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Ricard RM, Wobeser B. Molecular detection of Chlamydia abortus in endometrial biopsies of mares from western Canada. J Vet Diagn Invest 2024:10406387241267864. [PMID: 39152698 DOI: 10.1177/10406387241267864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia abortus is a reported cause of infertility and endometritis in sheep, cattle, and pigs; however, the association between uterine disease and C. abortus is poorly understood in horses. Recently, a high prevalence of C. abortus in equine aborted chorioallantoises was reported in horses in western Canada. Based on this high prevalence, investigation into the effects of C. abortus on infertility and endometritis in western Canadian mares is prudent. We examined 98 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded endometrial biopsies from western Canada submitted between 2014 and 2022 using a Chlamydia-specific 16S rRNA PCR test; 40 samples tested positive for Chlamydia on PCR, and 28 were sequenced as C. abortus. The C. abortus-positive cases were primarily associated with a history of failure to conceive, early embryonic loss, or abortion. Our findings suggest that C. abortus may be a cause of conception failure and abortion in horses in western Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Madison Ricard
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Bruce Wobeser
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Pagliarani S, Johnston SD, Beagley KW, Dief H, Palmieri C. The occurrence and pathology of chlamydiosis in the male reproductive tract of non-human mammals: A review. Theriogenology 2020; 154:152-160. [PMID: 32622195 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Organisms belonging to the Family Chlamydiaceae are responsible for a broad range of diseases in humans, livestock, companion animals and non-domestic species. Infection of the reproductive organs can cause a range of syndromes of which sub- and infertility are the most frequently observed clinical manifestations. While the gross and histological lesions associated with the isolation of Chlamydiaceae from the non-human female reproductive tract are well documented, little attention has been given to the pathological effects of this infection in the male genital system. As such, the occurrence and importance of Chlamydia-associated disease in male non-human mammalian species is less well documented. In order to improve our understanding of the significance of chlamydiosis in domestic, laboratory and wild animals, this review provides an up-to-date summary of Chlamydia-associated male reproductive pathology, whether that infection occurs naturally or experimentally. Although most lesions in males are described as incidental and of minor significance, results of recent studies suggest that infection with Chlamydiaceae can adversely impact male fertility and/or be instrumental in disease transmission. Although in humans, bulls and mice Chlamydia infection has been associated with morphological and functional abnormalities of the spermatozoa, this review will focus on the gross and histological findings linked to the colonisation of the genital system by this pathogen. Advances in our understanding of male reproductive chlamydiosis are necessary for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, as well as epidemiological and conservation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pagliarani
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343, Australia; School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343, Australia.
| | - Stephen D Johnston
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343, Australia
| | - Kenneth W Beagley
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Hamdy Dief
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343, Australia
| | - Chiara Palmieri
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343, Australia
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Coyle C, Wheelhouse N, Jacques M, Longbottom D, Svoboda P, Pohl J, Duncan WC, Rae MT, Barlow PG. Ovine trophoblasts express cathelicidin host defence peptide in response to infection. J Reprod Immunol 2016; 117:10-6. [PMID: 27348190 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cationic host defence peptides (CHDP; also known as antimicrobial peptides) are key components of the immune response in the female reproductive tract. The role of the placental trophoblast in ovine host defence remains poorly understood. This study characterises expression of genes for cathelicidin and defensin peptides in primary ovine placental tissues, the ovine trophoblast cell line (AH-1) and in response to the TLR-4 ligand LPS, the abortifacient organism Waddlia chondrophila and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Using RT-PCR, expression of the CHDP SMAP-29, sBD-1 and sBD-2 was assessed in the AH-1 cell line in response to LPS, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 exposure (a known stimulator of cathelicidin gene expression), or W. chondrophila infection. Expression of cathelicidin in the trophoblast compartment of the ovine placenta and in the ovine trophoblast cell line (AH-1) was also established. AH-1 cells did not upregulate expression of CHDP in response to LPS, but sBD-1 and sBD-2 expression was significantly increased in response to W. chondrophila infection. SMAP-29 expression was not altered by in vitro exposure to 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. This study demonstrates that the ovine trophoblast expresses cathelicidins, but does not upregulate expression of CHDP in response to LPS. Ovine trophoblasts are shown to differentially regulate expression of CHDP and lack a demonstrable vitamin D-mediated cathelicidin response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Coyle
- School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, United Kingdom
| | - Nick Wheelhouse
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Maxime Jacques
- School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, United Kingdom
| | - David Longbottom
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Pavel Svoboda
- Biotechnology Core Facility Branch, Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta GA 30333, United States
| | - Jan Pohl
- Biotechnology Core Facility Branch, Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta GA 30333, United States
| | - W Colin Duncan
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queens Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T Rae
- School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, United Kingdom
| | - Peter G Barlow
- School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, United Kingdom.
