Abstract:
Distinct pathogenic and epidemiological features underlie different Theileria parva
strains resulting in different clinical manifestations of East Coast Fever and Corridor Disease
in susceptible cattle. Unclear delineation of these strains limits the control of these diseases in
endemic areas. Hence, an accurate characterization of strains can improve the treatment and
prevention approaches as well as investigate their origin. Here, we describe a set of single nucleotide
polymorphisms (SNPs) based on 13 near-complete mitogenomes of T. parva strains originating
from East and Southern Africa, including the live vaccine stock strains. We identified 11 SNPs
that are non-preferentially distributed within the coding and non-coding regions, all of which are
synonymous except for two within the cytochrome b gene of buffalo-derived strains. Our analysis
ascertains haplotype-specific mutations that segregate the different vaccine and the buffalo-derived
strains except T. parva-Muguga and Serengeti-transformed strains suggesting a shared lineage
between the latter two vaccine strains. Phylogenetic analyses including the mitogenomes of other
Theileria species: T. annulata, T. taurotragi, and T. lestoquardi, with the latter two sequenced in this
study for the first time, were congruent with nuclear-encoded genes. Importantly, we describe seven
T. parva haplotypes characterized by synonymous SNPs and parsimony-informative characters with
the other three transforming species mitogenomes. We anticipate that tracking T. parva mitochondrial
haplotypes from this study will provide insight into the parasite’s epidemiological dynamics and
underpin current control efforts.
