牛支原体pdhc基因的克隆、表达及其亚细胞定位

试验旨在研究牛支原体（Mycoplasma bovis,M.bovis）武威株二氢硫辛酰胺转乙酰酶（PDHc-E2）基因序列特征及其在牛支原体细胞中的位置。参照GenBank中牛支原体HB0801株pdhc基因（登录号：CP002058.1）设计引物,应用PCR扩增获得牛支原体武威株pdhc基因,在测序及序列分析的基础上,应用Overlap PCR完成点突变后将其克隆至pET-28a（+）中,构建原核表达载体pET-pdhc。pET-pdhc转化大肠杆菌Rosetta（DE3）感受态细胞后经IPTG诱导获得融合蛋白,将纯化蛋白免疫新西兰兔制备多抗血清,应用iELISA和Western blotting对牛支原体武威株PDHc-E2在细胞内的分布进行初步研究。结果显示,牛支原体武威株pdhc基因CDS全长735 bp,编码244个氨基酸,与国内牛支原体分离株HB0801、Hubei-1、CQ-W70、NM2012等基因序列完全一致,与国际标准株PG45同源性为99.2%,与无乳支原体（M.agalactiae）同源性为90.9%~91.2%,与加利福尼亚支原体（M.californicum）ST6株的同源性仅为78.4%,基因序列非常保守;通过Overlap PCR将该基因中4个编码色氨酸的TGA密码子突变为TGG,且完成点突变后的基因在大肠杆菌中成功表达,重组蛋白大小约为29 ku,主要以可溶性形式存在,iELISA结果显示,重组蛋白PDHc-E2具有较高的免疫原性,可刺激新西兰兔产生高水平的抗体,血清效价高达1：100 000;亚细胞定位结果表明,制备的多抗血清与重组蛋白PDHc-E2、牛支原体全菌蛋白、牛支原体膜蛋白、牛支原体胞浆蛋白均能发生特异性结合,说明该蛋白在牛支原体细胞膜和细胞质中均有分布,为膜相关蛋白,但在细胞质中的分布多于细胞膜。本研究结果为进一步研究牛支原体的生物学功能提供了理论依据。     

Intraspecific variation in the 16S rRNA gene sequences of Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma bovis strains

Intraspecific variation in the 16S rRNA genes of 17 Mycoplasma agalactiae and eight Mycoplasma bovis isolates was investigated to determine the degree of sequence variation in these two species and to determine whether the polymorphisms in the 16S rRNA genes could be used for the construction of an evolutionary tree and as epidemiological markers. A high degree of variation was found within isolates (between operons) and between isolates of both species. In contrast to M. capripneumoniae no distinct evolutionary pattern could be seen, probably because there are functional systems for gene conversion in M. agalactiae and M. bovis. However, the non-European isolates of M. agalactiae shared three characteristic nucleotides and European isolates from the same or neighbouring countries were very similar. Differences within isolates included both polymorphic positions and sequence length differences between operons. The amount of variation within isolates of the respective species ranged from zero to seven polymorphisms for M. agalactiae and from zero to four polymorphisms for M. bovis. The high degree of variation suggests the potential for misdiagnosis of species in diagnostic PCR assays based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences. All isolates of both species had a thymidine in position 912 (E. coli numbering) that causes streptomycin resistance in several bacterial species and which is characteristic for the members of the hominis group. As expected, when five M. agalactiae and three M. bovis isolates were tested for streptomycin susceptibility, they all demonstrated streptomycin resistance. M. agalactiae and M. bovis were found to have high intraspecific variation in their 16S rRNA gene and the polymorphisms patterns indicate that gene conversion takes place.     

Genetic and antigenic characterization of the surface lipoprotein P48 of Mycoplasma bovis

The presence of a membrane lipoprotein homologous to the P48 of Mycoplasma agalactiae was investigated in different Mycoplasma bovis isolates selected by geographical locations and biological properties. Its potential as a diagnostic tool was also discussed. The presence of a specific signal observed in all M. bovis field isolates probed with a rabbit antiserum raised against the M. agalactiae recombinant P48 demonstrated that this protein is structurally and antigenically conserved within the M. bovis cluster. No signal was detected when testing six different mycoplasma species found in cattle. The p48 gene was identified by PCR approach and partially sequenced. Full length gene sequence was obtained by direct bacterial chromosome sequencing. Five UGAs were selectively mutated into UGG and the full length mutated gene, lacking the signal peptide, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant antigen (r-P48) was evaluated as a potential marker of infection using a panel of 86 well-characterized sera from experimentally and naturally infected cattle. Specific IgM antibodies were detected within 6-9 days after experimental infection followed by an IgG response lasting from the third/fourth week after contact. Although antibody titers were well below those observed in sheep or goats infected with M. agalactiae, results suggest that M. bovis r-P48 can be used as a specific marker of infection.     

The p40* adhesin pseudogene of Mycoplasma bovis

An analogue of the adhesin gene p40 of Mycoplasma agalactiae was found in Mycoplasma bovis. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the p40* gene in M. bovis revealed the presence of a large deletion involving a frameshift that causes premature truncation of the translated protein, indicating that p40* exists as a pseudogene in M. bovis.     

Production and characterization of recombinant transmembrane proteins from Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the etiological agent of swine enzootic pneumonia (EP), a chronic respiratory disease which causes significant economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. More efficient strategies for controlling this disease are necessary. In this study, we cloned17 genes coding for transmembrane proteins from M. hyopneumoniae, among which six were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and had their immunogenic and antigenic properties evaluated. All proteins were immunogenic in mice and sera from naturally infected pigs reacted with the recombinant proteins, suggesting that they are expressed during infection. These antigens may contribute for the development of new recombinant vaccines and diagnostic tests against EP.     

Molecular and antigenic characterization of a Mycoplasma bovis strain causing an outbreak of infectious keratoconjunctivitis.

An unusually high incidence of infectious keratoconjunctivitis followed by pneumonia and arthritis was observed in beef calves of a managed herd. No Moraxella spp. or bacteria other than Mycoplasma spp. were obtained from conjunctival and nasal swabs. A strategy was designed for characterization of bovine mycoplasmas at species and strain level on the basis of a combination of molecular tools and the immunoblotting method. The strategy made it possible to rapidly assign the bacterium responsible for this outbreak to one of the phylogenetic clusters of bovine mycoplasmas delineated in this study and then to identify it as Mycoplasma bovis. The strain, designated Sar 1, showed a 100% 16S rDNA sequence identity with two European strains (120/81 and MC3386) isolated in Germany and Ireland, respectively, and hosts a vsp gene analog to the vspA, vsp422-4, and vsp422-8 genes of the M. bovis reference strain PG45T and of the field strain 422. The use of a cross-reactive rabbit serum developed against the Mycoplasma agalactiae immunodominant antigen P48 confirmed the molecular findings. The immunological response of calves against M. bovis was also investigated. This is the first report on the occurrence of M. bovis on the Island of Sardinia (Italy).     

Evaluation of PCR systems for the identification and differentiation of Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma bovis: a collaborative trial

Diagnostic differentiation between the ruminant pathogens Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma bovis is known to be problematic when only conventional serological and biochemical tests are used. The main reason for this is that both agents share a considerable number of related proteins and common epitopes. DNA-based detection methods offer advantages in terms of specificity and sensitivity. However, there is an urgent need to compare currently used PCR assays because they target different genomic regions and, therefore, may perform differently. In the present work, five laboratories, which use PCR routinely, evaluated the specificity of four different PCR systems for M. agalactiae and three systems for M. bovis on a total of 41 strains of the two Mycoplasma species including six previously unidentified strains. As the vast majority of PCR examinations (97.1% of all tests) correctly identified the strains the specificity of all seven detection systems appears to be high. In four cases, incorrect identification by conventional diagnostic methods was rectified by PCR. Isolates from non-typical hosts, i.e. three M. bovis strains from small ruminants and two M. agalactiae strains from cattle, were characterised by sequencing the 16S and part of the 23S ribosomal RNA genes.     

Immunoblot assays using recombinant antigens for the detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae antibodies

The 36kDa L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and a 29kDa partial fragment of an ABC transporter ATP-binding protein analogue/multidrug resistance protein homologue (PR2) of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae were tested for their potential as diagnostic antigens. Recombinant LDH was genetically engineered to contain six histidine residues at its C-terminal end, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to a high degree using Ni(2+)-chelate affinity chromatography. A partial 262 amino acid segment representing the C-terminal end of the PR2 protein was cloned as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein, expressed in E. coli and purified by urea extraction. Purified recombinant LDH-6xHis and PR2-GST were then reacted with pig sera in immunoblot assays. Our immunoblots showed that both proteins detected anti-M. hyopneumoniae antibodies in field and experimentally infected pig sera but not in any of the SPF control sera. The two proteins were specific for M. hyopneumoniae as they did not react with sera of pigs infected with the closely related Mycoplasma flocculare and Mycoplasma hyorhinis which are frequently isolated in pigs but are not of particular concern.     

