title: 'Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii', a novel basal group rickettsia detected in Ixodes ricinus ticks in the Czech Republic.
abstract: A novel rickettsial sequence in the citrate synthase gltA gene indicating a novel Rickettsia species has been detected in 7 out of 4524 Ixodes ricinus ticks examined within several surveys performed in the Czech Republic from 2005 to 2009. This new Candidatus Rickettsia sp. sequence has been found in 2 nymphs feeding on wild birds (Luscinia megarhynchos and Erithacus rubecula), in a male tick from vegetation, and 4 ticks feeding on a dog (3 males, 1 female tick). Portions of the ompA, ompB, sca4, and htrA genes were not amplifiable in these samples. A maximum likelihood tree of rickettsiae based on comparisons of partial amino acid sequences of citrate synthase and nucleotide sequences of 16S rDNA genes and phylogenetic analysis revealed a basal position of the novel species in the proximity of R. bellii and R. canadensis. The novel species has been named 'Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii' after the founder of genetics, Gregor Mendel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR v.v.i., Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hajduskova
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 614 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Literak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papousek
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, University of São Paulo, Avenue Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 São Paulo, 05508-270, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 614 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marketa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novakova
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, University of São Paulo, Avenue Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 São Paulo, 05508-270, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: dubska@mou.cz.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zdrazilova-Dubska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D009758:Nymph / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase
keywords: Basal group rickettsiae; Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii; Czech Republic; Ixodes ricinus; Rickettsiae; Ticks