OBJECTIVE: To conduct morphological observation and gene analysis and identification of flagellates in tree shrews.
METHODS: The ileocecal contents and feces of tree shrew were filtered and centrifuged to be directly smeared and stained with iodine solution for microscopic examination. The total DNA of the parasite was extracted by traditional methods, and the 18S rRNA of the flagellate was amplified by PCR. After sequencing, BLAST was used for homology. Sexuality analysis was performed, and MEGA5.1 was used to draw a phylogenetic tree.
Results: Morphological observation showed that the flagellates in tree shrews were Trichomonas trichomonas; sequencing analysis showed that the sequence 18S rRNA of tree shrew flagellates was 99% homologous to the reported fetal Trichomonas 18S rRNA (AY754332.1). .
Conclusion: Tree shrews can be infected with Trichomonas fetus, and the research results provide a basis for the parasitological quality control of tree shrews.