The morphological and molecular idenfication of Sarcosystis species from sheeps in the province Van

Yiğit M, The Morphological and Molecular Idenfication Of Sarcosystis Species from Sheeps in The Province Van, Y.Y.Ü. Health Institute, Department of Parasitology, Master Thesis, Van, 2024. Most Sarcocystis species have an obligate two-host life cycle; Carnivores are the final hosts and ruminants are the intermediate hosts. There are only four confirmed species identified in sheep. These are the nonpathogenic macroscopic S. gigantea and S. medusiformis, transmitted by felines, and the pathogenic microscopic S. tenella and S. arieticanis, transmitted by canids. The aim of this study was to reveal the genomic structures of parasite species using the PCR-RFLP method and to identify the species, especially by using the 18S rDNA gene, in order to identify Sarcosystis species found in sheep. Within the scope of this study, the esophagus of 100 sheep slaughtered in Van province was used as material, and the pepsin digestion method combined with PCR analyzes was used to perform molecular analyses. The present study concluded that the ribosomal RNA gene sequences of S. gigantea were distinct, and that the pepsin digestion method in conjunction with PCR analyses was more sensitive than alternative PCR methods. In addition, genomic DNAs were obtained using an extraction kit, and the ribosomal RNA gene, which yielded a 975 bp DNA product in agarose gel, was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The ribosomal RNA gene region was determined by RFLP technique using PCR amplification and MspI and MboII restriction enzymes. Furthermore, this is first molecular study that identifies S. gigantea isolates in Van.