Research Project
2163305
DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Applicant's Abstract): Acanthamoeba species are free-living amoebas that are universally distributed in the environment. They have become increasingly important to the medical community as agents of central nervous system and ocular infections. Several species of Acanthamoeba cause a severe keratitis that is difficult to diagnose and treat and is often mistaken for herpes simplex keratitis. The objective of this proposal is to develop DNA probes for detection and identification of Acanthamoeba species. This will be accomplished by sequencing the genes encoding the small subunit ribosomal RNA (rDNA) and using sequence analysis to select unique regions suitable for synthesis of gene probes. Biotinylated DNA probes complementary to unique regions in the Acanthamoeba rDNA gene will be synthesized and tested for specificity and sensitivity by hybridization with Acanthamoeba and other organisms. The sequence data generated in this study will be useful in clarifying the taxonomy of free-living amoebas.
