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Park JH, Kim TS, Park H, Kang CK. Delay in the diagnosis of Brucella abortus bacteremia in a nonendemic country: a case report. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:489. [PMID: 38741035 PMCID: PMC11089730 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09377-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is challenging to diagnose brucellosis in nonendemic regions because it is a nonspecific febrile disease. The accurate identification of Brucella spp. in clinical microbiology laboratories (CMLs) continues to pose difficulties. Most reports of misidentification are for B. melitensis, and we report a rare case of misidentified B. abortus. CASE PRESENTATION A 67-year-old man visited an outpatient clinic complaining of fatigue, fever, and weight loss. The patient had a history of slaughtering cows with brucellosis one year prior, and his Brucella antibody tests were negative twice. After blood culture, the administration of doxycycline and rifampin was initiated. The patient was hospitalized due to a positive blood culture. Gram-negative coccobacilli were detected in aerobic blood culture bottles, but the CML's lack of experience with Brucella prevented appropriate further testing. Inaccurate identification results were obtained for a GN ID card of VITEK 2 (bioMérieux, USA) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) using a MALDI Biotyper (Bruker, Germany). The strain showed 100.0% identity with Brucella spp. according to 16S rRNA sequencing. MALDI-TOF MS peaks were reanalyzed using the CDC MicrobeNet database to determine Brucella spp. (score value: 2.023). The patient was discharged after nine days of hospitalization and improved after maintaining only doxycycline for six weeks. The isolate was also identified as Brucella abortus by genomic evidence. CONCLUSION Automated identification instruments and MALDI-TOF MS are widely used to identify bacteria in CMLs, but there are limitations in accurately identifying Brucella spp. It is important for CMLs to be aware of the possibility of brucellosis through communication with clinicians. Performing an analysis with an additional well-curated MALDI-TOF MS database such as Bruker security-relevant (SR) database or CDC MicrobeNet database is helpful for quickly identifying the genus Brucella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Hyeon Park
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Taek Soo Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunwoong Park
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Kyung Kang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-Ro, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Silva LA, Souza MF, Carvalho TP, Santana CH, Guedes AC, Oliveira JBS, de Lima PA, Nogueira PRA, de Mello Brandão H, da Paixão TA, Santos RL. Comparative study on alginate/chitosan microcapsules and Montanide ISA 61 as vaccine adjuvants in mice. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298117. [PMID: 38573916 PMCID: PMC10994407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Selection of adjuvant to be combined with the antigen is an extremely important point for formulating effective vaccines. The aim of this study was to evaluate reactogenicity, levels of IgM, IgG and subclasses (IgG1, IgG2b and IgG3), and protection elicited by vaccine formulations with association of chitosan coated alginate or Montanide ISA 61 with γ-irradiated Brucella ovis. The alginate/chitosan biopolymers as well as the Montanide ISA 61 emulsion elicited intense and long-lasting local response, especially when associated with the antigen. However, Montanide ISA 61 induced less intense reactogenicity when compared to alginate/chitosan. Furthermore, γ-irradiated B. ovis with Montanide ISA 61 induced higher levels of IgG2b an important marker of cellular immune response. In conclusion, Montanide ISA 61 resulted in milder reactogenicity when compared to the alginate/chitosan, while it induced a high IgG2b/IgG1 ratio compatible with a Th1 profile response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laice A. Silva
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Monique F. Souza
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thaynara P. Carvalho
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Clarissa H. Santana
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Andressa C. Guedes
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jefferson Bruno S. Oliveira
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pâmela A. de Lima
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paulo Roberto A. Nogueira
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Tatiane A. da Paixão
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Renato Lima Santos
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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3
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Tartilán-Choya B, Tejedor C, Conde-Álvarez R, Muñoz PM, Vizcaíno N. Characterization of three predicted zinc exporters in Brucella ovis identifies ZntR-ZntA as a powerful zinc and cadmium efflux system not required for virulence and unveils pathogenic Brucellae heterogeneity in zinc homeostasis. Front Vet Sci 2024; 10:1323500. [PMID: 38260206 PMCID: PMC10800456 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1323500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Brucella ovis causes non-zoonotic ovine brucellosis of worldwide distribution and is responsible for important economic losses mainly derived from male genital lesions and reproductive fails. Studies about the virulence mechanisms of this rough species (lacking lipopolysaccharide O-chains) are underrepresented when compared to the main zoonotic Brucella species that are smooth (with O-chains). Zinc intoxication constitutes a defense mechanism of the host against bacterial pathogens, which have developed efflux systems to counterbalance toxicity. In this study, we have characterized three potential B. ovis zinc exporters, including the ZntA ortholog previously studied in B. abortus. Despite an in-frame deletion removing 100 amino acids from B. ovis ZntA, the protein retained strong zinc efflux properties. Only indirect evidence suggested a higher exporter activity for B. abortus ZntA, which, together with differences in ZntR-mediated regulation of zntA expression between B. ovis and B. abortus, could contribute to explaining why the ΔzntR mutant of B. abortus is attenuated while that of B. ovis is virulent. Additionally, B. ovis ZntA was revealed as a powerful cadmium exporter contributing to cobalt, copper, and nickel detoxification, properties not previously described for the B. abortus ortholog. Deletion mutants for BOV_0501 and BOV_A1100, also identified as potential zinc exporters and pseudogenes in B. abortus, behaved as the B. ovis parental strain in all tests performed. However, their overexpression in the ΔzntA mutant allowed the detection of discrete zinc and cobalt efflux activity for BOV_0501 and BOV_A1100, respectively. Nevertheless, considering their low expression levels and the stronger activity of ZntA as a zinc and cobalt exporter, the biological role of BOV_0501 and BOV_A1100 is questionable. Results presented in this study evidence heterogeneity among pathogenic Brucellae regarding zinc export and, considering the virulence of B. ovis ΔzntA, suggest that host-mediated zinc intoxication is not a relevant mechanism to control B. ovis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carmen Tejedor
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Raquel Conde-Álvarez
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pilar María Muñoz
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Nieves Vizcaíno
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
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4
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Liu X, Wang P, Shi Y, Cui Y, Li S, Wu Dong G, Li J, Hao M, Zhai Y, Zhou D, Liu W, Wang A, Jin Y. (P)ppGpp synthetase Rsh participates in rifampicin tolerance of persister cells in Brucella abortus in vitro. Microb Pathog 2023; 183:106310. [PMID: 37604214 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Brucella abortus is facultative intracellular pathogen that causes chronic persistent infections and results in abortion and infertility in food animals. Recurrent infections can be one of the results of persister cells formation that transiently displays phenotypic tolerance to high dose of antibiotics treatment. We examined persister cells formation of B. abortus strain A19 in stationary phase and investigated a potential role for the (p)ppGpp synthetase Rsh in this process. We found that B. abortus stationary phase cells can produce higher levels of multi-drugs tolerant persister cells in vitro under high dose of antibiotics (20 × MIC) exposure than do exponential phase cells. Persister cell formation was also induced with environmental stressors pH 4.5, 0.01 M PBS (pH7.0), 2% NaCl and 25 °C, upon exposure to ampicillin, enrofloxacin and rifampicin. Persister cells were not formed following exposure to 1 mM H2O2. The numbers of persister cells were significantly increased following uptake of B. abortus stationary phase cells by RAW264.7 macrophages in contrast with cultures in TSB liquid medium. Environmental stressors to B. abortus significantly increased expression of rsh mRNA level. The rsh null mutant (Δrsh) formed significantly fewer persister cells than the complemented (CΔrsh) and wildtype (WT) strains under high dose of rifampicin in vitro. These data for the first time demonstrate that B. abortus can produce multi-drug tolerant persister cells in stationary phase. The (p)ppGpp synthetase Rsh is necessary for persister cell formation in B. abortus in the presence of rifampicin. On this basis, a new understanding of the recurrent infections of Brucella was advanced, thus provided a new basis for revelation of pathogenic mechanism of the chronic persistent infection in Brucella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yong Shi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yimeng Cui
