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Minich D, Madden C, Navarro MA, Glowacki L, French-Kim K, Chan W, Evans MV, Soares K, Mrofchak R, Madan R, Ballash GA, LaPerle K, Paul S, Vodovotz Y, Uzal FA, Martinez M, Hausmann J, Junge RE, Hale VL. Gut microbiota and age shape susceptibility to clostridial enteritis in lorikeets under human care. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:7. [PMID: 35000619 PMCID: PMC8744333 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00148-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Enteritis is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in lorikeets that can be challenging to diagnose and treat. In this study, we examine gut microbiota in two lorikeet flocks with enteritis (Columbus Zoo and Aquarium—CZA; Denver Zoo—DZ). Since 2012, the CZA flock has experienced repeated outbreaks of enteritis despite extensive diet, husbandry, and clinical modifications. In 2018, both CZA and DZ observed a spike in enteritis. Recent research has revealed that the gut microbiota can influence susceptibility to enteropathogens. We hypothesized that a dysbiosis, or alteration in the gut microbial community, was making some lorikeets more susceptible to enteritis, and our goal was to characterize this dysbiosis and determine the features that predicted susceptibility.
Results We employed 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the cloacal microbiota in lorikeets (CZA n = 67, DZ n = 24) over time. We compared the microbiota of healthy lorikeets, to lorikeets with enteritis, and lorikeets susceptible to enteritis, with “susceptible” being defined as healthy birds that subsequently developed enteritis. Based on sequencing data, culture, and toxin gene detection in intestinal contents, we identified Clostridium perfringens type A (CZA and DZ) and C. colinum (CZA only) at increased relative abundances in birds with enteritis. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry further identified the presence of gram-positive bacilli and C. perfringens, respectively, in the necrotizing intestinal lesions. Finally, using Random Forests and LASSO models, we identified several features (young age and the presence of Rhodococcus fascians and Pseudomonas umsongensis) associated with susceptibility to clostridial enteritis. Conclusions We identified C. perfringens type A and C. colinum associated with lorikeet necrohemorrhagic enteritis at CZA and DZ. Susceptibility testing of isolates lead to an updated clinical treatment plan which ultimately resolved the outbreaks at both institutions. This work provides a foundation for understanding gut microbiota features that are permissive to clostridial colonization and host factors (e.g. age, prior infection) that shape responses to infection. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42523-021-00148-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Minich
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Christopher Madden
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Mauricio A Navarro
- California Animal Health & Food Safety Lab, University of California, Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA.,Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Leo Glowacki
- Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kristen French-Kim
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Willow Chan
- Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Morgan V Evans
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kilmer Soares
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural Sciences (CCA), Federal University of Paraiba (UFPB), Areia, PB, Brazil
| | - Ryan Mrofchak
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Rushil Madan
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Gregory A Ballash
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Krista LaPerle
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Comparative Pathology & Digital Imaging Shared Resource, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Subhadeep Paul
- Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Yael Vodovotz
- Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Francisco A Uzal
- California Animal Health & Food Safety Lab, University of California, Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Margaret Martinez
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Vanessa L Hale
- Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1902 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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Gurjar AA, Yennawar NH, Yennawar HP, Rajashankar KR, Hegde NV, Jayarao BM. Expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of recombinant Clostridium perfringens beta 2-toxin. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2007; 63:484-7. [PMID: 17554168 PMCID: PMC2335086 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309107020313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2007] [Accepted: 04/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive sporulating anaerobic bacterium that is responsible for a wide spectrum of diseases in animals, birds and humans. The virulence of C. perfringens is associated with the production of several enterotoxins and exotoxins. beta2-toxin is a 28 kDa exotoxin produced by C. perfringens. It is implicated in necrotic enteritis in animals and humans, a disease characterized by a sudden acute onset with lethal hemorrhagic mucosal ulceration. The recombinant expression, purification and crystallization of beta2-toxin using the batch-under-oil technique are reported here. Native X-ray diffraction data were obtained to 2.9 A resolution on a synchrotron beamline at the F2 station at Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) using an ADSC Quantum-210 CCD detector. The crystals belong to space group R3, with a dimer in the asymmetric unit; the unit-cell parameters are a = b = 103.71, c = 193.48 A, alpha = beta = 90, gamma = 120 degrees using the hexagonal axis setting. A self-rotation function shows that the two molecules are related by a noncrystallographic twofold axis with polar angles omega = 90.0, phi = 210.3 degrees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit A. Gurjar
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Neela H. Yennawar
- Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Facility, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Hemant P. Yennawar
- Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography Facility, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | | | - Narasimha V. Hegde
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Bhushan M. Jayarao
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
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