Genetic and electron-microscopic characterization of Rickettsiella tipulae, an intracellular bacterial pathogen of the crane fly, Tipula paludosa.
Rickettsiella tipulae is an intracellular bacterial pathogen of larvae of the crane fly, Tipula paludosa (Diptera: Tipulidae) and has previously been claimed to represent an independent species within the genus Rickettsiella. Recently, this taxon has been reorganized and transferred as a whole from the alpha-proteobacterial order Rickettsiales to the gamma-proteobacterial order Legionellales. Here we present the electron-microscopic identification of this rickettsial pathogen together with the first DNA sequence information for R. tipulae. The results of our 16S rDNA-based phylogenetic analysis demonstrate that the transfer to the order Legionellales is justified for R. tipulae. However, there is no phylogenetic basis to consider R. tipulae an independent species, but instead conclusive evidence substantiating its species level co-assignment with Rickettsiella melolonthae. Furthermore, implications of our results for a possible reorganization of the internal structure of the genus Rickettsiella are discussed.
Leclerque
Andreas
A
Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Biological Control, Heinrichstrasse 243, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
Kleespies
Regina G
RG
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002965:Classification; D044125:Coxiellaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004175:Diptera / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005216:Fat Body / Q000648:ultrastructure; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007875:Legionella / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S