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Shengnan Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Gaowa Wu Dong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Junmei Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Mingyue Hao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yunyi Zhai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Dong Zhou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wei Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Aihua Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yaping Jin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University; Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
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5
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Castillo-Zeledón A, Rivas-Solano O, Villalta-Romero F, Gómez-Espinoza O, Moreno E, Chaves-Olarte E, Guzmán-Verri C. The Brucella abortus two-component system response regulator BvrR binds to three DNA regulatory boxes in the upstream region of omp25. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1241143. [PMID: 37779712 PMCID: PMC10538546 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1241143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella abortus is a facultative extracellular-intracellular bacterial zoonotic pathogen worldwide. It is also a major cause of abortion in bovines, generating economic losses. The two-component regulatory system BvrR/BvrS modulates the expression of genes required to transition from extracellular to intracellular lifestyles. However, few regulatory regions of BvrR direct target genes have been studied. In this study, we characterized the regulatory region of omp25, a gene encoding an outer membrane protein that is positively regulated by TCS BvrR/BvrS. By omp25-lacZ reporter fusions and β-galactosidase activity assays, we found that the region between-262 and + 127 is necessary for transcriptional activity, particularly a 111-bp long fragment located from-262 to -152. In addition, we demonstrated the binding of P-BvrR to three sites within the -140 to +1 region. Two of these sites were delimited between -18 to +1 and - 99 to -76 by DNase I footprinting and called DNA regulatory boxes 1 and 2, respectively. The third binding site (box 3) was delimited from -140 to -122 by combining EMSA and fluorescence anisotropy results. A molecular docking analysis with HDOCK predicted BvrR-DNA interactions between 11, 13, and 12 amino acid residue-nucleotide pairs in boxes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. A manual sequence alignment of the three regulatory boxes revealed the presence of inverted and non-inverted repeats of five to eight nucleotides, partially matching DNA binding motifs previously described for BvrR. We propose that P-BvrR binds directly to up to three regulatory boxes and probably interacts with other transcription factors to regulate omp25 expression. This gene regulation model could apply to other BvrR target genes and to orthologs of the TCS BvrR/BvrS and Omp25 in phylogenetically closed Rhizobiales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Castillo-Zeledón
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Olga Rivas-Solano
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Escuela de Biología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Campus Tecnológico Central Cartago, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Fabián Villalta-Romero
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Escuela de Biología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Campus Tecnológico Central Cartago, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Olman Gómez-Espinoza
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Escuela de Biología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Campus Tecnológico Central Cartago, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Edgardo Moreno
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Esteban Chaves-Olarte
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Caterina Guzmán-Verri
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
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6
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Silva LA, Souza MFS, Torquetti CG, Freitas DCO, Moreira LGA, Carvalho TP, Santana CH, Thompson JR, Rosa DCO, Jesus TR, Paixão TA, Santos RL. Antigenic and molecular evidence of Brucella sp.-associated epididymo-orchitis in frugivorous ( Artibeus lituratus) and nectarivorous ( Glossophaga soricina) bats in Brazil. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1235299. [PMID: 37701528 PMCID: PMC10493303 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1235299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
This study included 47 free-ranging bats from the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Six bats (12.8%) had genital inflammatory lesions, and two of them (one Artibeus lituratus and one Glossophaga soricina, a frugivorous and a nectarivorous, respectively) were diagnosed with Brucella sp. infection through PCR, and antigens in intralesional macrophages were detected using immunohistochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laice A. Silva
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Monique F. S. Souza
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Camila G. Torquetti
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniele C. O. Freitas
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Larissa G. A. Moreira
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thaynara P. Carvalho
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Clarissa H. Santana
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Julia R. Thompson
- Sete Soluções e Tecnologia Ambiental, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela C. O. Rosa
- Sete Soluções e Tecnologia Ambiental, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tatiana R. Jesus
- Sete Soluções e Tecnologia Ambiental, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tatiane A. Paixão
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Renato L. Santos
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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7
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Moreno E, Middlebrook EA, Altamirano-Silva P, Al Dahouk S, Araj GF, Arce-Gorvel V, Arenas-Gamboa Á, Ariza J, Barquero-Calvo E, Battelli G, Bertu WJ, Blasco JM, Bosilkovski M, Cadmus S, Caswell CC, Celli J, Chacón-Díaz C, Chaves-Olarte E, Comerci DJ, Conde-Álvarez R, Cook E, Cravero S, Dadar M, De Boelle X, De Massis F, Díaz R, Escobar GI, Fernández-Lago L, Ficht TA, Foster JT, Garin-Bastuji B, Godfroid J, Gorvel JP, Güler L, Erdenliğ-Gürbilek S, Gusi AM, Guzmán-Verri C, Hai J, Hernández-Mora G, Iriarte M, Jacob NR, Keriel A, Khames M, Köhler S, Letesson JJ, Loperena-Barber M, López-Goñi I, McGiven J, Melzer F, Mora-Cartin R, Moran-Gilad J, Muñoz PM, Neubauer H, O'Callaghan D, Ocholi R, Oñate Á, Pandey P, Pappas G, Pembroke JT, Roop M, Ruiz-Villalonos N, Ryan MP, Salcedo SP, Salvador-Bescós M, Sangari FJ, de Lima Santos R, Seimenis A, Splitter G, Suárez-Esquivel M, Tabbaa D, Trangoni MD, Tsolis RM, Vizcaíno N, Wareth G, Welburn SC, Whatmore A, Zúñiga-Ripa A, Moriyón I. If You're Not Confused, You're Not Paying Attention: Ochrobactrum Is Not Brucella. J Clin Microbiol 2023; 61:e0043823. [PMID: 37395662 PMCID: PMC10446859 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00438-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Brucella are facultative intracellular parasites that cause brucellosis, a severe animal and human disease. Recently, a group of taxonomists merged the brucellae with the primarily free-living, phylogenetically related Ochrobactrum spp. in the genus Brucella. This change, founded only on global genomic analysis and the fortuitous isolation of some opportunistic Ochrobactrum spp. from medically compromised patients, has been automatically included in culture collections and databases. We argue that clinical and environmental microbiologists should not accept this nomenclature, and we advise against its use because (i) it was presented without in-depth phylogenetic analyses and did not consider alternative taxonomic solutions; (ii) it was launched without the input of experts in brucellosis or Ochrobactrum; (iii) it applies a non-consensus genus concept that disregards taxonomically relevant differences in structure, physiology, population structure, core-pangenome assemblies, genome structure, genomic traits, clinical features, treatment, prevention, diagnosis, genus description rules, and, above all, pathogenicity; and (iv) placing these two bacterial groups in the same genus creates risks for veterinarians, medical doctors, clinical laboratories, health authorities, and legislators who deal with brucellosis, a disease that is particularly relevant in low- and middle-income countries. Based on all this information, we urge microbiologists, bacterial collections, genomic databases, journals, and public health boards to keep the Brucella and Ochrobactrum genera separate to avoid further bewilderment and harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgardo Moreno
