First Isolation of Leptospira Borgpetersenii Serovar Hardjobovis in Guanacos (Lama Guanicoe) in South America

Abstract Background Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world. It is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira spp. and is maintained in nature through chronic renal infection of carrier animals, being rodents and other small mammals the main reservoirs. This bacterial genus is highly heterogeneous and divided into three clades (pathogenic, saprophyte and intermediate). Presence of pathogenic strains in wildlife populations is essential to monitor the epidemiological status of this disease worldwide. Methods In this study, we characterize an isolated strain of a Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) using Multiple Locus Variable number tandem repeats Analysis (MLVA) (Variable Number Tandem Repeats-VNTRs: 4, 7, 10, Lb4 and Lb5). To confirm the identity of the isolated strain, partial 16S rRNA sequencing was carried out. Phylogeny was constructed using Neighbor- joining. Results The pathogenic leptospiral strain isolated from Llama guanicoe had the genetic profile identical to L. borgpetersenii serovar Hardjobovis reference strain Sponselee. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first isolation and genetic characterization of a pathogenic leptospiral strain in Guanacos in South America.

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Identification and Characterization of Variable-Number Tandem Repeats in the Yersinia pestis Genome

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.39.9.3179-3185.2001 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 39 (9) ◽

pp. 3179-3185 ◽

Cited By ~ 133

Author(s):

A. M. Klevytska ◽

L. B. Price ◽

J. M. Schupp ◽

P. L. Worsham ◽

J. Wong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Yersinia Pestis ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Variable Number ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats ◽

Identification And Characterization

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Characterization of the variable-number tandem repeats in vrrA from different Bacillus anthracis isolates.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.63.4.1400-1405.1997 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 63 (4) ◽

pp. 1400-1405 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

P J Jackson ◽

E A Walthers ◽

A S Kalif ◽

K L Richmond ◽

D M Adair ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Anthracis ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Variable Number ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats

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Variable-Number Tandem Repeats as Molecular Markers for Biotypes of Pasteuria ramosa in Daphnia spp.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.02398-06 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 73 (11) ◽

pp. 3715-3718 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Laurence Mouton ◽

Guang Nong ◽

James F. Preston ◽

Dieter Ebert

Keyword(s):

Molecular Markers ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Genetic Characterization ◽

Variable Number ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Pasteuria Ramosa ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats

ABSTRACT Variable-number tandem repeats (VNTRs) have been identified in populations of Pasteuria ramosa, a castrating endobacterium of Daphnia species. The allelic polymorphisms at 14 loci in laboratory and geographically diverse soil samples showed that VNTRs may serve as biomarkers for the genetic characterization of P. ramosa isolates.

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New Genotypes of Coxiella burnetii Circulating in Brazil and Argentina

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens9010030 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 30 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mateus de Souza Ribeiro Mioni ◽

Karim Sidi-Boumedine ◽

Felipe Morales Dalanezi ◽

Sâmea Fernandes Joaquim ◽

Renan Denadai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

South America ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Q Fever ◽

Variable Number ◽

Worldwide Distribution ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats ◽

Mlva Typing ◽

Multispacer Sequence Typing

Coxiella burnetii, the zoonotic agent of Q fever, has a worldwide distribution. Despite the vast information about the circulating genotypes in Europe and North America, there is a lack of data regarding C. burnetii strains in South America. Here, we show the presence of novel multispacer sequence typing (MST) genotypes of C. burnetii in two clusters detected in Brazil and Argentina that seem to be distant in parenthood. Argentinian strains isolated from a tick belongs to a new phylogenetic branch of C. burnetii, and the Brazilians strains may be related to MST 20 and 61. Multilocus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) typing provided a deeper resolution that may be related to host clusters of bovines, caprine, ovine, and ticks. Our results corroborate with the reports of geotypes of C. burnetii. Thus, we highlight the need for more genotyping studies to understand the genetic diversity of C. burnetii in South America and to confirm the hypothesis of host-related genotypes. We also emphasize the importance of virulence studies for a better understanding of Q fever in the region, which may help in surveillance and disease prevention programs.

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Molecular characteristics of Brucella melitensis isolates from humans in Qinghai Province, China

Infectious Diseases of Poverty ◽

10.1186/s40249-021-00829-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zhi-Jun Zhao ◽

Ji-Quan Li ◽

Li Ma ◽

Hong-Mei Xue ◽

Xu-Xin Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tandem Repeats ◽

Brucella Melitensis ◽

Draft Genome ◽

Geographic Origin ◽

Variable Number ◽

Human Brucellosis ◽

Molecular Characteristics ◽

Whole Genome ◽

Qinghai Province ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats

Abstract Background The prevalence of human brucellosis in Qinghai Province of China has been increasing rapidly, with confirmed cases distributed across 31 counties. However, the epidemiology of brucellosis transmission has not been fully elucidated. To characterize the infecting strains isolated from humans, multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) and whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based approaches were employed. Methods Strains were isolated from two males blood cultures that were confirmed Brucella melitensis positive following biotyping and MLVA. Genomic DNA was extracted from these two strains, and whole-genome sequencing was performed. Next, SNP-based phylogenetic analysis was performed to compare the two strains to 94 B. melitensis strains (complete genome and draft genome) retrieved from online databases. Results The two Brucella isolates were identified as B. melitensis biovar 3 (QH2019001 and QH2019005) following conventional biotyping and were found to have differences in their variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) using MLVA-16. Phylogenetic examination assigned the 96 strains to five genotype groups, with QH2019001 and QH2019005 assigned to the same group, but different subgroups. Moreover, the QH2019005 strain was assigned to a new subgenotype, IIj, within genotype II. These findings were then combined to determine the geographic origin of the two Brucella strains. Conclusions Utilizing a whole-genome SNP-based approach enabled differences between the two B. melitensis strains to be more clearly resolved, and facilitated the elucidation of their different evolutionary histories. This approach also revealed that QH2019005 is a member of a new subgenotype (IIj) with an ancient origin in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

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Slipped-Strand Mispairing at Noncontiguous Repeats in Poecilia reticulata: A Model for Minisatellite Birth

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/155.3.1313 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 155 (3) ◽

pp. 1313-1320 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

John S Taylor ◽

Felix Breden

Keyword(s):

Tandem Repeat ◽

Poecilia Reticulata ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Phylogenetic Reconstruction ◽

Variable Number ◽

Repeat Motif ◽

Raw Material ◽

Direct Repeats ◽

Mt Dna ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats

Abstract The standard slipped-strand mispairing (SSM) model for the formation of variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) proposes that a few tandem repeats, produced by chance mutations, provide the “raw material” for VNTR expansion. However, this model is unlikely to explain the formation of VNTRs with long motifs (e.g., minisatellites), because the likelihood of a tandem repeat forming by chance decreases rapidly as the length of the repeat motif increases. Phylogenetic reconstruction of the birth of a mitochondrial (mt) DNA minisatellite in guppies suggests that VNTRs with long motifs can form as a consequence of SSM at noncontiguous repeats. VNTRs formed in this manner have motifs longer than the noncontiguous repeat originally formed by chance and are flanked by one unit of the original, noncontiguous repeat. SSM at noncontiguous repeats can therefore explain the birth of VNTRs with long motifs and the “imperfect” or “short direct” repeats frequently observed adjacent to both mtDNA and nuclear VNTRs.

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