In the present study, we demonstrated the Random Amplified Polymorphism DNA (RAPD) diagnostic validity. In our study, we have analyzed RAPD profiles searching for characteristic and useful bands for
Acanthamoeba diagnosis at the species level. We found a distinctive 370-bp band in
A. divionensis RAPD patterns, using the OPC14 primer (TGCGTGCTTG) (Operon Technologies, Inc., Alameda, CA). The band specificity was confirmed by hybridization, using it as a probe, against all OPC14 amplifications from 10 different
Acanthamoeba species. Once we sequenced this band, we used it to design a specific primer pair which showed positive amplification only in
A. divionensis isolates. RID=
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<E5>Correspondence to:</E5> A. Ortega-Rivas; <E5>email</E5>: aortega@ull.es
Received: 5 August 2002 / Accepted: 23 September 2002