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Earl A. Middlebrook
- Genomics and Bioanalytics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Pamela Altamirano-Silva
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Sascha Al Dahouk
- Department of Environmental Hygiene, German Environment Agency, Berlin, Germany
| | - George F. Araj
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Vilma Arce-Gorvel
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Marseille, France
| | - Ángela Arenas-Gamboa
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Javier Ariza
- Infectious Disease Department, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elías Barquero-Calvo
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Giorgio Battelli
- Department of Medical Veterinary Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Wilson J. Bertu
- Brucellosis Research Laboratory, Bacterial Research Division, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria
| | - José María Blasco
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Mile Bosilkovski
- University Hospital for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions, Medical Faculty, Saints Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
| | - Simeon Cadmus
- Centre for Control and Prevention of Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Clayton C. Caswell
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Jean Celli
- Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Carlos Chacón-Díaz
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Esteban Chaves-Olarte
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Diego J. Comerci
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas Dr. Rodolfo A. Ugalde, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Raquel Conde-Álvarez
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdisNa), Pamplona, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Elizabeth Cook
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Silvio Cravero
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agropecuarias, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Maryam Dadar
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran
| | - Xavier De Boelle
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms, Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Fabrizio De Massis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | - Ramón Díaz
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Gabriela I. Escobar
- Laboratorio de Brucelosis, Laboratorio Nacional de Referencia, INEI-ANLIS Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luis Fernández-Lago
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Thomas A. Ficht
- Texas A&M University, Veterinary Pathobiology, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Jeffrey T. Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Bruno Garin-Bastuji
- French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Jacques Godfroid
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics, University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jean-Pierre Gorvel
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Marseille, France
| | - Leyla Güler
- MG Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Meram, Konya, Turkey
| | - Sevil Erdenliğ-Gürbilek
- Harran University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Microbiology Department, Şanlıurfa, Şanlıurfa, Turkey
| | - Amayel M. Gusi
- Brucellosis Research Laboratory, Bacterial Research Division, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria
| | - Caterina Guzmán-Verri
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jiang Hai
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Gabriela Hernández-Mora
- Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Maite Iriarte
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdisNa), Pamplona, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Nestor R. Jacob
- Hospital Argerich, Department of Infectious Diseases, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Anne Keriel
- Centre National de Référence des Brucella, U1047, University of Montpellier/INSERM, CHU de Nîmes, Nimes, France
| | - Maamar Khames
- University of Medea, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Medea, Algeria
| | - Stephan Köhler
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Jacques Letesson
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms, Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Maite Loperena-Barber
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ignacio López-Goñi
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - John McGiven
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
- FAO Reference Centre for Brucellosis, Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
| | - Falk Melzer
- Friedrich Loeffler Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Jena, Germany
| | - Ricardo Mora-Cartin
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jacob Moran-Gilad
- Microbiology, Advanced Genomics, and Infection Control Applications Laboratory, Department of Health Systems Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Pilar M. Muñoz
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Heinrich Neubauer
- Friedrich Loeffler Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Jena, Germany
| | - David O'Callaghan
- Centre National de Référence des Brucella, U1047, University of Montpellier/INSERM, CHU de Nîmes, Nimes, France
| | - Reuben Ocholi
- Bacteriology, Parasitology, and Virology Department, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria
| | - Ángel Oñate
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Piyush Pandey
- Department of Microbiology, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India
| | - Georgios Pappas
- Institute of Continuing Medical Education of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - J. Tony Pembroke
- School of Natural Sciences and Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Martin Roop
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nazaret Ruiz-Villalonos
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Michael P. Ryan
- Department of Applied Science, Technological University of the Shanno, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Suzana P. Salcedo
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Miriam Salvador-Bescós
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdisNa), Pamplona, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Félix J. Sangari
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Renato de Lima Santos
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Aristarchos Seimenis
- Mediterranean Zoonoses Control Centre, World Health Organization, Athens, Greece
| | - Gary Splitter
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Marcela Suárez-Esquivel
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Darem Tabbaa
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria
| | - Marcos David Trangoni
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agropecuarias, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Renee M. Tsolis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Nieves Vizcaíno
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Gamal Wareth
- Friedrich Loeffler Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Jena, Germany
| | - Susan C. Welburn
- Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Whatmore
- WOAH Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
- FAO Reference Centre for Brucellosis, Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amaia Zúñiga-Ripa
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdisNa), Pamplona, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Moriyón
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdisNa), Pamplona, Spain
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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8
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Moriyón I, Blasco JM, Letesson JJ, De Massis F, Moreno E. Brucellosis and One Health: Inherited and Future Challenges. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2070. [PMID: 37630630 PMCID: PMC10459711 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11082070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
One Health is the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment, a concept that historically owes much to the study of brucellosis, including recent political and ethical considerations. Brucellosis One Health actors include Public Health and Veterinary Services, microbiologists, medical and veterinary practitioners and breeders. Brucellosis awareness, and the correct use of diagnostic, epidemiological and prophylactic tools is essential. In brucellosis, One Health implementation faces inherited and new challenges, some aggravated by global warming and the intensification of breeding to meet growing food demands. In endemic scenarios, disease awareness, stakeholder sensitization/engagement and the need to build breeder trust are unresolved issues, all made difficult by the protean characteristics of this zoonosis. Extended infrastructural weaknesses, often accentuated by geography and climate, are critically important. Capacity-building faces misconceptions derived from an uncritical adoption of control/eradication strategies applied in countries with suitable means, and requires additional reference laboratories in endemic areas. Challenges for One Health implementation include the lack of research in species other than cattle and small ruminants, the need for a safer small ruminant vaccine, the need to fill in the infrastructure gap, the need for realistic capacity-building, the creation of reference laboratories in critical areas, and the stepwise implementation of measures not directly transposed from the so-called developed countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Moriyón
