Genetic relationships within the Opisthorchis viverrini species complex with specific analysis of O. viverrini from Savannakhet, Lao PDR by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis.

Recent systematic studies of Opisthorchis viverrini based on multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE) have shown that there are at least five genetic groups and possibly two cryptic species occurring in Thailand and Lao PDR each associated with a specific wetland system. A study based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene analyses of an O. viverrini population from Savannakhet (SV, Lao PDR) clustered with several isolates from Thailand and Lao PDR although they originated from different river wetland systems. We used MEE to re-examine whether O. viverrini from SV was similar genetically to isolates from Thailand and Lao PDR. The allelic profiles of O. viverrini from SV and five different wetlands representing defined genetic groups of O. viverrini were recorded at 24 enzyme loci as opposed to only two loci of mtDNA. Contrary to previous studies, O. viverrini from SV was found to have fixed genetic differences at six to eight of the 24 loci examined (24.50-35.42%). Allelic data indicated that O. viverrini from SV differed from isolates in the Nam Ngum River wetland in Lao PDR (29.33% fixed genetic differences) and clustered with O. viverrini from Nakhon Phanom and Sakon Nakhon within the Songkram River wetland in Thailand but had fixed genetic differences from these at 24.5% of loci examined. Our data confirm the association between genetic groups of O. viverrini and specific wetland systems, and raise important questions regarding the significance of the genetic differences and relationships of O. viverrini from these wetlands.