title: Distinct host species correlate with Anaplasma phagocytophilum ankA gene clusters.
abstract: Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a gram-negative, tick-transmitted, obligate intracellular bacterium that elicits acute febrile diseases in humans and domestic animals. In contrast to the United States, human granulocytic anaplasmosis seems to be a rare disease in Europe despite the initial recognition of A. phagocytophilum as the causative agent of tick-borne fever in European sheep and cattle. Considerable strain variation has been suggested to occur within this species, because isolates from humans and animals differed in their pathogenicity for heterologous hosts. In order to explain host preference and epidemiological diversity, molecular characterization of A. phagocytophilum strains has been undertaken. Most often the 16S rRNA gene was used, but it might be not informative enough to delineate distinct genotypes of A. phagocytophilum. Previously, we have shown that A. phagocytophilum strains infecting Ixodes ricinus ticks are highly diverse in their ankA genes. Therefore, we sequenced the 16S rRNA and ankA genes of 194 A. phagocytophilum strains from humans and several animal species. Whereas the phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequences was not meaningful, we showed that distinct host species correlate with A. phagocytophilum ankA gene clusters.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wiebke
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Scharf
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schauer
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Freyburger
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrovec
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schaarschmidt-Kiener
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liebisch
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Runge
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ganter
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kehl
authors.forename: J Stephen
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dumler
authors.forename: Ana L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Garcia-Perez
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fingerle
authors.forename: Marina L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ensser
authors.forename: Snorre
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stuen
authors.forename: Friederike D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: von Loewenich
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002417:Cattle; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S