title: Genetic diversity in Trypanosoma theileri from Sri Lankan cattle and water buffaloes.
abstract: Trypanosoma theileri is a hemoprotozoan parasite that infects various ruminant species. We investigated the epidemiology of this parasite among cattle and water buffalo populations bred in Sri Lanka, using a diagnostic PCR assay based on the cathepsin L-like protein (CATL) gene. Blood DNA samples sourced from cattle (n=316) and water buffaloes (n=320) bred in different geographical areas of Sri Lanka were PCR screened for T. theileri. Parasite DNA was detected in cattle and water buffaloes alike in all the sampling locations. The overall T. theileri-positive rate was higher in water buffaloes (15.9%) than in cattle (7.6%). Subsequently, PCR amplicons were sequenced and the partial CATL sequences were phylogenetically analyzed. The identity values for the CATL gene were 89.6-99.7% among the cattle-derived sequences, compared with values of 90.7-100% for the buffalo-derived sequences. However, the cattle-derived sequences shared 88.2-100% identity values with those from buffaloes. In the phylogenetic tree, the Sri Lankan CATL gene sequences fell into two major clades (TthI and TthII), both of which contain CATL sequences from several other countries. Although most of the CATL sequences from Sri Lankan cattle and buffaloes clustered independently, two buffalo-derived sequences were observed to be closely related to those of the Sri Lankan cattle. Furthermore, a Sri Lankan buffalo sequence clustered with CATL gene sequences from Brazilian buffalo and Thai cattle. In addition to reporting the first PCR-based survey of T. theileri among Sri Lankan-bred cattle and water buffaloes, the present study found that some of the CATL gene fragments sourced from water buffaloes shared similarity with those determined from cattle in this country.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan. Electronic address: yokoyama@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naoaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan; Veterinary Research Institute, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Thillaiampalam
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sivakumar
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukushi
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Muncharee
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tattiyapong
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Bumduuren
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tuvshintulga
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Hemal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kothalawala
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Seekkuge Susil Priyantha
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002020:Buffaloes; D056668:Cathepsin L / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013188:Sri Lanka; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D056668:Cathepsin L
keywords: Cattle; Genetic diversity; Sri Lanka; Trypanosoma theileri; Water buffalo