A molecular karyotype of Eimeria tenella as revealed by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field gel electrophoresis.

DNA from sporozoites of Eimeria tenella was resolved by pulsed field gel electrophoresis into nine chromosomal bands. Some bands of this molecular karyotype contained more than one chromosome as determined by the relative intensity of both staining with ethidium bromide and hybridisation to an E. tenella telomeric probe. Haploid forms of the parasite must be presumed to contain at least 12 chromosomes. The two smallest chromosomes were about 1.1 and 1.4 megabases. Most chromosomes were in excess of 3 Mb with the largest over 5 Mb as determined by comparison with the co-migration of chromosomes from Schizosaccharomyces pombe. A 5S ribosomal gene probe hybridised to a single chromosomal band.