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M Tibayrenc

Publications and source records attributed to M Tibayrenc.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Cryptic speciation in Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia) trapidoi (Fairchild & Hertig) (Diptera: Psychodidae) detected by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis.

Lutzomyia trapidoi is the major vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ecuador. In the framework of an epidemiologic study, female Lu. trapidoi sand flies were captured on human bait in La Tablada and Paraiso Escondido. Some coloration heterogeneity among the specimens caught led us to look for the existence of cryptic species using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. In 196 specimens studied, five of seven enzyme loci proved to be variable, making it possible to check for departures from panmixia both by Hardy-Weinberg statistics and linkage disequilibrium analysis. Two discrete groups were clearly distinguished, which could be differentiated by the diagnostic locus glycerophosphate dehydrogenase. The two groups occurred in sympatry within each locality. Genetic distances measured between these two groups were consistent with values usually found between distinct species. These results suggest the existence of a least two sibling species in Paraiso Escondido as well as La Tablada. The epidemiologic relevance of these results is discussed.

Animals↗

An isoenzyme survey of Trypanosoma cruzi genetic variability in sylvatic cycles from French Guiana.

Twenty-seven trypanosomatidae stocks isolated from various hosts in French Guiana have been surveyed by Multilocus Enzyme Electrophoresis on cellulose acetate plates. The variability observed at 22 different enzyme systems was considerable, since 21 different enzyme profiles (zymodemes) could be distinguished. Clustering analysis and comparison with four laboratory reference stocks showed clearly that three stocks were distantly related from the rest and most probably cannot be included in the species Trypanosoma cruzi. All the other stocks were more related to the formerly described zymodeme I than to the formerly described zymodemes II and III. Genotype variability in this T. cruzi sylvatic population was notably higher than in domestic populations of the same parasite. This could suggest more frequent genetic exchange occurring in sylvatic cycles. Nevertheless, a population genetic analysis of the data showed a considerable linkage disequilibrium, which rather favors the hypothesis that T. cruzi has a basically clonal population structure in this ecosystem too.

Animals↗

Putative Leishmania hybrids in the Eastern Andean valley of Huanuco, Peru.

During an outbreak of tegumentary leishmaniasis that developed in the 1990s in the Eastern Andean valley of Huanuco, Peru, the coexistence of Andean (uta) and sylvatic leishmaniases was suspected for ecological and geographical reasons, and sympatric sampling was carried out. Seven human isolates of Leishmania were characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, random amplification of polymorphic DNA and molecular karyotyping. The three methods identified 3 isolates as L. braziliensis, and 4 isolates as putative hybrids with characters of L. braziliensis and L. peruviana. Data from Huanuco are compared to previous results from other areas endemic for uta. Biological and epidemiological implications are discussed.

Animals↗

Genetic diversity and population structure of Trypanosoma brucei: clonality versus sexuality.

Genomic fingerprinting by arbitrarily primed PCR was used to analyze the genetic variability among 59 Trypanosoma brucei stocks representing the three T. brucei subspecies isolated from various hosts and different countries in Africa. 14 oligonucleotide primers revealed 355 polymorphic binary characters which were used for phenetic and phylogenetic analysis and to perform recombination tests exploring the linkage disequilibrium in the sample. There was good concordance between arbitrarily primed PCR polymorphisms and isoenzyme data previously collected for many of the same strains [1]. However, the arbitrarily primed PCR typing was more discerning than multilocus enzyme electrophoresis typing. Phenetic and phylogenetic analysis using arbitrarily primed PCR markers did not confirm T. brucei brucei and T. brucei rhodesiense as separate subspecies, but T. brucei gambiense group I was monophyletic, confirming this group as suitable for the subspecies status. With this exception, there were no clear lineages among the sample, other than clustering of East African stocks and clustering of West African stocks. Some features of the phylogenetic analysis suggested that the population structure was not strictly clonal though recombination tests showed linkage disequilibrium, even in the absence of repeated genotypes. While genotypes appear stable enough for tracking in applied studies, sexuality will impact at the evolutionary time scale, and may be more frequent under some ecological conditions. The arbitrarily primed PCR approach should be an effective and simple approach to follow epidemics and to quantify the role of sexuality in T. brucei populations.

Africa↗

Detection of linkage disequilibrium in Trypanosoma brucei isolated from tsetse flies and characterized by RAPD analysis and isoenzymes.

