title: Phylogenetic analyses of Chlamydia psittaci strains from birds based on 16S rRNA gene sequence.
abstract: The nucleotide sequences of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were determined for 39 strains of Chlamydia psittaci (34 from birds and 5 from mammals) and for 4 Chlamydia pecorum strains. The sequences were compared phylogenetically with the gene sequences of nine Chlamydia strains (covering four species of the genus) retrieved from nucleotide databases. In the neighbor-joining tree, C. psittaci strains were more closely related to each other than to the other Chlamydia species, although a feline pneumonitis strain was distinct (983 to 98.6% similarity to other strains) and appeared to form the deepest subline within the species of C. psittaci (bootstrap value, 99%). The other strains of C. psittaci exhibiting similarity values of more than 99% were branched into several subgroups. Two pigeon strains and one turkey strain formed a distinct clade recovered in 97% of the bootstrapped trees. The other pigeon strains seemed to be distinct from the strains from psittacine birds, with 88% of bootstrap value. In the cluster of psittacine strains, three parakeet strains and an ovine abortion strain exhibited a specific association (level of sequence similarity, 99.9% or more; bootstrap value, 95%). These suggest that at least four groups of strains exist within the species C. psittaci. The 16S rDNA sequence is a valuable phylogenetic marker for the taxonomy of chlamydiae, and its analysis is a reliable tool for identification of the organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epizootiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuruno
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiramune
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000382:microbiology; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology*; D002371:Cat Diseases; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases; D002689:Chlamydia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D002691:Chlamydophila psittaci / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006734:Horse Diseases; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D009956:Psittacosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S