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Phylogeny and evolution of the piroplasms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

M. T. E. P. Allsopp ,
T. Cavalier-Smith ,
D. T. De Waal  and
B. A. Allsopp
M. T. E. P. Allsopp
Affiliation:
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X5, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
T. Cavalier-Smith
Affiliation:
University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
D. T. De Waal
Affiliation:
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X5, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
B. A. Allsopp
Affiliation:
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X5, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
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Summary

Small subunit ribosomal RNA (srRNA) genes of three Theileria species, one Cytauxzoon and four Babesia species were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloned and sequenced. Our sequences were aligned with srRNA sequences previously published for eight species of Apicomplexa, one ciliate and one dinoflagellate, the last two being included as free-living outgroup species. Phylogenetic relationships between the organisms were inferred by four in-dependent methods of phylogenetic tree construction using the ciliate Oxytricha nova to root the trees. Our trees fail to show a consensus branching order. They do, however, clearly indicate that the theilerias form a monophyletic taxon derived from a paraphyletic group which includes the species B. equi, C. felis and B. rodhaini. The distance trees indicate that the babesias sensu stricto (B. canis, B. caballi, B. bigemina and B. bovis) form another monophyletic taxon which diverged before the theilerias separated from the above-mentioned paraphyletic group. The parsimony and maximum likelihood trees suggest that the babesias and theilerias are sister taxa, both of which were derived from the paraphyletic group.

Keywords

small subunit ribosomal RNA genesgene amplifcation (PCR)piroplasmsApicomplexa phylogeny

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 108 , Issue 2 , February 1994 , pp. 147 - 152
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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