RESTRICTION ENZYME MAPPING OF RIBOSOMAL DNA OF SCHISTOSOMA-SPINDALE AND S-LEIPERI (DIGENEA) AND ITS APPLICATION TO INTERSPECIFIC DIFFERENTIATION

Restriction maps were determined for the ribosomal RNA gene complex of Schistosoma spindale and S. leiperi. The restriction map of the S. spindale rRNA gene complex was found to differ from those of other schistosomes previously described by the presence of an additional EcoRI site in the non transcribed spacer region. In common with S. mattheei and S. margrebowiei, both S. leiperi and S. spindale appear to have insertions in the transcribed spacer region, relative to S. mansoni. EcoRI digests of genomic DNA, probed with pSM 889, enabled differentiation of S. spindale and S. leiperi from four other species of schistosome.