Design and validation of an oligonucleotide probe for the detection of protozoa from the order Trichomonadida using chromogenic in situ hybridization

Abstract

Infections with protozoal parasites of the order Trichomonadida are often observed in veterinary medicine. Based on the trichomonad species involved these infections are either asymptomatic or can lead to sometimes serious disease.

To further study protozoal agents of the order Trichomonadida the establishment of a method to detect trichomonads directly in the tissue, allowing parasite-lesion correlation, is necessary. Here we describe the design and evaluation of an oligonucleotide probe for chromogenic in situ hybridization, theoretically allowing detection of all hitherto known members of the order Trichomonadida.

Keywords

• Tritrichomonas-fetus
• pentatrichomonas-hominis
• histomonas-meleagridis
• molecular phylogeny
• ribosomal-rna
• identification
• infection