title: Genetic variations of four immunodominant antigens of Babesia gibsoni isolated from dogs in southwest Japan.
abstract: Babesia gibsoni is a tick-borne apicomplexan parasite of dogs that often causes fever and hemolytic anemia. Previous reports have shown that the apical membrane antigen 1 (BgAMA1), the 50 kDa surface antigen (BgP50), the secreted antigen 1 (BgSA1), and the thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (BgTRAP) are promising diagnostic antigens and vaccine candidates against B. gibsoni. In the present study, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms and natural selection of these four genes of B. gibsoni isolated from dogs in southwest Japan. The prediction B-cell epitopes showed high antigenic score in the insert and indel regions of BgSA1 and BgTRAP. Sequence analyses have revealed that BgAMA1 had the highest nucleotide diversity, followed by BgP50, BgSA1 and BgTRAP. Meanwhile, the Tajima's D value test suggested balancing selection for BgAMA1 and BgP50. However, BgSA1 and BgTRAP have purifying selection making them potential vaccine candidate and diagnostic antigens since they are highly conserved. Our findings provide the genetic basis for designing and testing the efficacy of diagnostic antigens as well as vaccine candidates against B. gibsoni.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Mo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Guanbo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Charoonluk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jirapattharasate
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Paul Franck Adjou
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Moumouni
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vudriko
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Marupi Lifetech Co., Ltd., 103 Fushiocho, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soma
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan. Electronic address: gen@obihiro.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Xuenan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xuan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes
keywords: 50kDa surface antigen (BgP50); Apical membrane antigen 1 (BgAMA1); Babesia gibsoni; Genetic variations; Secreted antigen 1 (BgSA1); Thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (BgTRAP)