Molecular characterization of a new microvariant of the G3 genotype for Echinococcus granulosus in water buffalo in Iran.

In this study, molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus sample obtained from water buffalo originating from southwest of Iran was performed using comparative sequence analysis of cox1 mitochondrial gene. DNA was extracted from protoscoleces removed from hydatid cyst from the liver of a 2-year-old male buffalo slaughtered in Khuzestan province. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses were conducted based on cox1 mitochondrial gene. We found the presence of a new microvariant of G3 genotype for E. granulosus in Iran which is genetically differentiated from reference G3 sequence (M84663). The difference was a transition mutation of adenine to guanine in position 214 (A214G) resulting in a substitution of the threonine (ACT) by alanine (GCT). These findings extend the knowledge of heterogeneity and distribution of G3 genotype for E. granulosus in world.