- Microbiology and Parasitology Department, Medical School, Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - José María Blasco
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), 50059 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Jean Jacques Letesson
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms, Narilis, University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium;
| | - Fabrizio De Massis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy;
| | - Edgardo Moreno
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40104, Costa Rica;
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9
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de Carvalho TP, da Silva LA, Castanheira TLL, de Souza TD, da Paixão TA, Lazaro-Anton L, Tsolis RM, Santos RL. Cell and Tissue Tropism of Brucella spp. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0006223. [PMID: 37129522 PMCID: PMC10187126 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00062-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella spp. are facultatively intracellular bacteria that can infect, survive, and multiply in various host cell types in vivo and/or in vitro. The genus Brucella has markedly expanded in recent years with the identification of novel species and hosts, which has revealed additional information about the cell and tissue tropism of these pathogens. Classically, Brucella spp. are considered to have tropism for organs that contain large populations of phagocytes such as lymph nodes, spleen, and liver, as well as for organs of the genital system, including the uterus, epididymis, testis, and placenta. However, experimental infections of several different cultured cell types indicate that Brucella may actually have a broader cell tropism than previously thought. Indeed, recent studies indicate that certain Brucella species in particular hosts may display a pantropic distribution in vivo. This review discusses the available knowledge on cell and tissue tropism of Brucella spp. in natural infections of various host species, as well as in experimental animal models and cultured cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaynara Parente de Carvalho
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Laice Alves da Silva
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Thaís Larissa Lourenço Castanheira
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Norte de Minas Gerais, Salinas, Brazil
| | - Tayse Domingues de Souza
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tatiane Alves da Paixão
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Leticia Lazaro-Anton
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Renee M. Tsolis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Renato Lima Santos
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, USA
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10
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Sigida EN, Zdorovenko EL, Shashkov AS, Dmitrenok AS, Fedonenko YP. Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide of Ochrobactrum endophyticum KCTC 42485 T containing 3-(3-hydroxy-2,3-dimethyl-5-oxoprolyl)amino-3,6-dideoxy-d-galactose. Carbohydr Res 2023; 527:108810. [PMID: 37040681 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2023.108810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Ochrobactrum endophyticum (syn. Brucella endophytica) is an aerobic species of Alphaproteobacteria isolated from healthy roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Here we report the structure of the O-specific polysaccharide obtained by mild acid hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide of the type strain KCTC 42485:→3)-α-l-FucpNAc-(1→3)-β-d-QuipNAc-(1→2)-β-d-Fucp3NAcyl-(1→ where Acyl is 3-hydroxy-2,3-dimethyl-5-oxoprolyl. The structure was elucidated using chemical analyses along with 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy (including 1H,1H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY and 1H,13C HSQC, HMBC, HSQC-TOCSY and HSQC-NOESY experiments). To our knowledge the OPS structure is novel and has not been previously published.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena N Sigida
- Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms, FRC Saratov Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences, 13, Prospekt Entuziastov, Saratov, 410049, Russia; N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospekt 47, 119991, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Evelina L Zdorovenko
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospekt 47, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander S Shashkov
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospekt 47, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey S Dmitrenok
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospekt 47, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia P Fedonenko
- Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms, FRC Saratov Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences, 13, Prospekt Entuziastov, Saratov, 410049, Russia; Chernyshevsky Saratov State University, Ulitsa Astrakhanskaya 83, 410012, Saratov, Russia
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11
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Chen S, Chen Y, Jiao Z, Wang C, Zhao D, Liu Y, Zhang W, Zhao S, Yang B, Zhao Q, Fu S, He X, Chen Q, Man C, Liu G, Wei X, Du L, Wang F. Clearance of bacteria from lymph nodes in sheep immunized with Brucella suis S2 vaccine is associated with M1 macrophage activation. Vet Res 2023; 54:20. [PMID: 36918910 PMCID: PMC10013293 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-023-01147-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovine brucellosis is a global zoonotic disease of sheep caused by Brucella melitensis, which inflicts a significant burden on human and animal health. Brucella suis strain S2 (B. suis S2) is a smooth live attenuated vaccine for the prevention of ovine brucellosis in China. However, no previous studies have assessed the immunogenicity of B. suis S2 vaccine after oral immunization in sheep. Here, we attempted to evaluate the ovine immune response over the course of B. suis S2 immunization and to identify in vivo predictors for vaccine development. Body temperature, serum Brucella antibodies, serum cytokines (IL-12p70 and interferon [IFN]-γ), and bacterial load in the mandibular lymph nodes (LN), superficial cervical LN, superficial inguinal LN, and spleen were investigated to determine the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. The abnormal body temperature of sheep occurred within 8 days post-infection (dpi). Brucella suis S2 persisted for a short time (< 21 dpi) in the mandibular LN. The highest level of IL-12p70 was observed at 9 dpi, whereas serum IFN-γ levels peaked at 12 dpi. Transcriptome analysis and quantitative reverse transcription PCR were performed to determine gene expression profiles in the mandibular LN of sheep. Antigen processing and presentation pathway was the dominant pathway related to the dataset. Our studies suggest that the immune response in ovine LN resembled type 1 immunity with the secretion of IL-12p70 and IFN-γ after B.suis S2 immunization and the vaccine may eliminate Brucella via stimulation of M1 macrophages through the course of Th cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Chen
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Animal Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Animal Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Zizhuo Jiao
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Animal Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Chengqiang Wang
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Animal Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Dantong Zhao
- Jinyu Baoling Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Yongbin Liu
- Inner Mongolia University, College Road No. 235, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Wenguang Zhang
- College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Shihua Zhao
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Bin Yang
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Qinan Zhao
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Shaoyin Fu
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Xiaolong He
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Qiaoling Chen
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Animal Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Churiga Man
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Animal Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Guoying Liu
- Jinyu Baoling Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Xuefeng Wei
- Jinyu Baoling Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Li Du
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Animal Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
| | - Fengyang Wang
- Hainan Key Lab of Tropical Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Epidemic Disease Research, Animal Genetic Engineering Key Lab of Haikou, School of Animal Science and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan, China.
