title: Phylogenetic relationships among Pneumocystis from Asian macaques inferred from mitochondrial rRNA sequences.
abstract: The presence of Pneumocystis organisms was detected by nested-PCR at mitochondrial large subunit (mtLSU) rRNA gene in 23 respiratory samples from Asian macaques representing two species: Macaca mulatta and M. fascicularis. A very high level of sequence heterogeneity was detected with 18 original sequence types. Two genetic groups of Pneumocystis could be distinguished from the samples. Within each group, the extent of genetic divergence was low (2.5+/-1.4% in group 1 and 2.3+/-1.7% in group 2). Genetic divergences were systematically higher when macaque-derived sequence types were compared with Pneumocystis mtLSU sequences from other primate species (from 5.3+/-2.7% to 19.3+/-3.0%). The two macaque-derived groups may be considered as distinct Pneumocystis species. Surprisingly, these Pneumocystis species were recovered from both M. mulatta and M. fascicularis suggesting that host-species restriction may not systematically occur in the genus Pneumocystis. Alternatively, these observations question about the species concept in macaques.
authors.affiliation: Equipe de Mycologie, UMR INRA-AFSSA-ENVA-UPVM, Biologie Moléculaire et Immunologie Parasitaires et Fongiques, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Alfort, France. jguillot@vet-alfort.fr
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guillot
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demanche
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norris
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wildschutte
authors.forename: Fanélie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wanert
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berthelemy
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tataine
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dei-Cas
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chermette
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008251:Macaca / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA