title: Multilocus sequence analysis of Anaplasma phagocytophilum reveals three distinct lineages with different host ranges in clinically ill French cattle.
abstract: Molecular epidemiology represents a powerful approach to elucidate the complex epidemiological cycles of multi-host pathogens, such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum. A. phagocytophilum is a tick-borne bacterium that affects a wide range of wild and domesticated animals. Here, we characterized its genetic diversity in populations of French cattle; we then compared the observed genotypes with those found in horses, dogs, and roe deer to determine whether genotypes of A. phagocytophilum are shared among different hosts. We sampled 120 domesticated animals (104 cattle, 13 horses, and 3 dogs) and 40 wild animals (roe deer) and used multilocus sequence analysis on nine loci (ankA, msp4, groESL, typA, pled, gyrA, recG, polA, and an intergenic region) to characterize the genotypes of A. phagocytophilum present. Phylogenic analysis revealed three genetic clusters of bacterial variants in domesticated animals. The two principal clusters included 98% of the bacterial genotypes found in cattle, which were only distantly related to those in roe deer. One cluster comprised only cattle genotypes, while the second contained genotypes from cattle, horses, and dogs. The third contained all roe deer genotypes and three cattle genotypes. Geographical factors could not explain this clustering pattern. These results suggest that roe deer do not contribute to the spread of A. phagocytophilum in cattle in France. Further studies should explore if these different clusters are associated with differing disease severity in domesticated hosts. Additionally, it remains to be seen if the three clusters of A. phagocytophilum genotypes in cattle correspond to distinct epidemiological cycles, potentially involving different reservoir hosts.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR346 Epidémiologie Animale, F-63122, Saint Genès Champanelle, France. chastagner.amelie@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chastagner
authors.affiliation: Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, 23 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. tdugat@vet-alfort.fr.
authors.forename: Thibaud
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dugat
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR346 Epidémiologie Animale, F-63122, Saint Genès Champanelle, France. gvourch@clermont.inra.fr.
authors.forename: Gwenaël
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vourc'h
authors.affiliation: INRA, CEFS, UR035, 24 chemin de Borde Rouge - Auzeville, CS 52627, F-31326, Castanet Tolosan, France. Helene.Verheyden@toulouse.inra.fr.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verheyden
authors.affiliation: LABÉO - Frank Duncombe, Unite Risques Microbiens (U2RM), Normandie Universite, EA 4655, Caen, Normandy, France. loic.legrand@calvados.fr.
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Legrand
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Vétérinaire Départemental du Rhône, Campus vétérinaire VetAgro Sup, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France. veronique.bachy@orbio.fr.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bachy
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Jeune Equipe Hémopathogènes Vectorisés, F-69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France. luc.chabanne@vetagro-sup.fr.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chabanne
authors.affiliation: Groupe Vétérinaire de Callac, 26 rue du Cleumeur, 22160, Callac, France. guyjoncour@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joncour
authors.affiliation: Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Unité pathologie des ruminants, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076, Toulouse, France. r.maillard@envt.fr.
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maillard
authors.affiliation: Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, 23 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. hjboulouis@vet-alfort.fr.
authors.forename: Henri-Jean
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Boulouis
authors.affiliation: Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, 23 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France. haddad@vet-alfort.fr.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR346 Epidémiologie Animale, F-63122, Saint Genès Champanelle, France. xbailly@clermont.inra.fr.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR346 Epidémiologie Animale, F-63122, Saint Genès Champanelle, France. agnes.leblond@vetagro-sup.fr.|Département Hippique, VetAgroSup, F-69280, Marcy L'Etoile, France. agnes.leblond@vetagro-sup.fr.
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leblond
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D000712:Anaplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases; D003670:Deer; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005602:France; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing / Q000662:veterinary; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins