title: A putative marker for human pathogenic strains of Anaplasma phagocytophilum correlates with geography and host, but not human tropism.
abstract: Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an Ixodes species tick-transmitted bacterium that is capable of infecting a variety of host species, although there is a diversity of bacterial strains with differing host tropism. Recent analysis of A. phagocytophilum strains suggested that "drhm", a gene locus designated "distantly related to human marker" (drhm), which was predicted to be an integral membrane protein with possible transporter functions was not present in available canine and human isolates. By assessing 117 strains from 14 host species from across the US, we extended this analysis. Phylogenetic clades were associated with geography, but not host species. Additionally, a virulent clade that lacks drhm and infects dogs, horses, and humans in northeastern US was identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, CA, USA. Electronic address: jefoley@ucdavis.edu.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stephenson
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Michelle Pires
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cubilla
authors.affiliation: Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qurollo
authors.affiliation: Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Edward B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Breitschwerdt
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005843:Geography; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D058507:Host Specificity; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D018523:Tropism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008565:Membrane Proteins
keywords: Dog; Horse; Host-niche polymorphism; Ixodes pacificus; Tick-borne disease