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12
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Korshunova T, Lundin K, Malmberg K, Martynov A. Narrowly defined taxa on a global scale: The phylogeny and taxonomy of the genera Catriona and Tenellia (Nudibranchia, Trinchesiidae) favours fine-scale taxonomic differentiation and dissolution of the "lumpers & splitters" dilemma. Evol Appl 2023; 16:428-460. [PMID: 36793683 PMCID: PMC9923469 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
By applying morphological and molecular data on two genera of the nudibranch molluscs it is shown that the tension between taxonomic practice and evolutionary processes persists. A review of the related genera Catriona and Tenellia is used to demonstrate that the fine-scale taxonomic differentiation is an important tool in the integration of morphological and molecular data. This is highlighted by the hidden species problem and provides strong argument that the genus must be kept as a maximally narrowly-defined entity. Otherwise, we are forced to compare a highly disparate species under the putatively lumped name "Tenellia". We demonstrate this in the present study by applying a suite of delimitation methods and describing a new species of Tenellia from the Baltic Sea. The new species possesses fine-scale morphological distinguishing features, which were not investigated before. The true, narrowly defined genus Tenellia represents a peculiar taxon with a clearly expressed paedomorphic characters and predominantly brackish-water habitats. The phylogenetically related genus Catriona, of which three new species are described here, clearly demonstrates different features. A lumping decision to call many morphologically and evolutionary different taxa as "Tenellia" will downgrade the taxonomic and phylogenetic resolution of the entire family Trinchesiidae to just a single genus. The dissolution of the dilemma of "lumpers & splitters", which still significantly affects taxonomy, will further help to make systematics a true evolutionary discipline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kennet Lundin
- Gothenburg Natural History Museum Gothenburg Sweden.,Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Klas Malmberg
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden.,Aquatilis Gothenburg Sweden
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13
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Elizalde-Bielsa A, Aragón-Aranda B, Loperena-Barber M, Salvador-Bescós M, Moriyón I, Zúñiga-Ripa A, Conde-Álvarez R. Development and evaluation of the Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) infection model to study Brucella host-pathogen interaction. Microb Pathog 2023; 174:105930. [PMID: 36496059 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Brucella. These pathogens cause long-lasting infections, a process in which Brucella modifications in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and envelope lipids reduce pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) recognition, thus hampering innate immunity activation. In vivo models are essential to investigate bacterial virulence, mice being the most used model. However, ethical and practical considerations impede their use in high-throughput screening studies. Although lacking the complexity of the mammalian immune system, insects share key-aspects of innate immunity with mammals, and Galleria mellonella has been used increasingly as a model. G. mellonella larvae have been shown useful in virulence analyses, including Gram-negative pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila. To assess its potential to study Brucella virulence, we first evaluated larva survival upon infection with representative Brucella species (i.e.B. abortus 2308W, B. microti CCM4915 and B. suis biovar 2) and mutants in the VirB type-IV secretion system (T4SS) or in the LPS-O-polysaccharide (O-PS). As compared to K.pneumoniae, the Brucella spp. tested induced a delayed and less severe mortality profile consistent with an escape of innate immunity detection. Brucella replication within larvae was affected by the lack of O-PS, which is reminiscent of their attenuation in natural hosts. On the contrary, replication was not affected by T4SS dysfunction and the mutant induced only slightly less mortality (not statistically significant) than its parental strain. We also evaluated G. mellonella to efficiently recognise Brucella and their LPS by quantification of the pro-phenoloxidase system and melanisation activation, using Pseudomonas LPS as a positive control. Among the brucellae, only B. microti LPS triggered an early-melanisation response consistent with the slightly increased endotoxicity of this species in mice. Therefore, G. mellonella represents a tool to screen for potential Brucella factors modulating innate immunity, but its usefulness to investigate other mechanisms relevant in Brucella intracellular life is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Elizalde-Bielsa
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Beatriz Aragón-Aranda
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Maite Loperena-Barber
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Miriam Salvador-Bescós
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Ignacio Moriyón
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Amaia Zúñiga-Ripa
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain
| | - Raquel Conde-Álvarez
- Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Spain.
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King KA, Caudill MT, Caswell CC. A comprehensive review of small regulatory RNAs in Brucella spp. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1026220. [PMID: 36532353 PMCID: PMC9751625 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1026220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella spp. are Gram-negative bacteria that naturally infect a variety of domesticated and wild animals, often resulting in abortions and sterility. Humans exposed to these animals or animal products can also develop debilitating, flu-like disease. The brucellae are intracellular pathogens that reside predominantly within immune cells, typically macrophages, where they replicate in a specialized compartment. This capacity of Brucella to survive and replicate within macrophages is essential to their ability to cause disease. In recent years, several groups have identified and characterized small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) as critical factors in the control of Brucella physiology within macrophages and overall disease virulence. sRNAs are generally < 300 nucleotides in length, and these independent sRNA transcripts are encoded either next to (i.e., cis-encoded) or at a distant location to (i.e., trans-encoded) the genes that they regulate. Trans-encoded sRNAs interact with the mRNA transcripts through short stretches of imperfect base pairing that often require the RNA chaperone Hfq to facilitate sRNA-mRNA interaction. In many instances, these sRNA-mRNA interactions inhibit gene expression, usually by occluding the ribosome-binding site (RBS) and/or by decreasing the stability of the mRNA, leading to degradation of the transcript. A number of sRNAs have been predicted and authenticated in Brucella strains, and a variety of approaches, techniques, and means of validation have been employed in these efforts. Nonetheless, some important issues and considerations regarding the study of sRNA regulation in Brucella need to be addressed. For example, the lack of uniform sRNA nomenclature in Brucella has led to difficulty in comparisons of sRNAs across the different Brucella species, and there exist multiple names in the literature for what are functionally the same sRNA. Moreover, even though bona fide sRNAs have been discovered in Brucella, scant functional information is known about the regulatory activities of these sRNAs, or the extent to which these sRNAs are required for the intracellular life and/or host colonization by the brucellae. Therefore, this review summarizes the historical context of Hfq and sRNAs in Brucella; our current understanding of Brucella sRNAs; and some future perspectives and considerations for the field of sRNA biology in the brucellae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Clayton C. Caswell
- Center for One Health Research, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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15
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Development of CRISPR-Mediated Nucleic Acid Detection Technologies and Their Applications in the Livestock Industry. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13112007. [PMID: 36360244 PMCID: PMC9690124 DOI: 10.3390/genes13112007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid rate of virus transmission and pathogen mutation and evolution highlight the necessity for innovative approaches to the diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases. Traditional technologies for pathogen detection, mostly PCR-based, involve costly/advanced equipment and skilled personnel and are therefore not feasible in resource-limited areas. Over the years, many promising methods based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and the associated protein systems (CRISPR/Cas), i.e., orthologues of Cas9, Cas12, Cas13 and Cas14, have been reported for nucleic acid detection. CRISPR/Cas effectors can provide one-tube reaction systems, amplification-free strategies, simultaneous multiplex pathogen detection, visual colorimetric detection, and quantitative identification as alternatives to quantitative PCR (qPCR). This review summarizes the current development of CRISPR/Cas-mediated molecular diagnostics, as well as their design software and readout methods, highlighting technical improvements for integrating CRISPR/Cas technologies into on-site applications. It further highlights recent applications of CRISPR/Cas-based nucleic acid detection in livestock industry, including emerging infectious diseases, authenticity and composition of meat/milk products, as well as sex determination of early embryos.
