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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology
Comparative genomic analysis and phylogenetic position of Theileria equi
BMC Genomics, Volume 13, No. 1, Article 603, Year 2012
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Description
Background: Transmission of arthropod-borne apicomplexan parasites that cause disease and result in death or persistent infection represents a major challenge to global human and animal health. First described in 1901 as Piroplasma equi, this re-emergent apicomplexan parasite was renamed Babesia equi and subsequently Theileria equi, reflecting an uncertain taxonomy. Understanding mechanisms by which apicomplexan parasites evade immune or chemotherapeutic elimination is required for development of effective vaccines or chemotherapeutics. The continued risk of transmission of T. equi from clinically silent, persistently infected equids impedes the goal of returning the U. S. to non-endemic status. Therefore comparative genomic analysis of T. equi was undertaken to: 1) identify genes contributing to immune evasion and persistence in equid hosts, 2) identify genes involved in PBMC infection biology and 3) define the phylogenetic position of T. equi relative to sequenced apicomplexan parasites.Results: The known immunodominant proteins, EMA1, 2 and 3 were discovered to belong to a ten member gene family with a mean amino acid identity, in pairwise comparisons, of 39%. Importantly, the amino acid diversity of EMAs is distributed throughout the length of the proteins. Eight of the EMA genes were simultaneously transcribed. As the agents that cause bovine theileriosis infect and transform host cell PBMCs, we confirmed that T. equi infects equine PBMCs, however, there is no evidence of host cell transformation. Indeed, a number of genes identified as potential manipulators of the host cell phenotype are absent from the T. equi genome. Comparative genomic analysis of T. equi revealed the phylogenetic positioning relative to seven apicomplexan parasites using deduced amino acid sequences from 150 genes placed it as a sister taxon to Theileria spp.Conclusions: The EMA family does not fit the paradigm for classical antigenic variation, and we propose a novel model describing the role of the EMA family in persistence. T. equi has lost the putative genes for host cell transformation, or the genes were acquired by T. parva and T. annulata after divergence from T. equi. Our analysis identified 50 genes that will be useful for definitive phylogenetic classification of T. equi and closely related organisms. © 2012 Kappmeyer et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Available Materials
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3505731/bin/1471-2164-13-603-S1.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3505731/bin/1471-2164-13-603-S2.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3505731/bin/1471-2164-13-603-S3.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3505731/bin/1471-2164-13-603-S4.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3505731/bin/1471-2164-13-603-S5.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3505731/bin/1471-2164-13-603-S6.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3505731/bin/1471-2164-13-603-S7.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3505731/bin/1471-2164-13-603-S8.pdf
Authors & Co-Authors
Kappmeyer, Lowell S.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Usda Agricultural Research Service
Thiagarajan, Mathangi
United States, Rockville
J. Craig Venter Institute
United States, Reston
Leidos Inc.
Herndon, David R.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Usda Agricultural Research Service
Ramsay, Joshua D.
United States, Pullman
Washington State University Pullman
Caler, Elisabet V.
United States, Rockville
J. Craig Venter Institute
Djikeng, Appolinaire
Kenya, Nairobi
International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi
Gillespie, Joseph J.
United States, Blacksburg
Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech
United States, Baltimore
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Lau, Audrey O.T.
United States, Pullman
Washington State University Pullman
Roalson, Eric H.
United States, Pullman
Washington State University Pullman
Silva, Joana C.
United States, Baltimore
University of Maryland School of Medicine
G Silva, Marta G.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Usda Agricultural Research Service
Suárez, Carlos Esteban
United States, Washington, D.c.
Usda Agricultural Research Service
Ueti, Massaro Wilson
United States, Washington, D.c.
Usda Agricultural Research Service
Nene, Vishvanath M.
Kenya, Nairobi
International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi
Mealey, Robert H.
United States, Pullman
Washington State University Pullman
Knowles, Donald P.
United States, Washington, D.c.
Usda Agricultural Research Service
United States, Pullman
Washington State University Pullman
Brayton, Kelly A.
United States, Pullman
Washington State University Pullman
Statistics
Citations: 17
Authors: 17
Affiliations: 7
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1186/1471-2164-13-603
e-ISSN:
14712164
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics