Detection of 16S rRNA gene in round bodies isolated from polyps of rhinosporidiosis

Polyps of rhinosporidiosis contain microscopic round bodies, believed to be causative agents of the disease. The source and identity of these round bodies has been debated ever since the first case was described in the year 1900. Most patients have a history of exposure to pond water. Collection and microscopic analysis of pond water samples where patients had been dipping led to the idea that a cyanobacterium could possibly develop into round bodies after entering the patient's nose. Molecular genomic studies based on PCR, cloning, and sequencing were, therefore, carried out using purified DNA, extracted from individually separated round bodies from polyp samples. Parallel investigations were also conducted on DNA extracted from cyanobacterium Microcystis isolated from pond water samples. The results of these experiments presented here provide evidence of the presence of 1458 bp 16S rRNA gene in round bodies. This is the first molecular study indicating the prokaryotic identity of round bodies in rhinosporidiosis.