title: Phylogenetic position of small-ruminant infecting piroplasms.
abstract: Theileria and Babesia are tick-transmitted protozoa that cause great economical losses in livestock. Recently, interest has risen in sheep-infecting piroplasms and a number of previously unidentified pathogens were described, particularly in China. To address the phylogenetic relationship of Theileria and Babesia species infecting sheep, the complete sequences of the 18 S small subunit ribosomal RNA genes of a panel of piroplasm isolates, including T. lestoquardi, T. ovis, T. separata, B. ovis, B. motasi, B. crassa, and several novel species, were compared. The classification based on the established phylogenetic tree corresponded with traditional systematics and revealed that sheep/goat piroplasm species are of a polyphyletic origin. In addition, these studies revealed the existence of at least two novel sheep/goat piroplasm species, designated Theileria sp. (China 1) and Theileria sp. (China 2).
authors.affiliation: Division of Veterinary Infectiology and Immunology, Research Center Borstel, Parkallee 22, 23845 Borstel, Germany. jahmed@fz-borstel.de
authors.forename: Jabbar S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Jianxun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Leonhard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schnittger
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Seitzer
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jongejan
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D006041:Goats; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D016794:Theileria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S