RESUMO
SUMMARY: The occurrence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum was investigated in spleen and serum samples from Swedish moose (Alces alces) in southern Sweden (island and mainland). Samples were analysed for presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA by real-time PCR (n = 263), and for Anaplasma antibodies with ELISA serology (n = 234). All serum samples had antibodies against A. phagocytophilum. The mean DNA-based prevalence was 26·3%, and significant (P < 0·01) temporal, and spatial variation was found. Island moose had significantly (P < 0·001) higher prevalence of A. phagocytophilum DNA than moose from the mainland areas. Two samples were sequenced to determine genetic variation in the 16S rRNA and groESL genes. Genetic sequence similarity with the human granulocytic anaplasmosis agent, equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent, and different wildlife-associated A. phagocytophilum variants were observed in the 16S rRNA and groESL genes. Our study shows that moose are exposed to A. phagocytophilum in Sweden, and represent a potential wildlife reservoir of the pathogen.
Assuntos
Anaplasma phagocytophilum/isolamento & purificação , Cervos , Ehrlichiose/veterinária , Anaplasma phagocytophilum/genética , Animais , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/sangue , Proteínas de Bactérias/genética , Proteínas de Bactérias/metabolismo , Chaperoninas/genética , Chaperoninas/metabolismo , DNA Bacteriano/genética , Reservatórios de Doenças , Ehrlichiose/epidemiologia , Ehrlichiose/microbiologia , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática/veterinária , Feminino , Regulação Bacteriana da Expressão Gênica , Variação Genética , Masculino , RNA Bacteriano/genética , RNA Bacteriano/isolamento & purificação , RNA Ribossômico 16S/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real/veterinária , Suécia/epidemiologia , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
If interspecific hybrids are fertile and backcross to either parental species, transmission of mitochondrial DNA over the species barrier can occur. To investigate if such transmission has occurred between the brown hare Lepus europeus Pall and the mountain hare L. timidus L. in Scandinavia, an analysis of genetic variation in mitochondrial DNA from 36 hares, collected from 15 localities, was performed. Sequence divergence of mtDNA between species was estimated at 8 +/- 1% (SD). Intraspecific mtDNA sequence divergence varied between 0.09 and 0.38% in brown hares and 0.10 and 1.44% in mountain hares. In six out of 18 brown hares examined, two different haplotypes of mountain hare origin were detected, demonstrating a transmission of mtDNA haplotypes from mountain hares to brown hares. The results indicate that interspecific hybridization between the two species occurs in wild populations.
Assuntos
DNA Mitocondrial/genética , Coelhos/genética , Animais , Ecossistema , Evolução Molecular , Feminino , Variação Genética , Haplótipos , Hibridização Genética , Masculino , Países Escandinavos e Nórdicos , Especificidade da EspécieRESUMO
Introduced species may hybridise with relatives in the native fauna or flora and thereby compete for matings and transmit alien DNA. Such interference may contaminate unique genepools, disturb existing ecological balances and may ultimately result in the extinction of the native species. In Sweden, the introduced brown hare (Lepus europaeus Pall.) hybridise with the native mountain hare (L. timidus L.), both relatively common members of the present Swedish fauna. This hybridisation has resulted in the transmission of mitochondrial DNA from the mountain hare to the brown hare, but absence of species differences in karyotype and allozymes have prevented investigations of the amount of nuclear gene flow. More polymorphic genetic markers are needed to analyse evidence of hybridisation in the nuclear genome. The conservation of microsatellite loci across taxa usually enables PCR amplification of microsatellites in closely related species with the same primers. We have used five microsatellite primer pairs, developed for the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) to amplify microsatellites in the two species of hare in Sweden. The obtained allelic variation was used to construct a genetic distance tree based on the amount of shared alleles between all pairs of individuals (shared-allele index). This method offered sufficient differences to arrange all individuals in two groups, one for each species. Identification of individual hybrids based on the number of alleles shared between the species is not possible with these five microsatellite markers.