Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
The ITS2 Database
Published on: March 12, 2012
Additional data for a new Theileria sp. from China based on the sequences of ribosomal RNA internal transcribed
Junlong Liu1, Guiquan Guan, Zhijie Liu
1State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Lanzhou, Gansu 730046, PR China.
Abstract:
Theileria sinensis was recently isolated and named as an independent Theileria species that infects cattle in China. To date, this parasite has been described based on its morphology, transmission and molecular studies, indicating that it should be classified as a distinct species. To test the validity of this taxon, the two internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene were cloned and sequenced from three T. sinensis isolates. The complete ITS sequences were compared with those of other Theileria sp. available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequence data for the complete ITS sequences indicate that T. sinensis lies in a distinct clade that is separate from that of T. buffeli/orientalis and T. annulata. Sequence comparisons indicate that different T. sinensis isolates possess unique sizes of ITS1 and ITS2 as well as species-specific nucleotide sequences. This analysis provides new molecular data to support the classification of T. sinensis as a distinct species from other known Theileria spp. based on ITS sequences.