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16
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Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for Improved Characterization and Epidemiological Surveillance of Pathogenic Brucella. J Clin Microbiol 2022; 60:e0031122. [PMID: 35852343 PMCID: PMC9387271 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00311-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis poses a significant burden to human and animal health worldwide. Robust and harmonized molecular epidemiological approaches and population studies that include routine disease screening are needed to efficiently track the origin and spread of Brucella strains. Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) is a powerful genotyping system commonly used to delineate pathogen transmission routes for disease surveillance and control. Except for Brucella melitensis, cgMLST schemes for Brucella species are currently not established. Here, we describe a novel cgMLST scheme that covers multiple Brucella species. We first determined the phylogenetic breadth of the genus using 612 Brucella genomes. We selected 1,764 genes that were particularly well conserved and typeable in at least 98% of these genomes. We tested the new scheme on 600 genomes and found high agreement with the whole-genome-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Next, we applied the scheme to reanalyze the genome of Brucella strains from epidemiologically linked outbreaks. We demonstrated the applicability of the new scheme for high-resolution typing required in outbreak investigations as previously reported with whole-genome SNP methods. We also used the novel scheme to define the global population structure of the genus using 1,322 Brucella genomes. Finally, we demonstrated the possibility of tracing distribution of Brucella strains by performing cluster analysis of cgMLST profiles and found nearly identical cgMLST profiles in different countries. Our results show that sequencing depth of more than 40-fold is optimal for allele calling with this scheme. In summary, this study describes a novel Brucella-wide cgMLST scheme that is applicable in Brucella molecular epidemiology and helps in accurately tracking and thus controlling the sources of infection. The scheme is publicly accessible and should represent a valuable resource for laboratories with limited computational resources and bioinformatics expertise.
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17
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Braz HMB, Silva MF, Carvalho TPD, Silva LAD, Soares JB, Costa FB, Sossai BG, Paixão TAD, Santos RL. Pathogenesis of Brucella ovis in pregnant mice and protection induced by the candidate vaccine strain B. Ovis ΔabcBA. Vaccine 2022; 40:4617-4624. [PMID: 35750543 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Ovine brucellosis caused by Brucella ovis is a major cause of reproductive failure in sheep. This study aimed to evaluate transplacental infection and pathogenicity of B.ovis wild type strain ATCC 25,840 (WT B.ovis) and the candidate vaccine strain B.ovis ΔabcBA in pregnant mice. A total of 40 BALB/c mice were equally divided into 4 groups: (i) non immunized and uninfected control mice (3/10 mice became pregnant); (ii) non immunized and challenged with WT B.ovis (5/10 pregnant); (iii) inoculated only with B.ovis ΔabcBA (6/10 pregnant); (iv) immunized with B.ovis ΔabcBA and challenged with WT B.ovis (5/10 pregnant). Female mice bred, and five days after visualization of the vaginal plug, they were inoculated intraperitoneally (ip) with 100 µL of sterile PBS, 100 µL of 1 × 106 CFU of B.ovis ΔabcBA, or 100 µL of 1 × 106 CFU of B.ovis WT, according to each group. At the 17th day of gestation, samples of spleen, liver, uterus, placenta, fetus and mammary gland were obtained for bacteriology, histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Non immunized mice challenged with B.ovis WT developed necrotizing placentitis as well as microgranulomas in the liver and spleen. These findings support the notion that B.ovis infection in pregnant mice induces lesions that are similar to those caused by B.abortus in the same animal model. B.ovis ΔabcBA was not recovered from any of the sampled organs, and it did not cause any gross or microscopic lesions, indicating that it is a safe and attenuated strain in this experimental model. In addition, B.ovis ΔabcBA was induced protective immunity as demonstrated by decreased numbers of B.ovis WT in the liver, uterus and fetuses of immunized mice after the challenge with B.ovis WT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloísia Maria Bressan Braz
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Monique Ferreira Silva
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Thaynara Parente de Carvalho
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Laice Alves da Silva
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jefferson Bruno Soares
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fabíola Barroso Costa
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Brunno Gardiman Sossai
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Tatiane Alves da Paixão
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Renato Lima Santos
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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18
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Pathogenicity and Its Implications in Taxonomy: The Brucella and Ochrobactrum Case. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11030377. [PMID: 35335701 PMCID: PMC8954888 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11030377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The intracellular pathogens of the genus Brucella are phylogenetically close to Ochrobactrum, a diverse group of free-living bacteria with a few species occasionally infecting medically compromised patients. A group of taxonomists recently included all Ochrobactrum organisms in the genus Brucella based on global genome analyses and alleged equivalences with genera such as Mycobacterium. Here, we demonstrate that such equivalencies are incorrect because they overlook the complexities of pathogenicity. By summarizing Brucella and Ochrobactrum divergences in lifestyle, structure, physiology, population, closed versus open pangenomes, genomic traits, and pathogenicity, we show that when they are adequately understood, they are highly relevant in taxonomy and not unidimensional quantitative characters. Thus, the Ochrobactrum and Brucella differences are not limited to their assignments to different “risk-groups”, a biologically (and hence, taxonomically) oversimplified description that, moreover, does not support ignoring the nomen periculosum rule, as proposed. Since the epidemiology, prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment are thoroughly unrelated, merging free-living Ochrobactrum organisms with highly pathogenic Brucella organisms brings evident risks for veterinarians, medical doctors, and public health authorities who confront brucellosis, a significant zoonosis worldwide. Therefore, from taxonomical and practical standpoints, the Brucella and Ochrobactrum genera must be maintained apart. Consequently, we urge researchers, culture collections, and databases to keep their canonical nomenclature.
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19
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Muñoz PM, Conde-Álvarez R, Andrés-Barranco S, de Miguel MJ, Zúñiga-Ripa A, Aragón-Aranda B, Salvador-Bescós M, Martínez-Gómez E, Iriarte M, Barberán M, Vizcaíno N, Moriyón I, Blasco JM. A Brucella melitensis H38ΔwbkF rough mutant protects against Brucella ovis in rams. Vet Res 2022; 53:16. [PMID: 35236406 PMCID: PMC8889640 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-022-01034-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella melitensis and Brucella ovis are gram-negative pathogens of sheep that cause severe economic losses and, although B. ovis is non-zoonotic, B. melitensis is the main cause of human brucellosis. B. melitensis carries a smooth (S) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with an N-formyl-perosamine O-polysaccharide (O-PS) that is absent in the rough LPS of B. ovis. Their control and eradication require vaccination, but B. melitensis Rev 1, the only vaccine available, triggers anti-O-PS antibodies that interfere in the S-brucellae serodiagnosis. Since eradication and serological surveillance of the zoonotic species are priorities, Rev 1 is banned once B. melitensis is eradicated or where it never existed, hampering B. ovis control and eradication. To develop a B. ovis specific vaccine, we investigated three Brucella live vaccine candidates lacking N-formyl-perosamine O-PS: Bov::CAΔwadB (CO2-independent B. ovis with truncated LPS core oligosaccharide); Rev1::wbdRΔwbkC (carrying N-acetylated O-PS); and H38ΔwbkF (B. melitensis rough mutant with intact LPS core). After confirming their attenuation and protection against B. ovis in mice, were tested in rams for efficacy. H38ΔwbkF yielded similar protection to Rev 1 against B. ovis but Bov::CAΔwadB and Rev1::wbdRΔwbkC conferred no or poor protection, respectively. All H38ΔwbkF vaccinated rams developed a protracted antibody response in ELISA and immunoprecipitation B. ovis diagnostic tests. In contrast, all remained negative in Rose Bengal and complement fixation tests used routinely for B. melitensis diagnosis, though some became positive in S-LPS ELISA owing to LPS core epitope reactivity. Thus, H38ΔwbkF is an interesting candidate for the immunoprophylaxis of B. ovis in B. melitensis-free areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar M Muñoz
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain.
