Date of Publication
8-2025
Document Type
Bachelor's Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Biology major in Medical Biology
Subject Categories
Veterinary Medicine
College
College of Science
Department/Unit
Biology
Thesis Advisor
Ma. Carmen A. Lagman
Defense Panel Chair
Bridget C. Arellano
Defense Panel Member
Florabelle D. Querubin
Raymond Vincent F. Castillo
Abstract (English)
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a retrovirus that compromises the immune system of cats with molecular detection often hindered by high genetic diversity and the absence of regional reference sequences. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a PCR assay targeting the pol gene for FIV detection in Philippine domestic cats, and compare it with commonly-used gag-based primers. Using designed and published primers, PCR amplification was performed on DNA extracted from FIV-positive and -negative cats. Sanger sequencing determined nucleotide composition, phylogenetic analysis assessed clustering and bootstrap support, and BLASTN confirmed sequence identity. Results showed that pol-based primers produced more consistent amplification than gag. Of the three pol sequences analyzed phylogenetically, all clustered with known FIV pol sequences and exhibited strong bootstrap support but only one of the three sequences, originating from an FIV-positive cat, was interpreted as a likely true positive. FIV-negative cats also showed clustering with known FIV sequences, though with lower support and poor sequence quality, suggesting incidental similarity or novel strain detection. Despite this, BLASTN returned no significant matches for any sample, suggesting the presence of potentially novel or highly divergent strains. This study implies that pol-based assays may offer greater sensitivity in detecting divergent FIV strains and underscores the need for more localized sequence data. It is recommended that future studies include recombination analysis, deep sequencing, and validation methods such as endpoint dilution to confirm novel FIV lineages.
Abstract Format
html
Abstract (Filipino)
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Abstract Format
html
Language
English
Format
Electronic
Keywords
Feline immunodeficiency virus; Cats—Diseases
Recommended Citation
Sararaña, A. B., Fallarme, A. F., & Villas, L. F. (2025). Development and testing of a pol gene-based pcr assay for the detection of feline immunodeficiency virus (fiv) in domestic cats. Retrieved from https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdb_bio/154
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Embargo Period
8-9-2026
