Genetic heterogeneity of Rickettsia helvetica population

Background. To date, the genetic variability of Rickettsia helvetica has not been sufficiently studied.

The aim. To study the prevalence and genetic variability of R. helvetica in Ixodes spp. collected in Western Siberia and the Russian Far East.

Materials and methods. Ixodes  spp. collected from rodents in the Omsk province, Western Siberia (n = 280) and collected by flagging on Putyatin and Russky Islands in Primorsky Krai, Russian Far East (n = 482) were analyzed for the presence of Rickettsia spp. All positive samples were genotyped for the gltA gene fragment. For a number of R. helvetica samples, fragments of the 16S rRNA, ompA, ompB, sca4, htrA, and groEL genes and 23S–5S intergenic spacer were additionally sequenced.

Results. Four Rickettsia species (R. helvetica, “Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae”, “Candidatus Rickettsia uralica”, and “Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii”) were found. Of them, R. helvetica was identified in 72.2 % of Ixodes apronophorus and 18.8 % of  Ixodes trianguliceps from the Omsk province and in single Ixodes persulcatus from the Omsk province and Putyatin Island. This is the first finding of Rickettsia spp. in I. apronophorus. All known R. helvetica sequences from this study and the GenBank database belonged to four well supported monopheletic groups forming genetic lineages I–IV. Lineage I included European isolates from Ixodes ricinus, Western Siberian isolates from I. persulcatus, and some sequences from I. apronophorus. All R. helvetica sequences from I. trianguliceps from the Omsk province and I. persulcatus from  the  Komi Republic and one sequence from I.  apronophorus were assigned to  lineage  II. Most sequences from I.  apronophorus formed lineage  III; all known R. helvetica sequences from I. persulcatus from the Far East formed genetic lineage IV.

Conclusion. The genetic heterogeneity of R. helvetica population was first demonstrated. Known isolates of R. helvetica are reliably assigned to four genetic lineages, but not in all cases the association of different lineages with a specific tick species or specific territory was observed.

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