This study analyses the different populations of Trypanosoma brucei spp. which may coexist within the midgut of wild tsetse flies (Stevens et al. 1994). Cloned trypanosome populations characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) were further analysed by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique, allowing detection of genetic variation at a finer level than that possible by MLEE. Genetic distance matrices derived from the results of each of the two biochemical methods were calculated and compared using a computer program based on the method of Mantel (1967). The observed correlation was used to investigate the degree of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the data, association between unrelated polymorphic markers providing a measure of the departure from panmixia. The potential of each biochemical method to detect linkage was evaluated by an extended Mantel test. The MLEE/RAPD correlation test evidenced significant LD within the population, suggesting a predominantly clonal method of reproduction for these West African trypanosomes. Analysis of RAPD data by the extended Mantel test also showed significant LD, while the results with MLEE data were less conclusive, providing an indication of the relative potential of the two techniques to detect fine genetic variation.

Animals↗

Karyotype plasticity in neotropical Leishmania: an index for measuring genomic distance among L. (V.) peruviana and L. (V.) braziliensis populations.

A method for phenetic analysis of karyotype data has been developed for Leishmania populations. Measurement of size difference between chromosomes recognized by a given DNA probe in different isolates led to the formulation of a Chromosome Size Difference Index (CSDI). The method was applied to phenetic analysis of 4 sets of chromosomes--each set being recognized by a different probe--in 37 L. (Viannia) peruviana isolates sampled along a North-South transect through the Peruvian Andes and, in 11 L. (V.) braziliensis isolates from the Amazonian forest (Peru, Bolivia and Brazil). Karyotype variability was better accounted for by CSDI than by a method based on disjunctive encoding of karyotype data. CSDI evidenced the nature of relationships between L. braziliensis and L. peruviana and it provided a coherent picture of geographical and genomic differentiation among parasite populations. The latter did cluster according to their geographical origin. L. braziliensis was found karyotypically more homogeneous than L. peruviana. Within L. peruviana, Northern populations were closer to L. braziliensis than to Southern L. peruviana populations. The validity of karyotypic populations, or karyodemes, was sustained.

Animals↗

From population to genome: ecogenetics of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and L. (V.) peruviana.

The size polymorphism of nine chromosomes, recognized by specific probes, was analysed in populations of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and L. (V.) peruviana from various Peruvian biogeographical units. Interpretation of the polymorphism, by statistical and phenetic methods, led to the identification of five consensus (alpha- and beta-tubulin) and four variable chromosomes. The dynamics of the variable chromosomes were studied. The promoter role of the environment on their polymorphism was indicated by: (1) the discrimination of L. braziliensis (forest) and L. peruviana (Andes) by the size of the chromosome containing the gp63 genes; and (2) the fact that, within L. peruviana, the polymorphism of the variable chromosomes revealed a strong eco-geographical structuring of parasite populations, accompanied by increasing chromosomal dissimilarity along a cline from north to south. The adaptative significance of the polymorphism of the variable chromosomes was suggested by: (1) a correlation between chromosomal polymorphism and phenotype variability (lesion type in patients and virulence in vitro); and (2) the association between the decrease in size of the gp63-containing chromosome from L. braziliensis to L. peruviana, and a rearrangement of the gp63 genes, probably accompanied by a decrease in their copy number. As chromosomal variation was shown to be more dependant on eco-geographical differences than isoenzymatic variation, chromosome variation and enzyme variation probably differ in adaptative significance.

Adaptation, Biological↗

Population genetics and strain typing of microorganisms: how to detect departures from panmixia without individualizing alleles and loci.

The actual impact of genetic exchange in natural populations of microorganisms is presently under debate. It is indispensable to precisely estimate this parameter in order to assess the stability in space and time of these microorganisms' genotypes, and hence, their epidemiological and medical relevance. Population genetic concepts make it possible to address this question rigorously. Nevertheless, the analyses are made difficult by the fact that very often, the genetic markers used do not allow discrimination of individual alleles and loci. This work presents some linkage disequilibrium tests usable even under these conditions, and hence applicable with any class of marker (isoenzymes, RFLP, RAPD, DNA fingerprinting).

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

Isozyme variability of Trypanosoma brucei s.l.: genetic, taxonomic, and epidemiological significance.

Seventy-eight Trypanosoma brucei s.l. stocks from different hosts, representing the three Trypanosoma brucei subspecies and three Trypanosoma evansi stocks, were studied for variation at 18 polymorphic isozyme loci. The results were used to determine the genetic variability among stocks and to estimate gene flow among populations. Total genetic variability in T. brucei s.l. was less than that in Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease. Results support a clonal population structure in T. brucei, but do not preclude a hypothesis of occasional mating. However, some natural clones of T. brucei s.l. appear as genetically stable and should be considered as useful taxonomic units in applied studies. Greater genotypic diversity was observed in trypanosomes isolated from wild mammals. Numerical taxonomy methods identified a group of clones representing most of the human stocks from Central and West Africa. This group probably corresponds to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense "group I" (Gibson, Parasitology Today 2, 255-257, 1986). As reported elsewhere, genetic evidence of the subspecies Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense was ambiguous, suggesting that these taxa represent more "nosodemes" rather than actual genetic clades.

