New Data on the Ecology of the Fossil Don Hare Lepus tanaiticus Gureev, 1964

A spore and pollen research was performed for the first time to study the contents of the gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) and sediments containing frozen mummies of the fossil Don hare from the Upper Pleistocene ice complex of the Verkhoyansk district of Yakutia. Radiocarbon dating (C14) revealed that the hares lived during the Karginian Interstadial of the Late Pleistocene, 32.5 thousand years ago (calibrated date). The results expanded the understanding of the ecology of extinct Lepus tanaiticus. The species was assumed to live in cold steppes dominated by xerophytic communities, as well as in grass-forb and sedge-forb meadows. Herbaceous plants mostly constituted the winter diet of Don hare in contrast to the modern mountain hare L. timidus, which feeds mainly on branches and bark of trees and shrubs in winter.

Multiplex PCR Assay for Identifi cation and Differentiation of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli Isolates

INTRODUCTION

Campylobacter spp. are important causative agents of gastrointestinal infections in humans. The most frequently isolated strains of this bacterial genus are Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. To date, genetic methods for bacterial identification have not been used in Bulgaria. We optimized the multiplex PSR assay to identify Campylobacter spp. and differentiate C. jejuni from C. coli in clinical isolates. We also compared this method with the routinely used biochemical methods.

AIM

To identify Campylobacter spp. and discriminate C. coli from C. jejuni in clinical isolates using multiplex PCR assay.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between February 2014 and January 2015 we studied 93 stool samples taken from patients with diarrheal syndrome and identified 40 species of Campylobacter spp. in them. The clinical material was cultured in microaerophilic atmosphere, the isolated strains being biochemically diff erentiated (hydrolysis of sodium hippurate for C. jejuni, and hydrolysis of indoxyl acetate for C. coli). DNA was isolated from the strains using QiaAmp MiniKit (QIAGEN, Germany). Twenty strains were tested with multiplex PCR for the presence of these genes: cadF, characteristic for Campylobacter spp., hipO for C. jejuni and asp for C. coli.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The biochemical tests identified 16 strains of C. jejuni, 3 strains of C. coli, and 1 strain of C. upsaliensis. After the multiplex PCR assay the capillary gel electrophoresis confirmed 16 strains of C. jejuni, 2 strains of C. coli and 2 strains of Campylobacter spp. - because of the presence of the gene cadF. C. jejuni has the gene hipO, and it is possible that this gene may not be expressed in the biochemical differentiation yielding a negative reaction as a result. In comparison, we can conclude that the genetic differentiation is a more accurate method than the biochemical tests.

CONCLUSION

The multiplex PCR assay is a fast, accurate method for identifi cation of Campylobacter spp. which makes it quite necessary in the clinical diagnostic practice.