GroEL gene typing and genetic diversity of Anaplasma bovis in ticks in Shaanxi, China

Anaplasma bovis, causative agent of bovine anaplasmosis, is usually identified by nested-PCR amplifying the rrs gene. However, it is difficult to determine the genetic relationship among different variants within A. bovis using this gene because of high conservation. In this study, two tick species, identified as Rhipicephalus microplus and Haemaphysalis longiconns based on morphological and molecular methods by analyzing CO/ gene, were collected from cattle, goat or sheep. Subsequently, A. bovis was initially detected by PCR amplifying the rrs gene in ticks in Shaanxi Province, China. The sequencing and Blast results showed that some false positive samples were found when only based on the amplification of partial rrs gene, presenting these sequences resembled those of other Alphaproteobacteria rather than A. bovis. Although major surface proteins genes were proposed and used successfully to identify members within Anaplasmataceae, these genes were unavailable for A. bovis. Hence, primers targeting the groEL gene were designed and a PCR assay was developed. The PCR products were sequenced and similarity and phylogenetic analysis suggested all these sequences are the groEL gene of A. bovis. In addition, phylogenetic analysis based on the groEL gene also revealed the genetic diversity of A. bovis worldwide, as well as in Shaanxi Province of China, which wasn't reflected by analyzing the rrs gene. In sum, groEL gene is important for molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of A. bovis.