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Raquel Conde-Álvarez
- Instituto de Salud Tropical, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Sara Andrés-Barranco
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - María-Jesús de Miguel
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Amaia Zúñiga-Ripa
- Instituto de Salud Tropical, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Aragón-Aranda
- Instituto de Salud Tropical, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Miriam Salvador-Bescós
- Instituto de Salud Tropical, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Estrella Martínez-Gómez
- Instituto de Salud Tropical, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Otology and Neurotology Group CTS495, Department of Genomic Medicine, GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía, Granada, Spain
| | - Maite Iriarte
- Instituto de Salud Tropical, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | | | - Nieves Vizcaíno
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ignacio Moriyón
- Instituto de Salud Tropical, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - José M Blasco
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
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20
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Tartilán-Choya B, Sidhu-Muñoz RS, Vizcaíno N. The Transcriptional Regulator MucR, but Not Its Controlled Acid-Activated Chaperone HdeA, Is Essential for Virulence and Modulates Surface Architecture and Properties in Brucella ovis PA. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:814752. [PMID: 35174240 PMCID: PMC8843074 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.814752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucella ovis is a non-zoonotic bacterium causing contagious epididymitis and other genital lesions in rams and responsible for significant economic losses in sheep-breeding areas. It is a naturally rough (without O-chains in the lipopolysaccharide) Brucella species whose virulence mechanisms have been less explored than those of zoonotic smooth brucellae (bearing O-chains that mask other outer membrane molecules). Considering the rough nature of Brucella ovis, the influence of surface components other than O-chains on its biological properties may be greater than in smooth Brucella species. Here we describe the construction and characterization of the mucR deletion mutant of virulent B. ovis PA, which is defective in a transcriptional regulator, affecting surface properties and virulence in smooth brucellae. This mutant showed increased amounts of three proteins identified as HdeA (acid-activated chaperone), Omp25d (outer membrane protein undetectable in the parental strain), and BOV_A0299 (hypothetical protein of unknown function). This observation correlated with the enhanced transcription of the corresponding genes and constitutes the first report on this type of proteome alteration in Brucella ΔmucR mutants. The upstream regions of the three genes contained AT rich domains with T-A steps described as binding sites for MucR in the Brucella abortus 2308 babR promoter (gene also upregulated in B. ovis ΔmucR), which suggests that hdeA, omp25d, and BOV_A0299 expression could be repressed by MucR through a direct binding to their promoter regions. Relative quantification of transcripts of several other genes selected according to the transcriptome of smooth brucellae ΔmucR mutants revealed not only similarities but also relevant differences among strains, such as those detected in flagellar and virB genes. Periplasmic HdeA has been related to the resistance of B. abortus to acidic pH, conditions encountered by Brucella inside phagocytes, but the deletion of hdeA in B. ovis PA and the ΔmucR mutant did not modify any of the evaluated properties of these strains. The B. ovis PA ΔmucR and ΔmucRΔhdeA mutants had defective in vitro growth and altered surface properties and architecture, exemplified by detectable amounts of Omp25d. Moreover, they showed virulence attenuation but established persistent splenic infection in mice, which encourages their evaluation as specifical attenuated vaccines against B. ovis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebeca S. Sidhu-Muñoz
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Nieves Vizcaíno
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- *Correspondence: Nieves Vizcaíno
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21
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Ramírez OLH, Santos HA, Paulino PG, van der Meer CS, Bautista JLR, Delgado ILJ, Obando JG, Garcia RR, da Costa Angelo I. Cross-sectional study of Brucella spp. using real-time PCR from bovine whole blood in Colombia. Vet Res Commun 2021; 46:189-201. [PMID: 34791575 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-021-09846-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Colombia to recover Brucella spp. DNA from bovine whole-blood samples through probe-based real-time PCR (qPCR). By an SNP-based assay, vaccine strains were differentiated from field strains. The associated factors were evaluated using logistical regression models. A total of 656 random cows from 40 herds were selected and analyzed using serology and PCR. The qPCR assay detected 9.5% (n = 62/656; 95% CI: 7.3, 12.0) of the animals with Brucella-DNA presence, while the serological test detected a 6.6% (n = 43/656; CI: 4.8, 8.7). 62.5% (n = 25/40; 95% CI: 45.8, 77.3) of positive cases were detected at the herd-level by the qPCR, while only 27.5% (n = 11/40; 95% CI: 14.6, 43.9) were detected by the serological test. All positive samples were identified as field Brucella strains employing the SNP-based assay. In the final regression model at the animal-level, five variables were associated with Brucella-DNA presence: the use of bulls for mating recorded history of reproductive problems, pregnant cows, parlor milking, and cows belonging to farms ≤200 m from the main road. At the herd-level, two variables were associated with Brucella-DNA presence: recorded history of reproductive problems and the use of bulls for mating. Given the fluctuant brucellosis prevalence in endemic areas, updated epidemiological studies are necessary to evaluate the disease dynamic and if established prevention and control measures have been effective or need to be adjusted. The increase in the prevalence of brucellosis in animal reservoirs creates an important risk of transmission in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Lucia Herrán Ramírez
- Postgraduate Program in Veterinarian Science, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 23897-000, Seropedica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Huarrisson Azevedo Santos
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, PO Box 23897-000, Seropedica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Gonzaga Paulino
- Postgraduate Program in Veterinarian Science, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 23897-000, Seropedica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carolina Soares van der Meer
- Postgraduate Program in Veterinarian Science, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 23897-000, Seropedica, RJ, Brazil
| | - José Luis Rodríguez Bautista
- Postgraduate Program in Veterinarian Science, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, P.O. Box 23897-000, Seropedica, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Juliana González Obando
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Agrarian Sciences Faculty, Antioquia University, P.O. Box 1228, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Rene Ramirez Garcia
- INCA-CES, Faculty of Veterinary medicine and zootechnics, CES University, Box 050021, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Isabele da Costa Angelo
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Veterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, PO Box 23897-000, Seropedica, RJ, Brazil.
