Candidatus Allocryptoplasma Godzilla, a Novel Ca. Allocryptoplasma Species Detected in Marine Iguanas from Galápagos Islands

Ricardo G. Maggi; Emma Williams; Gregory A. Lewbart; Maximilian Hirschfeld; Kenneth J. Lohmann; Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez; Brittany S. Thomas; Bridget Appiah; Edward B. Breitschwerdt

doi:10.3390/pathogens15090892

Back

Candidatus Allocryptoplasma Godzilla, a Novel Ca. Allocryptoplasma Species Detected in Marine Iguanas from Galápagos Islands

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Candidatus Allocryptoplasma Godzilla, a Novel Ca. Allocryptoplasma Species Detected in Marine Iguanas from Galápagos Islands

Ricardo G. Maggi, Emma Williams, Gregory A. Lewbart, Maximilian Hirschfeld, Kenneth J. Lohmann, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Brittany S. Thomas, Bridget Appiah and Edward B. Breitschwerdt

Pathogens, Vol.15(9), pp.1-13

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15090892

PMID: 42796660

Files and links (1)

pdf

Candidatus Allocryptoplasma Godzilla, a Novel Ca. Allocryptoplasma Species Detected in Marine Iguanas from Galápagos Islands2.77 MBDownload View

Published Version Open Access CC BY V4.0

Abstract

Candidatus Allocryptoplasma godzilla

marine iguanas

lava lizards

ticks

vector-borne diseases

16S ribosomal RNA

sucA

rpoB

Allocryptoplasma

anaplasmaceae

Candidatus (Ca.) Allocryptoplasma is a newly identified, genetically diverse genus of vector-borne bacteria closely related to established blood-borne zoonotic pathogens, including Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Neoehrlichia species. Ca. Allocryptoplasma is a globally distributed pathogen detected across taxonomically diverse tick species and varied ecological niches. It maintains a complex enzootic circulation involving multiple vertebrate classes, including birds, small mammals, primates, and particularly reptiles, which serve as reservoir hosts. Methods: To characterize this emerging agent, multi-locus genetic DNA sequence analyses using the maximum likelihood method were performed on 16S rRNA, sucA, and rpoB genes amplified from the blood and vectors of marine iguanas and lizard species sampled across multiple islands in the Galápagos archipelago. Results: The compiled genomic data demonstrate that the Ca. Allocryptoplasma detected in the Galápagos lizards and marine iguanas represents a distinct lineage and a novel Ca. Allocryptoplasma species. Conclusions: Given its broad host plasticity, widespread geographic footprint, and vector-mediated transmission, the potential of Ca. Allocryptoplasma as a hidden, emerging zoonotic blood pathogen warrants intensive further evaluation.

Details

Title: Candidatus Allocryptoplasma Godzilla, a Novel Ca. Allocryptoplasma Species Detected in Marine Iguanas from Galápagos Islands
Authors: Ricardo G. Maggi (Corresponding Author) - North Carolina State University
Emma Williams - North Carolina State University
Gregory A. Lewbart - Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Maximilian Hirschfeld - Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Kenneth J. Lohmann - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Brittany S. Thomas - North Carolina State University
Bridget Appiah - North Carolina State University
Edward B. Breitschwerdt - North Carolina State University
Publication details: Pathogens, Vol.15(9), pp.1-13
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens15090892
ISSN: 2076-0817
PMID: 42796660
Copyright note: © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
Data Availability: The data generated at the IPRL during this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.
Grant note: This research was supported and conducted by the Vector-Borne Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and the Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, both at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Sample acquisition was possible through collaboration with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Galápagos Science Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos.
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991262296302621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

1 Record Views