Identification and prevalence of Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks from Korea by PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene.
- Author:
Seung Ok LEE
1
;
Dong Kyeun NA
;
Chul Min KIM
;
Ying Hua LI
;
Yoon Hee CHO
;
Jin Ho PARK
;
John Hwa LEE
;
Seong Kug EO
;
Terry A KLEIN
;
Joon Seok CHAE
Author Information
1. Bio-Safety Research Institute and College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Korea. jschae@chonbuk.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
- Keywords:
Ehrlichia chaffeensis;
Haemaphysalis longicornis;
prevalence;
PCR
- MeSH:
Anaplasma/growth&development;
Animals;
Base Sequence;
Cloning, Molecular;
DNA, Bacterial/chemistry/genetics;
Ehrlichia chaffeensis/*genetics/growth&development;
Ehrlichiosis/*epidemiology/microbiology;
Korea/epidemiology;
Molecular Sequence Data;
Phylogeny;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Prevalence;
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry/genetics;
Sequence Alignment;
Sequence Analysis, DNA;
Ticks/*microbiology
- From:Journal of Veterinary Science
2005;6(2):151-155
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Genomic DNAs extracted from 1,288 Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks collected from grass vegetation and various animals from nine provinces of Korea were subjected to screening by genus-specific (Ehrlichia spp. or Anaplasma spp.) real-time TaqMan PCR and speciesspecific (E. chaffeensis) nested-PCR based on amplification of 16S rRNA gene fragments. In all, 611 (47.4%) ticks tested positive for genus-specific amplification of 116 bp fragment of 16S rRNA of Ehrlichia spp. or Anaplasma spp. Subsequently, 396 bp E. chaffeensis-specific fragment of 16S rRNA was amplified from 4.2% (26/611) tick samples. The comparison of the nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA gene from one tick (EC-PGHL, GeneBank accession number AY35042) with the sequences of 20 E. chaffeensis strains available in the database showed that EC-PGHL was 100% identical or similar to the Arkansas (AF416764), the Sapulpa (U60476) and the 91HE17 (U23503) strains. The phylogenetic analysis also revealed that the E. chaffeensis EC-PGHL formed a single cluster with the above strains. This is the first study to report molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of E. chaffeensis from H. longicornis ticks in Korea. The implicit significance of E. chaffeensis infection in H. longicornis ticks in Korea is discussed.
