Use of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) for generating specific DNA probes for Oxyuroid species (Nematoda)

Random amplified DNA markers (RAPD ; Williams et al., 1990) were used to obtained specific RAPD fragments characterising different species of oxyuroids. We tested six species of worms parasitizing vertebrates or invertebrates: Passalurus ambiguus Rudolphi, 1819, parasite of Leporids ; Syphacia obvelata (Rudolphi, 1802) Seurat, 1916, a parasite of rodents; Blatticola blattae (Graeffe, 1860) Chilwood, 1932 parasite of the cockroach Blattella germanica ; Hammerschmidtiella diesingi (Hammerschmidt, 1838) Chitwood, 1932 and Thelastoma bulhoesi (Magalhaes, 1990) Travassos, 1929, parasites of the cockroach Periplaneta americana, and an undescribed parasite species of a passalid insect from New Caledonia. Among 15 oligonucleotides tested, nine produced several specific bands allowing the interspecific discrimination