title: Detection and characterization of p44/msp2 transcript variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from naturally infected ticks and wild deer in Japan.
abstract: Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterium and causes a febrile  illness in humans and livestock. In nature, this bacterium is sustained in a tick-mammal cycle.  Several p44/msp2-related genes are expressed from a single expression locus by gene conversion. In  this study, we obtained 119 cDNA sequences of p44/msp2 transcripts from A. phagocytophilum in 6  Haemaphysalis ticks and 3 wild sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Japan. These 119 sequences were  classified into 36 different variant sequences based on their similarities. The 36 cDNA sequences  were phylogenetically grouped into 2 major clusters--tick- and deer-associated. The tick-associated  sequences were further classified into 4 distinct subclusters, suggesting that A. phagocytophilum  in ticks seems to selectively express specific p44/msp2 transcripts, such as the transcripts in the  4 subclusters that were closely related to previously identified p44/msp2 genes. The deer-associated  sequences were also grouped into 4 subclusters, but these transcripts were probably more diverse  than the transcripts derived from ticks. This might be due to the relatively nonselective expression  of p44/msp2 in deer or the strain differences in A. phagocytophilum from ticks and deer in separate  geographic regions or both. Thus, this study may contribute to the understanding of A.  phagocytophilum p44/msp2 expression in nature in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, Global Center of Excellence Program, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.lastname: Gaowa
authors.lastname: Wuritu
authors.forename: Dongxing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Noiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kawamori
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohtake
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Tomokazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitano
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawabata
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D003670:Deer / Q000382:microbiology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; C488283:msp2 protein, Anaplasma phagocytophilum