Abstract
Here we describe the in vitro isolation, propagation, and characterization of a Theileria species from roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus). Cultures were initiated using parts of a prescapular lymph node of an infected roan antelope. After 16 days of culture propagation, the first subculture was carried out; thereafter, subcultures were carried out twice a week. Standard methods for the cultivation of Theileria macroschizonts were applied. DNA was extracted from culture material and a partial polymerase chain reaction amplification of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was carried out using Theileria genus-specific primers. It has been shown that Theileria sp. (roan) had high levels of nucleic acid identity with sequence data of the 18S rRNA gene of a Theileria sp. previously isolated from a sable antelope. The phylogenetic analysis showed that this isolate is closely related to several undescribed Theileria spp. which have previously been identified from a dog and some other antelope species in South Africa.
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Zweygarth, E., Benade, J., Steyl, J. et al. In vitro cultivation of a Theileria species from a roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus). Parasitol Res 105, 1755–1757 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1589-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1589-4