Publication detail

High prevalence and genetic diversity of Treponema paraluisleporidarum isolates in European lagomorphs

KNAUF, S. HISGEN, L. AGREN, E. BARLOW, A. FAEHNDRICH, M. VOIGT, U. FISCHER, L. GRILLOVÁ, L. HALLMAIER-WACKER, L. KIK, M. KLINK, J. KŘENOVÁ, J. LAVAZZA, A. LUEERT, S. NOVÁKOVÁ, M. ČEJKOVÁ, D. PACIONI, C. TROGU, T. ŠMAJS, D. ROOS, C.

Original Title

High prevalence and genetic diversity of Treponema paraluisleporidarum isolates in European lagomorphs

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

The bacterium Treponema paraluisleporidarum causes syphilis in lagomorphs. In a set of 1,095 samples from four species—European brown hare, mountain hare, Corsican hare, and European rabbit—we tested for infection and genotyped the strains that infect wild lagomorphs. Samples originate from Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy. The phylogenetic analyses of two informative gene targets (tp0488 and tp0548) showed high genetic diversity among the lagomorph-infecting treponemes. More specifically, we found a high number of nucleotide variants and various short repeat units in the tp0548 locus that have not been described for human syphilis and primate yaws causing Treponema pallidum. While the functional aspect of these short repeat units remains subject to ongoing investigations, it likely enables the pathogen to better survive in its lagomorph host. Our data did not support any geographic clustering, which is equally reflected in the host population genetics as shown by mitochondrial genome data corresponding to the sampled lagomorph populations. This is unexpected and in contrast with what has been shown for nonhuman primate infection with T. pallidum. In the future, the combination of multi-locus sequence typing and whole genome data from modern and ancient samples from a wide geographic range and multiple lagomorph species will contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiology and evolutionary path of lagomorph-infecting treponemes. In conclusion, our current study demonstrates widespread infection and a high genetic variation of the syphilis-causing pathogen in a higher number of positively PCR-tested European lagomorphs (n = 302/1,095).

Keywords

spirochetes, European brown hare, Lepus, rabbit, Oryctolagus, syphilis, Treponema pallidum, one health

Authors

KNAUF, S.; HISGEN, L.; AGREN, E.; BARLOW, A.; FAEHNDRICH, M.; VOIGT, U.; FISCHER, L.; GRILLOVÁ, L.; HALLMAIER-WACKER, L.; KIK, M.; KLINK, J.; KŘENOVÁ, J.; LAVAZZA, A.; LUEERT, S.; NOVÁKOVÁ, M.; ČEJKOVÁ, D.; PACIONI, C.; TROGU, T.; ŠMAJS, D.; ROOS, C.

Released

26. 11. 2023

Publisher

American Society for Microbiology

Location

USA

ISBN

2165-0497

Periodical

Microbiology spectrum

Year of study

12

Number

1

State

United States of America

Pages count

15

URL

https://journals.asm.org/journal/spectrum

Full text in the Digital Library

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/245169

BibTex

@article{BUT185425,
  author="Sascha {Knauf} and Linda {Hisgen} and Erik O. {Agren} and Alexander M. {Barlow} and Marcus {Faehndrich} and Ulrich {Voigt} and Luisa {Fischer} and Linda {Grillová} and Luisa K. {Hallmaier-Wacker} and Marja J. L. {Kik} and Jana C. {Klink} and Jitka {Křenová} and Antonio {Lavazza} and Simone {Lueert} and Markéta {Nováková} and Darina {Čejková} and Carlo {Pacioni} and Tiziana {Trogu} and David {Šmajs} and Christian {Roos}",
  title="High prevalence and genetic diversity of Treponema paraluisleporidarum isolates in European lagomorphs",
  journal="Microbiology spectrum",
  year="2023",
  volume="12",
  number="1",
  pages="15",
  doi="10.1128/spectrum.01774-23",
  issn="2165-0497",
  url="https://journals.asm.org/journal/spectrum"
}