Holman Patricia J, Spencer Angela M, Droleskey Robert E, Goethert Heidi K, Telford Samuel R
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4467, USA.
J Clin Microbiol. 2005 Aug;43(8):3995-4001. doi: 10.1128/JCM.43.8.3995-4001.2005.
A Babesia sp. found in eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, is the same organism that caused human babesiosis in Missouri and Kentucky, on the basis of morphology and identical small-subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences. Continuous cultures of the rabbit parasite were established from infected blood samples collected from two cottontail rabbits livetrapped on Nantucket Island. HL-1 medium or minimal essential medium alpha medium supplemented with 20% human serum best supported in vitro propagation of the parasite in human or cottontail erythrocytes, respectively. Parasite growth was not sustained in domestic-rabbit erythrocytes or in medium supplemented with domestic-rabbit serum. The cultured parasites were morphologically indistinguishable from the Kentucky human isolate. Transmission electron microscopy revealed similar fine structures of the parasite regardless of the host erythrocyte utilized in the cultures. Two continuous lines of the zoonotic Babesia sp. were established and confirmed to share identical SSU rRNA gene sequences with each other and with the Missouri and Kentucky human Babesia isolates.
基于形态学和相同的小亚基核糖体RNA（SSU rRNA）基因序列，在马萨诸塞州楠塔基特岛的东部棉尾兔（佛罗里达棉尾兔）中发现的一种巴贝斯虫与在密苏里州和肯塔基州导致人类巴贝斯虫病的病原体为同一生物体。从在楠塔基特岛诱捕的两只棉尾兔采集的感染血样中建立了兔寄生虫的连续培养物。HL-1培养基或补充有20%人血清的α-最低必需培养基分别最有利于该寄生虫在人或棉尾兔红细胞中的体外增殖。在家兔红细胞或补充有兔血清的培养基中，寄生虫的生长无法持续。培养的寄生虫在形态上与肯塔基州的人体分离株无法区分。透射电子显微镜显示，无论培养中使用何种宿主红细胞，该寄生虫的精细结构都相似。建立了两株人兽共患巴贝斯虫的连续细胞系，并确认它们彼此之间以及与密苏里州和肯塔基州的人体巴贝斯虫分离株共享相同的SSU rRNA基因序列。
