FUTURE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GENETIC VARIATION IN O. TSUTSUGAMUSHI

A)  What do we know about the “genome” of Orientia tsutsugamushi ?

          How large is the genome?

          How many genes are in the genome ?

          Do different isolates of Orientia tsutsugamushi all have the same size, gene composition and order of genes ?

One significant aspect of the level of variation in O.t. is indicated by studies of MLST (multi-locus sequence typing).

           MLST (note:  add genomes and bring in data from Wei-Mei Chang)

 

          Do the various genes that are used for comparison all provide a consistent picture of inter-isolate relationships ?

 

C)  What aspects of the molecular genetics of scrub typhus isolates provides us with insights concerning important aspects of the biology of O. tsutsugamushi ?

What is known about genes that code for proteins that may be of use for vaccine production ?

          What is known about genes that may contribute to possible antibiotic susceptibility or resistance ?