title: Tunga penetrans: molecular identification of Wolbachia endobacteria and their recognition by antibodies against proteins of endobacteria from filarial parasites.
abstract: In search of Wolbachia in human parasites, Wolbachia were identified in the sand flea Tunga penetrans. PCR and DNA sequencing of the bacterial 16S rDNA, the ftsZ cell division protein, the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) and the Wolbachia aspartate aminotransferase genes revealed a high similarity to the respective sequences of endosymbionts of filarial nematodes. Using these sequences a phylogenetic tree was generated, that indicates a close relationship between Wolbachia from T. penetrans and from filarial parasites, but possibly as a member of a new supergroup. Ultrastructural studies showed that Wolbachia are abundant in the ovaries of neosomic fleas, whereas other, smaller and morphologically distinct, bacteria were observed in the lumen of the intestine. Wolbachia were labeled by immunohistology and immunogold electron microscopy using polyclonal antibodies against wsp of Drosophila, of the filarial parasite Dirofilaria immitis, or against hsp 60 from Yersinia enterocolitica. These results show that as in filariasis, humans with tungiasis are exposed to Wolbachia. Furthermore, antisera raised against proteins of Wolbachia from arthropods or from filarial parasites can be immunologically cross-reactive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Helminthology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany. Pfischer@bni.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmetz
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bandi
authors.forename: Insa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bonow
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mand
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Dietrich W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Büttner
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria; D007106:Immune Sera; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C112171:Wsp protein, Wolbachia; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases