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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Variations of plasmid content in Rickettsia felis
PLoS ONE, Volume 3, No. 5, Article e2289, Year 2008
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Description
Background: Since its first detection, characterization of R. felis has been a matter of debate, mostly due to the contamination of an initial R, felis culture by A typhi. However, the first stable culture of R. fefis allowed its precise phenotypic and genotypic characterization, and demonstrated that this species belonged to the spotted fever group rickettsiae. Later, its genome sequence revealed the presence of two forms of the same plasmid, physically confirmed by biological data. In a recent article, Gillespie et al., (PLoS One. 2007;2(3):e266.) used a bioinformatic approach to refute the presence of the second plasmid form, and proposed the creation of a specific phylogenetic group for R. felis. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the present report, we, and five independent international, laboratories confirmed unambiguously by PCR the presence of two plasmid forms in R. felis strain URRWXCal2T, but observed that the plasmid content of this species, from none to 2 plasmid forms, may depend on the culture passage history of the studied strain. We also demonstrated that R. felis does not cultivate in Vero cells at 37°C but generates plaques at 30°C, Finally, using a phylogenetic study based on 667 concatenated core genes, we demonstrated the position of R. felis within the spotted fever group. Significance: We demonstrated that R. felis, which unambiguously belongs to the spotted fever group rickettsiae, may contain up to two plasmid forms but this plasmid content is unstable. © 2008 Fournier et al.
Authors & Co-Authors
Fournier, Pierre Édouard
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Belghazi, Lokmane
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Robert, Catherine
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
El Karkouri, Khalid
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Richards, Allen L.
United States, Silver Spring
Naval Medical Research Center
Greub, Gilbert
Switzerland, Lausanne
Université de Lausanne Unil
Collyn, François
Switzerland, Lausanne
Université de Lausanne Unil
Ogawa, Motohiko
Japan, Tokyo
National Institute of Infectious Diseases
Portillo, Aránzazu
Spain, Logrono
Hospital San Pedro
Oteo, José Antonio
Spain, Logrono
Hospital San Pedro
Psaroulaki, Anna
Greece, Rethymnon
University of Crete
Bitam, Idir
Algeria, Algiers
Institut Pasteur - Alger
Raoult, Didier A.
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Statistics
Citations: 40
Authors: 13
Affiliations: 7
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0002289
e-ISSN:
19326203