Sequencing

11th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, and Analysis in the Future Meeting
GENETIC STUDIES OF YERSINIA PESTIS STRAINS IN
KAZAKHSTAN
Wednesday, 1st June 18:30 La Fonda NM Room (1st floor) Poster (PS‐1a.06)
Berzhan Kurmanov, Elmira Zh. Begimbayeva, Dmitriy Berezovskiy, Kabysheva N.P.
M. Aikimbayev Kazakh Scientific Center for Quarantine and Zoonotic Diseases
Kazakhstan is the home of a most ancient, large and active plague foci that occupies almost the
entire southern part of the country (more than 1 million sq. km.) and encompasses diverse ecological
zones: desert, semi‐desert, steppe, low‐mountain, and high‐mountain. As a result there are different
types of major carriers: marmots, ground squirrels, gerbils, voles, mice, etc. Thus, the most typical
carrier in the Central Asian desert focus is the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus), whereas in the
Tien Shan high‐mountain focus the typical carrier is the gray marmot (Marmota baibacina). Such
diversity in geographic range and hosts, offers the possibility that the strains of the plague pathogen
– Yersinia pestis from different ecological zones may differ both phenotypically and genotypically.
Research works performed in Kazakhstan show changes in biochemical characteristics of plague
microbe based on the capacity for fermentation of rhamnose, glycerol and arabinose, and nitrate
reduction. Genetic polymorphism of strains was determined. Study of protein profile of Y. pestis
strains showed that strains circulating in the plague natural foci of Kazakhstan had nine variants of
protein profile. The genotypes of Y. pestis strains were studied by VNTR‐analysis, which revealed
7 clusters of closely related strains.
Genetic characterization of Kazakhstani strains is described in national publications as well as in
collaborative research works (Engelthaler D. M. et al 2000, Antolin M., et al 2003, Lowell J. L. et
al 2007 etc.), where the strains from Kazakhstan are attributed to the four known biovars: Antiqua,
Medievalis, Orientalis and Microtus.
Collaborative research with the Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics of Northern Arizona
University on genotyping of Kazakhstani strains by whole genome sequencing has been currently
carried out. The study of genetic characteristics and genetic diversity of local Y. pestis strains
has great prospects both for the diagnosis and establishing evolutionary ways of development. In
addition, there is a need for a systematic meta‐genome analysis to assess the impact of the carrier
(host) in a focus on the properties of the pathogen.
For more in‐depth analysis of the phylogenetic relationships of Kazakhstani Y.pestis strains it is
necessary to conduct additional analysis of variable loci by the methods of Multilocus sequence
typing (MLST), Melt Analysis of Mismatch Amplification Mutation Assays (Melt‐MAMA), or by whole
genome sequencing. The study of genetic characteristics and genetic diversity of local strains of
plague microbe has great prospects both for the diagnosis and establishing evolutionary ways of
development. In addition, there is a need for a systematic meta‐genome analysis to assess the impact
of the carrier (host) in a focus on the properties of the pathogen.
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