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Journal of clinical microbiology1998; 36(6); 1501-1511; doi: 10.1128/JCM.36.6.1501-1511.1998

Production and characterization of Ehrlichia risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever, from snails (Pleuroceridae: Juga spp.) in aquarium culture and genetic comparison to equine strains.

Abstract: We report on the production and characterization of Ehrlichia risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever (PHF), from snails (Pleuroceridae: Juga spp.) maintained in aquarium culture and compare it genetically to equine strains. Snails were collected from stream waters on a pasture in Siskiyou County, Calif., where PHF is enzootic and were maintained for several weeks in freshwater aquaria in the laboratory. Upon exposure to temperatures above 22 degrees C the snails released trematode cercariae tentatively identified as virgulate cercariae. Fragments of three different genes (genes for 16S rRNA, the groESL heat shock operon, and the 51-kDa major antigen) were amplified from cercaria lysates by PCR and sequenced. Genetic information was also obtained from E. risticii strains from horses with PHF. The PCR positivity of snail secretions was associated with the presence of trematode cercariae. Sequence analysis of the three genes indicated that the source organism closely resembled E. risticii, and the sequences of all three genes were virtually identical to those of the genes of an equine E. risticii strain from a property near the snail collection site. Phylogenetic analyses of the three genes indicated the presence of geographical E. risticii strain clusters.
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Publication Date: 1998-06-10 PubMed ID: 9620368PubMed Central: PMC104868DOI: 10.1128/JCM.36.6.1501-1511.1998Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article investigates the production and properties of Ehrlichia risticii, a bacterium causing Potomac horse fever, cultivated from snails in an aquarium setup and compares its genetic aspects to strains found within horses. The research suggests that snails may play a crucial role in carrying and spreading the disease-causing bacteria.

Snail Collection and Laboratory Conditions

  • The paper first discusses the collection of snails from stream waters in Siskiyou County, California, where Potomac horse fever is prevalent.
  • The snails were subsequently maintained for several weeks in freshwater aquaria in the laboratory.
  • When the temperature rose above 22 degrees Celsius, the snails started to release a specific type of trematode cercariae, which was tentatively identified as virgulate cercariae.

Gene Amplification and Sequencing

  • By using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), fragments of three different genes (16S rRNA, the groESL heat shock operon, and the 51-kDa major antigen) were amplified from the cercaria lysates and sequenced.
  • Genetic information was also obtained from E. risticii strains taken from horses infected with Potomac horse fever.
  • The presence of the trematode cercariae was directly associated with the PCR positivity of snail secretions, demonstrating a link between the snails and the E. risticii bacteria.

Genetic Comparison and Phylogenetic Analysis

  • The sequence analysis of the three genes revealed that the source organism closely resembled E. risticii.
  • Tellingly, the sequences from all three genes were practically identical to those of an E. risticii strain found in a horse from a property near the snail collection site.
  • Phylogenetic analysis, the study of evolutionary relationships, of the three genes indicated geographical clusters of E. risticii strains, suggesting varying strains depending on the location.

The findings of this research paper provided key insights into the role of snails in carrying E. risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever, and highlighted genetic similarities between E. risticii strains from snails and horses. This sheds light on potential new strategies for managing the spread of Potomac horse fever.

Cite This Article

APA
Reubel GH, Barlough JE, Madigan JE. (1998). Production and characterization of Ehrlichia risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever, from snails (Pleuroceridae: Juga spp.) in aquarium culture and genetic comparison to equine strains. J Clin Microbiol, 36(6), 1501-1511. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.36.6.1501-1511.1998

Publication

Journal of clinical microbiology
ISSN: 0095-1137
NlmUniqueID: 7505564
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 36
Issue: 6
Pages: 1501-1511

Researcher Affiliations

Reubel, G H
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
Barlough, J E
    Madigan, J E

      MeSH Terms

      • Amino Acid Sequence
      • Animals
      • Antigens, Bacterial / genetics
      • Aquaculture
      • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
      • Base Sequence
      • Chaperonins / genetics
      • Ehrlichia / genetics
      • Ehrlichia / growth & development
      • Ehrlichia / isolation & purification
      • Ehrlichiosis / transmission
      • Ehrlichiosis / veterinary
      • Genes, Bacterial
      • Horse Diseases / microbiology
      • Horse Diseases / transmission
      • Horses
      • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
      • Molecular Sequence Data
      • Phylogeny
      • Polymerase Chain Reaction
      • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
      • Sequence Alignment
      • Sequence Analysis, DNA
      • Snails / microbiology
      • Snails / parasitology
      • Trematoda / growth & development
      • Trematoda / microbiology
      • Trematoda / ultrastructure

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      Citations

      This article has been cited 10 times.
      1. Xiong Q, Bekebrede H, Sharma P, Arroyo LG, Baird JD, Rikihisa Y. An Ecotype of Neorickettsia risticii Causing Potomac Horse Fever in Canada. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016 Oct 1;82(19):6030-6.
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      2. Greiman SE, Tkach VV, Vaughan JA. Transmission rates of the bacterial endosymbiont, Neorickettsia risticii, during the asexual reproduction phase of its digenean host, Plagiorchis elegans, within naturally infected lymnaeid snails. Parasit Vectors 2013 Oct 22;6:303.
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