Nucleic acid probes and methods for detecting plasmodium parasites

Abstract

This invention relates to novel nucleic acid probes and methods for detecting Plasmodium parasites as well as detecting different Plasmodium parasites selectively from one another.

1 . A method for detecting the presence of  Plasmodium  sp. in a biological sample wherein said  Plasmodium  sp. is one or both of  Plasmodium malariae  and  Plasmodium ovale , said method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a biological sample suspected of containing one or both of  Plasmodium malariae  and  Plasmodium ovale;      b) contacting said sample with a probe suitable for detecting  Plasmodium malariae  in a hybridization assay, the probe consisting of [SEQ ID NO: 14] or a full-length complementary sequence of [SEQ ID NO: 14], under conditions that permit said probe to hybridize to  Plasmodium malariae  nucleic acid and/or contacting said sample with a probe suitable for detecting  Plasmodium ovale  in a hybridization assay, the probe consisting of [SEQ ID NO: 15] or a full-length complementary sequence of [SEQ ID NO: 15], under conditions that permit said probe to hybridize to  Plasmodium ovale  nucleic acid; and   c) detecting said probe bound to said  Plasmodium malariae  and/or  Plasmodium ovale  nucleic acid in said sample as an indication of the presence of  Plasmodium malariae  and/or  Plasmodium ovale  in said sample.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method detects  Plasmodium malariae  and said nucleic acid probe is [SEQ ID NO: 14] or a full-length complementary sequence of [SEQ ID NO: 14] thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method detects  Plasmodium ovale  and wherein said nucleic acid probe is [SEQ ID NO: 15] or a full-length complementary sequence of [SEQ ID NO: 15] thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said detecting comprises detecting the probe bound to said  Plasmodium  nucleic acid by Fluorescent in Situ Hybridization (FISH). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said detecting comprises detecting the probe bound to said  Plasmodium  nucleic acid by a Dot Blot assay. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the biological sample is selected from the group consisting of whole blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), bone marrow and a tissue sample. 
     
     
         7 . A composition comprising a nucleotide sequence, the nucleotide sequence consisting of a sequence selected from the group consisting of [SEQ ID NO: 14] and [SEQ ID NO: 15] and the full-length complement of [SEQ ID NO: 14] and [SEQ ID NO: 15]. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleotide sequence consists of [SEQ ID NO: 14]. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleotide sequence consists of the full-length complement of [SEQ ID NO: 14]. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleotide sequence consists of [SEQ ID NO: 15]. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleotide sequence consists of the full-length complement of [SEQ ID NO: 15].