Immunorelevant proteins for the diagnosis of bovine staphylococcal mastitis

Comparison of antibody repertories against Staphylococcus aureus in healthy and infected dairy cows with a distinct mastitis history and vaccinated with a polyvalent mastitis vaccine

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the pathogens most frequently isolated from cases of mastitis worldwide. To decrease the effect of S. aureus mastitis in dairy farming, alternative strategies for controlling mastitis are needed that depend on a better knowledge of cow-to-cow variations in S. aureus antibody production. The present study sought to explore the diversity of S. aureus antibodies produced by dairy cows with a distinct mastitis history and vaccinated with a polyvalent mastitis vaccine. We obtained protein extracts from S. aureus isolates derived from persistent subclinical mastitis. Proteins were fractionated using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. Then, Western blotting membranes were exposed to sera from 24 dairy cows that had been divided into the following groups: vaccinated dairy cows that were infected with S. aureus, further subdivided according to whether they (a) remained infected by S. aureus or (b) recovered from the intramammary infection; unvaccinated dairy cows infected with S. aureus; and vaccinated healthy dairy cows with no history of S. aureus mastitis. Proteins found to be reactive by Western blot were identified by mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF-TOF). Our most important finding was that F₀F₁ ATP synthase subunit α, succinyl-diaminopimelate desuccinylase, and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase were potential candidate proteins for the prevention of S. aureus mastitis. This study strengthens the notion that variations among animals should not be ignored and shows that the heterogeneity of antibody production against anti-staphylococcal antigens in animals may enable the identification of new immunotherapy targets.

Moving towards the immunodiagnosis of staphylococcal intramammary infections

Bovine mastitis is the primary disease of dairy cattle that has a great impact on the dairy industry. It is estimated that worldwide economic losses due to mastitis range between US$82 and US$131 per cow/year. A fast and efficient diagnosis of the disease remains a major bottleneck that directly influences the speed with which treatment decisions and management are undertaken. Microbiological culture remains the gold standard in the identification of bacteria that cause mastitis, but the method has inherent limitations, such as a delay in obtaining results and cost, and requires special care during the collection and processing of the sample. For this reason, multiple groups have devoted efforts to develop alternative methods that, preferably, can be easily accomplished in the field. The specificity of the antigen-antibody reaction has enabled the emergence of major diagnostic methods used in clinical practice, such as immunoassays, which have significant advantages in terms of speed, sensitivity, specificity, and portability. Commercially, immunodiagnostics have been used in the detection of various diseases in cattle. However, in several cases, only a presumptive diagnosis can be made, which requires confirmation using culture-based methods. This review discusses the immunological-based assays developed since the 1990s for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus, which is considered the primary pathogen of contagious bovine mastitis. Although no ideal antigens ensure the accurate performance of tests and the costs need to be reduced to allow for good market competitiveness, immunoassays, particularly lateral flow immunoassay and immunoagglutination, have emerged as promising tests to be used in the field.