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Enzyme polymorphism and the identity of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

D. G. Godfrey ,
Catherine M. Scott ,
Wendy C. Gibson ,
D. Mehlitz  and
U. Zillmann
D. G. Godfrey
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Protozoology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 395 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts. AL4 0XQ
Catherine M. Scott
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Protozoology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 395 Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts. AL4 0XQ
Wendy C. Gibson
Affiliation:
Kenyan Trypanosomiasis Research Institute, P.O. Box 362, Kikuyu, KE
D. Mehlitz
Affiliation:
Abteilung für Veterinärmedizin, Bernhard-Nocht-Institut, 2 Hamburg 4, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, GE
U. Zillmann
Affiliation:
Abteilung für Veterinärmedizin, Bernhard-Nocht-Institut, 2 Hamburg 4, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, GE
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Summary

Thirty-two isolates from man in known areas of Gambian trypanosomiasis, in the Sudan, Kenya, Zaire, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Liberia and Senegal, were examined by isoenzyme electrophoresis of 11 enzymes. Comparisons were also made with our previously published results on 23 other stocks of similar origins, which had been examined in the same manner. All those stocks of low initial virulence to laboratory rodents, which thus conform to the accepted view of the behaviour of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense can be identified by characteristic combinations of enzyme patterns, especially certain aminotransferase markers. A limited study of superoxide dismutase polymorphism suggested a further marker of value. The isolates of high initial virulence to rodents, which are thus behaviourally akin to T. b. rhodesiense, did not share these characteristics. We conclude that there exists a homogeneous group of trypanosomes of wide dispersion throughout tropical Africa, characterized by certain isoenzyme combinations and low initial virulence to rodents, which corresponds to the classical concept of T. b. gambiense. The features of limited antigenic repertoire, high resistance to normal human serum and restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the genes for certain variant surface glycoproteins also appear to be characteristic of this group.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 94 , Issue 2 , April 1987 , pp. 337 - 347
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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