Multilocus Sequence Typing Analysis of Isolated from Pet Chinese Stripe-necked Turtles ()

Our research sought to characterize the phylogeny of isolated from pet Chinese stripe-necked turtles () to better understand its evolutionary relation to other isolates and increase understanding of a potential zoonotic pathogen transmitted through direct contact with pet turtles. Thirty-one isolates were obtained from both immature and adult turtles sold in pet shops in Korea. To characterize the phylogenic position of Chinese stripe-necked turtle-borne relative to other strains, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis was performed due to the accessibility and breadth of MLST databases. Seven housekeeping genes (, , , , , , and ) were sequenced and the results were compared with data from the MLST database. The genes were further used for phylogenetic analysis of using concatenated gene fragments. Both rooted and unrooted phylogenetic trees were generated. Eleven distinct sequence types were present within the isolates among which seven were new. Expanding an unrooted phylogenetic tree to include MLST sequences isolated from various other geographic locations and sources revealed a divergent cluster containing the majority of isolates obtained from turtles. This suggests that strains particularly well-adapted for inhabiting turtles occupy a distinct phylogenetic position.