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Gupta RS. Impact of genomics on the understanding of microbial evolution and classification: the importance of Darwin's views on classification. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2016; 40:520-53. [PMID: 27279642 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Analyses of genome sequences, by some approaches, suggest that the widespread occurrence of horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) in prokaryotes disguises their evolutionary relationships and have led to questioning of the Darwinian model of evolution for prokaryotes. These inferences are critically examined in the light of comparative genome analysis, characteristic synapomorphies, phylogenetic trees and Darwin's views on examining evolutionary relationships. Genome sequences are enabling discovery of numerous molecular markers (synapomorphies) such as conserved signature indels (CSIs) and conserved signature proteins (CSPs), which are distinctive characteristics of different prokaryotic taxa. Based on these molecular markers, exhibiting high degree of specificity and predictive ability, numerous prokaryotic taxa of different ranks, currently identified based on the 16S rRNA gene trees, can now be reliably demarcated in molecular terms. Within all studied groups, multiple CSIs and CSPs have been identified for successive nested clades providing reliable information regarding their hierarchical relationships and these inferences are not affected by HGTs. These results strongly support Darwin's views on evolution and classification and supplement the current phylogenetic framework based on 16S rRNA in important respects. The identified molecular markers provide important means for developing novel diagnostics, therapeutics and for functional studies providing important insights regarding prokaryotic taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhey S Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Lamoth F, Pillonel T, Greub G. Waddlia: An emerging pathogen and a model organism to study the biology of chlamydiae. Microbes Infect 2015; 17:732-7. [PMID: 26432516 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2015.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2015] [Revised: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Waddlia chondrophila is an emerging pathogen associated with abortion in cattle. In humans, a growing body of evidence supports its pathogenic role in miscarriage and in respiratory tract infection. The human pathogenicity of W. chondrophila is further supported by the presence of several virulence factors including a catalase, a functional T3SS and several adhesins. Despite this medical importance, no commercial tests are available and diagnostic of this strict intracellular bacterium mainly relies on serology, PCR and immunohistochemistry. So far, the epidemiology of W. chondrophila remains largely unexplored and zoonotic, waterborne or interhuman transmission has been considered. Apart from its pathogenic role, chlamydiologists are also interested in W. chondrophila in order to better understand biological mechanisms conserved and shared with Chlamydia spp. Indeed, W. chondrophila proved to be a useful model organism to study the pathobiology of chlamydiae thanks to its rapid replication, its large size allowing precise subcellular protein localization, as well as its growth in Dictyostelium amoebae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fréderic Lamoth
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Trestan Pillonel
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Van Gils M, Aeby S, Vanrompay D, Greub G. Absence of Chlamydia-like organisms in pigs. New Microbes New Infect 2015; 7:31-2. [PMID: 26137311 PMCID: PMC4484541 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Porcine reproductive failure, especially abortion, causes significant economic loss in the pig industry. Waddlia chondrophila and Parachlamydia acanthamoebae are potential abortigenic agents for pigs. Therefore, we investigated the presence of these two Chlamydia-like organisms in abortion-related samples originating from Belgian pig farms. All investigated samples remained negative.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Van Gils
- Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory for Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - S Aeby
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - D Vanrompay
- Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Laboratory for Immunology and Animal Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - G Greub
- Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Basso W, Handke M, Sydler T, Borel N, Grimm F, Sidler X, Deplazes P. Involvement of Toxoplasma gondii in reproductive disorders in Swiss pig farms. Parasitol Int 2015; 64:157-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 11/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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de Barsy M, Greub G. Waddlia chondrophila: from biology to pathogenicity. Microbes Infect 2013; 15:1033-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Revised: 09/02/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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First detection of Waddlia chondrophila in Africa using SYBR Green real-time PCR on veterinary samples. Vet Microbiol 2013; 164:101-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2012] [Revised: 01/28/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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