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22
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Aragón-Aranda B, Palacios-Chaves L, Salvador-Bescós M, de Miguel MJ, Muñoz PM, Vences-Guzmán MÁ, Zúñiga-Ripa A, Lázaro-Antón L, Sohlenkamp C, Moriyón I, Iriarte M, Conde-Álvarez R. The Phospholipid N-Methyltransferase and Phosphatidylcholine Synthase Pathways and the ChoXWV Choline Uptake System Involved in Phosphatidylcholine Synthesis Are Widely Conserved in Most, but Not All Brucella Species. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:614243. [PMID: 34421831 PMCID: PMC8371380 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.614243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The brucellae are facultative intracellular bacteria with a cell envelope rich in phosphatidylcholine (PC). PC is abundant in eukaryotes but rare in prokaryotes, and it has been proposed that Brucella uses PC to mimic eukaryotic-like features and avoid innate immune responses in the host. Two PC synthesis pathways are known in prokaryotes: the PmtA-catalyzed trimethylation of phosphatidylethanolamine and the direct linkage of choline to CDP-diacylglycerol catalyzed by the PC synthase Pcs. Previous studies have reported that B. abortus and B. melitensis possess non-functional PmtAs and that PC is synthesized exclusively via Pcs in these strains. A putative choline transporter ChoXWV has also been linked to PC synthesis in B. abortus. Here, we report that Pcs and Pmt pathways are active in B. suis biovar 2 and that a bioinformatics analysis of Brucella genomes suggests that PmtA is only inactivated in B. abortus and B. melitensis strains. We also show that ChoXWV is active in B. suis biovar 2 and conserved in all brucellae except B. canis and B. inopinata. Unexpectedly, the experimentally verified ChoXWV dysfunction in B. canis did not abrogate PC synthesis in a PmtA-deficient mutant, which suggests the presence of an unknown mechanism for obtaining choline for the Pcs pathway in Brucella. We also found that ChoXWV dysfunction did not cause attenuation in B. suis biovar 2. The results of these studies are discussed with respect to the proposed role of PC in Brucella virulence and how differential use of the Pmt and Pcs pathways may influence the interactions of these bacteria with their mammalian hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Aragón-Aranda
- Dpto. de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Leyre Palacios-Chaves
- Dpto. de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Miriam Salvador-Bescós
- Dpto. de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - María Jesús de Miguel
- Unidad de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.,Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Pilar M Muñoz
- Unidad de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.,Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Amaia Zúñiga-Ripa
- Dpto. de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Leticia Lázaro-Antón
- Dpto. de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Christian Sohlenkamp
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Ignacio Moriyón
- Dpto. de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maite Iriarte
- Dpto. de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Raquel Conde-Álvarez
- Dpto. de Microbiología y Parasitología, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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23
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Cloeckaert A, Zygmunt MS, Scholz HC, Vizcaino N, Whatmore AM. Editorial: Pathogenomics of the Genus Brucella and Beyond. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:700734. [PMID: 34305866 PMCID: PMC8295469 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.700734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Holger C Scholz
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nieves Vizcaino
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Adrian M Whatmore
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
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24
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Whole-Genome Sequence of a Brucella pinnipedialis Sequence Type 54 Strain Isolated from a Hooded Seal ( Cystophora cristata) from the North Atlantic Ocean, Norway. Microbiol Resour Announc 2021; 10:10/18/e00271-21. [PMID: 33958398 PMCID: PMC8103868 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00271-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the 1990s, Brucella strains have been isolated from a wide variety of marine mammal species. We report the first complete genome sequence of a Brucella strain isolated from a hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), Brucella pinnipedialis strain 23a-1 of sequence type 54, found in the North Atlantic Ocean surrounding Norway.
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25
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Whatmore AM, Foster JT. Emerging diversity and ongoing expansion of the genus Brucella. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 92:104865. [PMID: 33872784 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Remarkable genetic diversity and breadth of host species has been uncovered in the Brucella genus over the past decade, fundamentally changing our concept of what it means to be a Brucella. From ocean fishes and marine mammals, to pond dwelling amphibians, forest foxes, desert rodents, and cave-dwelling bats, Brucella have revealed a variety of previously unknown niches. Classical microbiological techniques have been able to help us classify many of these new strains but at times have limited our ability to see the true relationships among or within species. The closest relatives of Brucella are soil bacteria and the adaptations of Brucella spp. to live intracellularly suggest that the genus has evolved to live in vertebrate hosts. Several recently discovered species appear to have phenotypes that are intermediate between soil bacteria and core Brucella, suggesting that they may represent ancestral traits that were subsequently lost in the traditional species. Remarkably, the broad relationships among Brucella species using a variety of sequence and fragment-based approaches have been upheld when using comparative genomics with whole genomes. Nonetheless, genomes are required for fine-scale resolution of many of the relationships and for understanding the evolutionary history of the genus. We expect that the coming decades will reveal many more hosts and previously unknown diversity in a wide range of environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian M Whatmore
- OIE and FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom.
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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26
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Lázaro-Antón L, de Miguel MJ, Barbier T, Conde-Álvarez R, Muñoz PM, Letesson JJ, Iriarte M, Moriyón I, Zúñiga-Ripa A. Glucose Oxidation to Pyruvate Is Not Essential for Brucella suis Biovar 5 Virulence in the Mouse Model. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:620049. [PMID: 33519781 PMCID: PMC7840955 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.620049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucella species cause brucellosis, a worldwide extended zoonosis. The brucellae are related to free-living and plant-associated α2-Proteobacteria and, since they multiply within host cells, their metabolism probably reflects this adaptation. To investigate this, we used the rodent-associated Brucella suis biovar 5, which in contrast to the ruminant-associated Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis and other B. suis biovars, is fast-growing and conserves the ancestral Entner-Doudoroff pathway (EDP) present in the plant-associated relatives. We constructed mutants in Edd (glucose-6-phosphate dehydratase; first EDP step), PpdK (pyruvate phosphate dikinase; phosphoenolpyruvate ⇌ pyruvate), and Pyk (pyruvate kinase; phosphoenolpyruvate → pyruvate). In a chemically defined medium with glucose as the only C source, the Edd mutant showed reduced growth rates and the triple Edd-PpdK-Pyk mutant did not grow. Moreover, the triple mutant was also unable to grow on ribose or xylose. Therefore, B. suis biovar 5 sugar catabolism proceeds through both the Pentose Phosphate shunt and EDP, and EDP absence and exclusive use of the shunt could explain at least in part the comparatively reduced growth rates of B. melitensis and B. abortus. The triple Edd-PpdK-Pyk mutant was not attenuated in mice. Thus, although an anabolic use is likely, this suggests that hexose/pentose catabolism to pyruvate is not essential for B. suis biovar 5 multiplication within host cells, a hypothesis consistent with the lack of classical glycolysis in all Brucella species and of EDP in B. melitensis and B. abortus. These results and those of previous works suggest that within cells, the brucellae use mostly 3 and 4 C substrates fed into anaplerotic pathways and only a limited supply of 5 and 6 C sugars, thus favoring the EDP loss observed in some species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Lázaro-Antón
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Facultad de Medicina, ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - María Jesús de Miguel
- Unidad de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain.,Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Thibault Barbier
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms (URBM), NARILIS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Raquel Conde-Álvarez
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Facultad de Medicina, ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pilar M Muñoz
- Unidad de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Zaragoza, Spain.,Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2, CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jean Jacques Letesson
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms (URBM), NARILIS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Maite Iriarte
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Facultad de Medicina, ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Moriyón
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Facultad de Medicina, ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Amaia Zúñiga-Ripa
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Facultad de Medicina, ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
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