title: Rhoptry-associated protein (rap-1) genes in the sheep pathogen Babesia sp. Xinjiang: Multiple transcribed copies differing by 3' end repeated sequences.
abstract: Sheep babesiosis occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical areas. The sheep parasite Babesia sp. Xinjiang is widespread in China, and our goal is to characterize rap-1 (rhoptry-associated protein 1) gene diversity and expression as a first step of a long term goal aiming at developing a recombinant subunit vaccine. Seven different rap-1a genes were amplified in Babesia sp. Xinjiang, using degenerate primers designed from conserved motifs. Rap-1b and rap-1c gene types could not be identified. In all seven rap-1a genes, the 5' regions exhibited identical sequences over 936 nt, and the 3' regions differed at 28 positions over 147 nt, defining two types of genes designated α and β. The remaining 3' part varied from 72 to 360 nt in length, depending on the gene. This region consists of a succession of two to ten 36 nt repeats, which explains the size differences. Even if the nucleotide sequences varied, 6 repeats encoded the same stretch of amino acids. Transcription of at least four α and two β genes was demonstrated by standard RT-PCR.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307 Nantes, France; LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1300 BioEpAR, F-44307 Nantes, France; State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, LVRI, Lanzhou, China. Electronic address: niuqingli@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Qingli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307 Nantes, France; LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1300 BioEpAR, F-44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marchand
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, LVRI, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Congshan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307 Nantes, France; LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1300 BioEpAR, F-44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonsergent
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, LVRI, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Guiquan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, LVRI, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307 Nantes, France; LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR1300 BioEpAR, F-44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malandrin
mesh_terms: D024509:3' Flanking Region / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D015800:Protozoan Proteins
keywords: Amino acid repeats; Babesia; Multigene family; Rhoptry-associated protein 1; Sheep