Specific primers design based on the superoxide dismutase b gene for Trypanosoma cruzi as a screening tool: Validation method using strains from Colombia classified according to their discrete typing unit
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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
In Vitro Drug Screening Against All Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi Using Parasites Expressing β-galactosidase
Published on: November 5, 2021
Francisco Olmo1, Javier Escobedo-Orteg2, Patricia Palma1
1Grupo de Parasitología Molecular, Departmento de Parasitología; Universidad de Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, E-18071 Granada (España).
Objective:
To classify 21 new isolates of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) according to the Discrete Typing Unit (DTU) which they belong to, as well as tune up a new pair of primers designed to detect the parasite in biological samples.
Methods:
Strains were isolated, DNA extracted, and classified by using three Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR). Subsequently this DNA was used along with other isolates of various biological samples, for a new PCR using primers designed. Finally, the amplified fragments were sequenced.
Results:
It was observed the predominance of DTU I in Colombia, as well as the specificity of our primers for detection of T. cruzi, while no band was obtained when other species were used.
Conclusions:
This work reveals the genetic variability of 21 new isolates of T. cruzi in Colombia.Our primers confirmed their specificity for detecting the presence of T. cruzi.
