Molecular characterization of Echinostoma caproni and E. paraensei by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis.

Genomic DNA from Echinostoma caproni and Echinostoma paraensei was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction using primers (5'-TCGTAGCCAA and 5'-TCACGATGCA), originally found to differentiate species and strain of Schistosoma. The 2 putative species of Echinostoma produced distinct banding patterns clearly distinguishable from one another, thereby suggesting that RAPD (random amplification of polymorphic DNA) analysis may be useful for the identification of echinostome strains and species previously misunderstood or undescribed, and that primers developed for species within a given genus, e.g., Schistosoma, may have broader application in identifying other trematodes.