Diversity and Evolution of Francisella tularensis Gunnell et al. The Genetic Diversity and Evolution of Francisella tularensis with Comments on Detection by PCR Mark K. Gunnell1,3*, Byron J. Adams2 and Richard A. (McCoy and Chapin, 1912). Following the Bacterium Robison1 genus, it was subsequently placed in Pasteurella and later Brucella (Salomonsson, 2008). Finally in 1959, it was 1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, placed in a new genus, Francisella, in honor of Edward Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA Francis, in which genus it resides today (Olsufjev et al., 2Department of Biology, and Evolutionary Ecology Laboratories, 1959). There are currently four recognized subspecies of Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA Francisella tularensis: tularensis, holarctica, mediasiatica, 3Microbiology Branch, Life Sciences Division, Dugway and novicida. While the inclusion of novicida as a Proving Ground, Dugway, UT 84022, USA subspecies of F. tularensis is still contested (Larsson et al., *Corresponding Author:
[email protected] 2009; Kingry and Petersen, 2014), much of the recent scientific literature, including Bergey’s Manual of http://dx.doi.org/10.21775/cimb.018.079 Systematic Bacteriology, recognizes this classification (Garrity, 2005). Abstract Francisella tularensis has been the focus of much research In 1950, the first novicida subspecies was isolated and over the last two decades mainly because of its potential characterized (Larson et al., 1955). This new isolate use as an agent of bioterrorism. F. tularensis is the resembled F. tularensis morphologically, but differed in that causative agent of zoonotic tularemia and has a worldwide it could ferment glucose, was not as virulent in humans, distribution.