Alleles↗

Identification of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense group I by a specific kinetoplast DNA probe.

A set of 26 Trypanosoma brucei stocks from various African countries, previously characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) for 18 polymorphic loci, have been selected to be representative of the three T. brucei classic subspecies. The kinetoplast DNA minicircle variable regions from these stocks have been amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, and hybridized with the amplified variable regions of three T. brucei reference stocks, previously identified as T. brucei brucei, T. brucei gambiense, and T. brucei rhodesiense, respectively. Both T. b. brucei and T. b. rhodesiense probes hybridized only with their own stocks, but the T. b. gambiense probe specifically hybridized with a group of 12 stocks that represented most of the human stocks from West and Central Africa in our sample. These stocks, which appeared as a clearly separable cluster based on previous MLEE analysis, probably correspond to T. brucei gambiense group I. No other stock hybridized with this amplified fragment. Since the T. b. gambiense probe obtained is specific for many isolates that are pathogenic for humans in Central and West Africa, it appears to be a promising tool for epidemiologic and medical surveys.

Africa↗

The yeast Candida albicans has a clonal mode of reproduction in a population of infected human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients.

To ascertain the population structure of Candida albicans, we have carried out a multilocus enzyme electrophoresis study based on the analysis of 21 gene loci. We have thus characterized 55 strains isolated one each from 55 human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients. There is considerable polymorphism among the strains. A population-genetic analysis indicates that the two fundamental consequences of sexual reproduction (i.e., segregation and recombination) are apparently absent in this population of C. albicans. The population structure of C. albicans appears to be clonal, a state of affairs that has important medical and biological consequences.

Candida albicans↗

Genetic characterization of six parasitic protozoa: parity between random-primer DNA typing and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis.

We have assayed genetic polymorphisms in several species of parasitic protozoa by means of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). One goal was to ascertain the suitability of RAPD markers for investigating genetic and evolutionary problems, particularly in organisms, such as the parasitic protozoa, unsuitable for traditional methods of genetic analysis. Another goal was to test certain hypotheses concerning Trypanosoma cruzi, and other protozoa, that have been established by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. The RAPD results corroborate the hypothesis that the population structure of T. cruzi is clonal and yield a phylogeny of the clonal lineages in agreement with the one obtained by enzyme electrophoresis. This parity between the two sets of results confirms that RAPD markers are reliable genetic markers. The RAPD markers are also suitable for reconstructing species phylogenies and as diagnostic characters of species and subspecific lineages. The number of DNA polymorphisms that can be detected by the RAPD method seems virtually unlimited, since the number of primers can be increased effectively at will. The RAPD method is well suited for investigating genetic and evolutionary questions in certain organisms, because it is cost effective and demands no previous genetic knowledge about the organism.

Animals↗

Entamoeba, giardia and toxoplasma: clones or cryptic species?

The availability of molecular markers has renewed interest in the taxonomy of parasitic protozoa at the subspecific and specific levels. Nevertheless, the conclusions reached are heavily dependent upon the way the data are analyzed. Some authors have emphasized the value of genetic distances to propose the creation o f new species, while others have rather favoured a population genetic approach to account for the intraspecific variability of parasites. In this article, using three illustrative cases, Michel Tibayrenc shows that dissimilar taxonomic approaches can be built from quite comparable sets of data.

Journal Article↗

Population genetics of Trypanosoma brucei in central Africa: taxonomic and epidemiological significance.

In order to estimate the value of population genetics for both the taxonomy of trypanosomes belonging to the species Trypanosoma brucei and a better understanding of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), we undertook a cellulose acetate electrophoresis isoenzyme study involving 55 stocks isolated from man and animals in Congo, Zaire and Cameroun. Out of the 24 loci surveyed, 15 exhibited variability, which made it possible to delimit 23 zymodemes, divided into 2 groups. The first group equated to the classical subspecies Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, while the second corresponded to the classical subspecies Trypanosoma brucei brucei. These results broadly agree with the current taxonomy, and are corroborated by RFLP analysis of kDNA. Statistical analysis indicates a basically clonal reproduction system of the trypanosomes in the area studied; the zymodemes are equivalent to natural clones (or a family of closely related clones), stable in space and time. Epidemiological hypotheses are proposed according to the geographic distribution of the clones in this area.

Africa, Central↗