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Major Outer Membrane Proteins of Ehrlichia ruminantium Encoded by a Multigene Family
Author(s) -
HEERDEN H.,
COLLINS N. E.,
ALLSOPP M.T.E. P.,
ALLSOPP B. A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04364.x
Subject(s) - biology , gene , open reading frame , genetics , genome , ehrlichia , peptide sequence , tick , virology
A bstract : Immune responses of infected animals and humans have been reported to be directed against variable outer membrane proteins of Ehrlichia species that are encoded by polymorphic multigene families. In Ehrlichia (= Cowdria) ruminantium , two immunodominant proteins have been identified, namely major antigenic protein 1 (MAP1) and open reading frame 2 (ORF2). The aim of the present study was to identify additional map 1‐like genes in the E. ruminantium genome . A 12 kb clone that hybridized with the map1 probe was amplified using long template PCR. The PCR product was partially digested, cloned, and sequenced. Four map 1‐like genes are located in tandem, namely map 1−1 ( orf 2) and map 1−2 upstream of map 1 as well as map 1+1 downstream of map 1. A large ORF (2.4 kb) at the 3′ end is homologous to secA genes of other organisms. The sequence data in this study support other findings that outer membrane proteins are located in tandem and are encoded by a polymorphic multigene family.