Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of Novel Spiroplasma Isolates

Spiroplasmas are among the smallest self replicating organisms known. They are helical, motile descendents of Gram-positive bacteria that have evolved to occupy broad host ranges including plants, insects and crustaceans. Spiroplasmas are the causative agent of several economically important agricultural diseases, but most host-microbe interactions appear to be commensal. Given the ubiquitous nature of these microbes, a methodical approach that focused on serologically distinct isolates from a single host family was used as an initial step in understanding spiroplasma diversity and distribution. Tabanid-associated spiroplasmas represent the most thoroughly studied group to date, so this project examined a spiroplasma field isolate collection (>200 isolates) that was obtained from tabanid flies in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Australia, and the United States. The 16S rRNA, 23S rRNA, and rpoB genes and the 16S-23S rRNA spacer region were successfully used to establish evolutionary relationships of the closely related spiroplasma isolates. Phylogenetic analyses and non-genetic character mapping indicated that all study isolates belonged to the Apis clade; arginine hydrolysis was a strong indicator of evolutionary relatedness; surface serology and phylogenetic placement were congruent; and neither host specificity nor geographical ranges were strict.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Biology (M.S.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Biology

Year dc:date.available

2009

Author dc:creator

• Jandhyam, Haritha Lakshmi

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lorenza Beati
• Oscar J. Pung

• ETD
• Mollicutes
• Spiroplasma
• Phylogenetics
• Surface serology
• Tabanids
• Biodiversity
• Host specificity
• Prokaryotes
• Bacteria
• Horseflies

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/721

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1721