Enhanced karyotype resolution of Cryptosporidium parvum by contour-clamped homogeneous electric fields.

Previous karyotype analysis with contour-clamped homogeneous electric fields (CHEF) indicated that the Cryptosporidium parvum karyotype comprises a minimum of five chromosomes all less than 1.6 Mb in size. In this study we were able to improve the resolution of the karyotype using a modified CHEF gel electrophoretic procedure that allows for the routine identification of seven C. parvum chromosomes ranging in size from about 0.945 to 2.2 Mb. Our data also suggest that an eighth chromosome is present and comigrates with another chromosome at about 1.3 Mb.