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RIBO-seq in Bacteria: a Sample Collection and Library Preparation Protocol for NGS Sequencing
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Host-specific segregation of ribosomal nucleotide sequence diversity in the microsporidian Enterocytozoon bieneusi

Giovanni Widmer1, Donna E Akiyoshi

  • 1Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Tufts University, Bldg. 20, 200 Westboro Rd., North Grafton, MA 01536, United States. giovanni.widmer@tufts.edu

Infection, Genetics and Evolution : Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics in Infectious Diseases
|November 26, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Animal reservoirs harbor diverse Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes, exceeding human diversity. This suggests significant potential for zoonotic transmission, highlighting the need for further animal surveillance in microsporidiosis epidemiology.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a common cause of human microsporidiosis.
  • Its frequent detection in various animal species raises questions about animal reservoirs in disease epidemiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare E. bieneusi genotypes from different host species.
  • To assess the potential for zoonotic transmission of E. bieneusi.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of E. bieneusi internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences from GenBank.
  • Application of rarefaction and phylogenetic distance metrics.
  • Quantitative phylogenetic tests and hierarchical analysis of molecular variation.

Main Results:

  • Animal E. bieneusi isolates exhibited greater ITS sequence diversity than human isolates, despite wider geographic sampling in humans.
  • Significant segregation of E. bieneusi ITS sequences was observed according to host species.
  • Substantial ITS diversity remains to be sampled in both human and animal populations.

Conclusions:

  • Animal reservoirs play a crucial role in E. bieneusi epidemiology.
  • Prioritizing genotyping of isolates from wildlife and companion animals is essential for understanding microsporidiosis.
  • Future studies should incorporate additional genetic markers to account for potential recombination.

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