title: Characterization Through Multilocus Sequence Analysis of Borrelia turdi Isolates from Portugal.
abstract: Borrelia turdi is a spirochete from the Borrelia burgdorferi complex, first reported in Japan, that has been increasingly detected in Europe. This genospecies is mostly associated with avian hosts and their ornithophilic ticks such as Ixodes frontalis. In this study, we isolated B. turdi from five I. frontalis feeding on Turdus merula, Turdus philomelos, Parus major and Troglodytes troglodytes, and one Ixodes ricinus feeding on a T. merula in Portugal. These isolates were genetically characterised according to their 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer, 16S rRNA and through typing of seven housekeeping genes (multilocus sequence typing). Multilocus sequence analyses revealed that the strains isolated in our study, although belonging to B. turdi genospecies, are not identical to the B. turdi reference strain Ya501. Instead, our strains are separated into a clear defined group, suggesting that the European samples diverged genetically from the strain originally detected in Japan. Population analysis of 5S-23S rRNA sequences can further resolve subpopulations within B. turdi, but more samples from a large geographical scale and host range would be needed to assess potential phylogeographical patterns within this genospecies.
authors: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Largo Marquês de Pombal, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal. acgnorte@ci.uc.pt.|Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health, Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal. acgnorte@ci.uc.pt.
authors: Ana Cláudia
authors: AC
authors: Norte
authors: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Largo Marquês de Pombal, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Pedro Miguel
authors: PM
authors: Araújo
authors: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Largo Marquês de Pombal, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal.|Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Luís Pascoal
authors: LP
authors: da Silva
authors: DCNFC-DGOV, Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, IP, Mata Nacional do Choupal, 3000-611, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Paulo Quadros
authors: PQ
authors: Tenreiro
authors: MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Largo Marquês de Pombal, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Jaime A
authors: JA
authors: Ramos
authors: Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health, Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal.
authors: Maria Sofia
authors: MS
authors: Núncio
authors: Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health, Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal.|Faculty of Sciences, BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors: Líbia
authors: L
authors: Zé-Zé
authors: Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health, Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, Portugal.|Emergence Response and Biopreparedness Unit, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors: Isabel Lopes
authors: IL
authors: de Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001898:Borrelia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000235:genetics; D020043:Genes, Essential / Q000235:genetics; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D046109:Passeriformes; D011174:Portugal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Borrelia turdi; Isolate; Ixodes frontalis; Multilocus sequence typing; Phylogenetic analysis; Portugal