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Omaleki L, Blyde D, Hanger J, Loader J, McKay P, Lobo E, Harris LM, Nicolson V, Blackall PJ, Turni C. LONEPINELLA SP. ISOLATED FROM WOUND INFECTIONS OF KOALAS. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:398-406. [PMID: 37170426 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00096] [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: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
We describe two cases of wound infections of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), one wild and one captive, in which Lonepinella-like organisms were involved. The wild adult koala was captured with bite wound injuries, as part of a koala population management program in Queensland, Australia. In both cases, there was evidence of physical trauma causing the initial wound. The captive koala suffered injury from the cage wire, and the wild koala had injuries suggestive of intermale fighting. Gram-negative bacteria isolated from both cases proved to be challenging to identify using routine diagnostic tests. The wound in the captive koala yielded a pure culture of an organism shown by whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis to be a member of the genus Lonepinella, but not a member of the only formally described species, L. koalarum. The wound of the wild koala yielded a mixed culture of Citrobacter koseri, Enterobacter cloacae and an organism shown by WGS analysis to be Lonepinella, but again not Lonepinella koalarum. Both cases were difficult to treat; the captive koala eventually had to have the phalanges amputated, and the wild koala required removal of the affected claw. The two Lonepinella isolates from these cases have a close relationship to an isolate from a human wound caused by a koala bite and may represent a novel species within the genus Lonepinella. Wound infections in koalas linked to Lonepinella have not been reported previously. Wildlife veterinarians need to be aware of the potential presence of Lonepinella-like organisms when dealing with wound infections in koalas, and the inability of commercial kits and systems to correctly identify the isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lida Omaleki
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
| | - David Blyde
- Sea World Australia, Surfers Paradise, Queensland 4217, Australia
- Dreamworld, Coomera, Queensland 4209, Australia
| | - Jon Hanger
- Endeavour Veterinary Ecology, Toorbul, Queensland, 4510, Australia
| | - Jo Loader
- Endeavour Veterinary Ecology, Toorbul, Queensland, 4510, Australia
| | - Philippa McKay
- Endeavour Veterinary Ecology, Toorbul, Queensland, 4510, Australia
| | - Edina Lobo
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
- Current affiliation: School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, North Rockhampton, Queensland 4701, Australia
| | | | | | - Patrick J Blackall
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
| | - Conny Turni
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
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Animal Age Affects the Gut Microbiota and Immune System in Captive Koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus). Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0410122. [PMID: 36602319 PMCID: PMC9927321 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04101-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota is one of the major elements in the control of host health. However, the composition of gut microbiota in koalas has rarely been investigated. Here, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to determine the individual and environmental determinants of gut microbiota diversity and function in 35 fecal samples collected from captive koalas. Meanwhile, blood immune-related cytokine levels were examined by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to initially explore the relationship between the gut microbiota and the immune system in koalas. The relative abundance of many bacteria, such as Lonepinella koalarum, varies at different ages in koalas and decreases with age. Conversely, Ruminococcus flavefaciens increases with age. Moreover, bacterial pathways involved in lipid metabolism, the biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites, and infectious disease show a significant correlation with age. Age affects the relationship between the microbiota and the host immune system. Among them, the gut microbiota of subadult and aged koalas was closely correlated with CD8β and CD4, whereas adult koalas were correlated with CLEC4E. We also found that sex, reproductive status, and living environment have little impact on the koala gut microbiota and immune system. These results shed suggest age is a key factor affecting gut microbiota and immunity in captive koalas and thus provide new insight into its role in host development and the host immune system. IMPORTANCE Although we have a preliminary understanding of the gut microbiota of koalas, we lack insight into which factors potentially impact captive koalas. This study creates the largest koala gut microbiota data set in China to date and describes several factors that may affect gut microbiota and the immune system in captive koalas, highlighting that age may be a key factor affecting captive koalas. Moreover, this study is the first to characterize the correlation between gut microbiota and cytokines in koalas. Better treatment strategies for infectious disorders may be possible if we can better understand the interactions between the immune system and the microbiota.
