi II genotypes. Four mixed populations were identified: SC90, SC93 and SC97 (T. cruzi I + T. cruzi II) and SC95 (T. cruzi I + T. cruzi VI). Comparison of the results obtained by different methods was essential for the correct identification of the mixed populations and major lineages involved indicating that characterisation by different methods can provide new insights into the relationship between phenotypic and genotypic aspects of parasite behaviour.

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