Disease relevance of gltA

• Positive PCR results were confirmed by using the Lightcycler and specific primers for the rOmpB of Rickettsia and gltA of Bartonella [1].
• Two gltA sequences identical to those of an emerging pathogen, Rickettsia felis, were detected including i) R. felis California 2 in Ctenocephalides canis from rodents and ii) R. felis RF2125 in Archeopsylla erinacei from hedgehogs [2].

High impact information on gltA

• This study is the first confirmation of Rickettsia felis in Australia. The organism was identified from 4 species of fleas obtained from dogs and cats in Western Australia, by using polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequencing of the citrate synthase and outer membrane protein A genes [3].
• The prevalences of Bartonella, Rickettsia, and Wolbachia were investigated in 309 cat fleas from France by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and sequencing with primers derived from the gltA gene for Rickettsia, the its and pap31 genes for Bartonella, and the 16S rRNA gene for Anaplasmataceae [1].
• Molecular identification of the etiologic agents from these samples was determined after partial sequencing of the 17-kDa common antigen gene (htrA) as well as pairwise nucleotide sequence homology with one or more of the following genes: gltA, ompA, and ompB [4].
• Amplified targets included both metabolic (gltA and fusA) and surface antigen (ompA, ompB, and the 17-kDa antigen) genes [5].
• Sequencing of PCR-amplified products was done using gltA fragments for Rickettsia and ftsZ fragments for BARTONELLA: Two genotypes related to Rickettsia felis were identified in three Ctenocephalides canis and one C. felis specimen [6].

References