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Espinosa-Gongora C, Hansen MJ, Bertelsen MF, Bojesen AM. Polar bear-adapted Ursidibacter maritimus are remarkably conserved after generations in captivity. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4497-4504. [PMID: 34250662 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Most species in the bacterial family of Pasteurellaceae colonize one specific host species. Vertebrates of very different evolutionary descent including fish, turtles, marsupials, eutherians and birds are colonized by different members of Pasteurellaceae. This one-to-one microbial-host species partnership makes Pasteurellaceae species valuable candidates to study biodiversity, bacterial-host co-evolution and host adaptation, and their widespread distribution across vertebrates provide the possibility to collect a wide array of data, where wildlife species are essential. However, obtaining samples from wild animals comes with logistic, technical and ethical challenges, and previous microbiota studies have led to the presumption that captive animals are poor models for microbial studies in wildlife. Here, we show that colonization of polar bears by Ursidibacter maritimus is unaffected by factors related to captivity, reflecting a deep symbiotic bond to the host. We argue that the study of ecological and evolutionary principles in captive wildlife is possible for host-adapted taxa such as those in the Pasteurellaceae family. Moreover, studying captive, often trained animals protects wild populations from the stress associated with obtaining samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Espinosa-Gongora
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Mie Johanne Hansen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.,Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Mads Frost Bertelsen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.,Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Anders Miki Bojesen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY PASTEURELLACEAE FROM THE ORAL CAVITY OF KOALAS ( PHASCOLARCTOS CINEREUS) AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ISOLATES FROM KOALA BITE WOUNDS IN HUMANS. J Zoo Wildl Med 2021; 51:771-779. [PMID: 33480557 DOI: 10.1638/2020-0041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A total of 22 Pasteurellaceae isolates obtained from the oral cavity of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) at different wildlife centers in Australia were investigated using amplification and sequencing of two housekeeping genes, rpoA and recN. The available sequences from the Lonepinella koalarum type strain (ACM3666T) and the recent isolates of Lonepinella-like bacteria obtained from human infected wounds associated with koala bites were also included. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the concatenated rpoA-recN genes and genome relatedness was calculated based on the recN sequences. The oral cavity isolates, the koala bite wound isolates, and L. koalarum ACM3666T resulted in four clusters (Clusters 1-4). Clusters 1-3 were clearly not members of the genus Lonepinella. Cluster 1 was closely related to the genus Fredericksenia, and Clusters 2 and 3 appeared to be novel genera. Cluster 4 consisted of three subclusters: Cluster 4a with one koala bite wound isolate and L. koalarum ACM3666T, Cluster 4b with three oral cavity isolates and two Lonepinella-like wound isolates, and Cluster 4c with three nearly identical oral cavity isolates that may represent a different species within the genus Lonepinella. The rich Pasteurellaceae population, including potential novel taxa in the oral cavity of koalas supports an important role of these highly adapted microorganisms in the physiology of koalas. Moreover, the pathogenic potential of Lonepinella-like species is an important consideration when investigating infected koala bites in humans.
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Dahlhausen KE, Jospin G, Coil DA, Eisen JA, Wilkins LG. Isolation and sequence-based characterization of a koala symbiont: Lonepinella koalarum. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10177. [PMID: 33150080 PMCID: PMC7583611 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are highly specialized herbivorous marsupials that feed almost exclusively on Eucalyptus leaves, which are known to contain varying concentrations of many different toxic chemical compounds. The literature suggests that Lonepinella koalarum, a bacterium in the Pasteurellaceae family, can break down some of these toxic chemical compounds. Furthermore, in a previous study, we identified L. koalarum as the most predictive taxon of koala survival during antibiotic treatment. Therefore, we believe that this bacterium may be important for koala health. Here, we isolated a strain of L. koalarum from a healthy koala female and sequenced its genome using a combination of short-read and long-read sequencing. We placed the genome assembly into a phylogenetic tree based on 120 genome markers using the Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB), which currently does not include any L. koalarum assemblies. Our genome assembly fell in the middle of a group of Haemophilus, Pasteurella and Basfia species. According to average nucleotide identity and a 16S rRNA gene tree, the closest relative of our isolate is L. koalarum strain Y17189. Then, we annotated the gene sequences and compared them to 55 closely related, publicly available genomes. Several genes that are known to be involved in carbohydrate metabolism could exclusively be found in L. koalarum relative to the other taxa in the pangenome, including glycoside hydrolase families GH2, GH31, GH32, GH43 and GH77. Among the predicted genes of L. koalarum were 79 candidates putatively involved in the degradation of plant secondary metabolites. Additionally, several genes coding for amino acid variants were found that had been shown to confer antibiotic resistance in other bacterial species against pulvomycin, beta-lactam antibiotics and the antibiotic efflux pump KpnH. In summary, this genetic characterization allows us to build hypotheses to explore the potentially beneficial role that L. koalarum might play in the koala intestinal microbiome. Characterizing and understanding beneficial symbionts at the whole genome level is important for the development of anti- and probiotic treatments for koalas, a highly threatened species due to habitat loss, wildfires, and high prevalence of Chlamydia infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guillaume Jospin
- Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David A. Coil
- Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan A. Eisen
- Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Laetitia G.E. Wilkins
- Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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