猪肺炎支原体P46基因的原核表达与间接ELISA方法的建立

猪肺炎支原体是猪喘气病的病原体,本研究选择猪肺炎支原体P46膜蛋白基因亲水区序列进行克隆,并将其内3个编码Trp的TGA突变成TGG,然后再克隆到pET28a(+)载体中,在大肠杆菌BL21 (DE3)细胞内实现了高效表达,表达产物相对分子质量约为31 ku,约占菌体总蛋白35％,表达形式为包涵体,通过Western blotting 证明表达产物与猪肺炎支原体高免血清具有很好的反应原性和特异性.将大肠杆菌表达的猪肺炎支原体P46重组蛋白经过洗涤、过柱纯化后,作为间接ELISA包被抗原用于检测猪血清中猪肺炎支原体抗体,通过对各参数和试剂的优化建立了rP46-ELISA方法,获得了较好的效果,通过与现有ELISA检测方法的比较,结果表明二者间具有较高的符合率.     

Specificity of oligonucleotide probes complementary to evolutionarily variable regions of 16S rRNA from Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Mycoplasma hyorhinis.

Mycoplasma is the common name for the smallest free-living microorganisms, the Mollicutes. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is of great importance in veterinary medicine, causing enzootic pneumonia in pigs. M hyorhinis can cause polyserositis and may cause pneumonia in piglets. Oligonucleotides complementary to variable regions of 16S rRNA from these mycoplasmas were designed and used as probes for detection and identification of these mycoplasmas. The probe complementary to 16S rRNA of M hyorhinis gave a very weak cross-hybridisation with M hyosynoviae in filter hybridisation experiments, but not with any of the other porcine mycoplasmas tested. Three oligonucleotide probes complementary to M hyopneumoniae 16S rRNA were tested. One of the probes (Mhp6/30) was found to be specific to M hyopneumoniae, but the other two gave cross-hybridisation with M flocculare. Using the Mhp6/30 probe in direct filter hybridisation experiments, it proved possible to detect M hyopneumoniae in lung biopsies from experimentally infected pigs.     

In vitro activity of tiamulin against porcine mycoplasmas

The activity of tiamulin against Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, M flocculare, M hyorhinis and M hyosynoviae grown in liquid medium was assessed in vitro. With the first three of these mycoplasmas, the activity of tylosin and oxytetracycline was observed in parallel. Tiamulin was more active against M hyopneumoniae and M flocculare, but there was less disparity between the three antibiotics with the strain of M hyorhinis tested. Tiamulin was notably more active against M hyosynoviae than against M hyopneumoniae. It was more difficult to suppress M hyopneumoniae than the other mycoplasmas with tiamulin. This persistence of M hyopneumoniae was more striking when M hyopneumoniae and M hyosynoviae were tested in parallel.     

牛支原体新基因(P18)的克隆表达及活性鉴定

牛支原体(M.bovis)可以引起犊牛肺炎、关节炎、乳腺炎、角膜结膜炎等疾病,是一种牛的重要呼吸道病原体,目前M.bovis粘附宿主细胞的机制还不明确。研究表明,M.bovis表面存在的多种蛋白与致病菌在宿主体内的侵袭力与传播能力有关。我们通过分离表达多个M.bovis基因,最终获得了一个表达纤溶酶原结合蛋白的新基因,并命名为P18。该基因表达大小约为67ku的重组蛋白。通过western blot鉴定,重组表达的P18蛋白可以被M.bovis抗体识别。进一步的试验表明,P18蛋白还具有纤溶酶原结合活性,从而推测该基因表达的蛋白可能是M.bovis的一个粘附相关因子。     

Comparison of restriction pattern polymorphism of Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma bovis by pulsed field gel electrophoresis.

Mycoplasma agalactiae and Mycoplasma bovis are closely related species in phylogenetic terms. Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) of SmaI, EclXI, Bsi WI, MluI, BssHII, SalI, XhoI, NruI and ApaI digested DNAs were used to analyse and to compare restriction fragment length polymorphism between M. agalactiae and M. bovis and to estimate their genome sizes. SmaI, EclXI and Bsi WI enzymes cleaved DNAs of both microrganisms. MluI, BssHII, SalI, XhoI and NruI digested only M. agalactiae DNA whereas ApaI cut only M. bovis DNA. The total DNA length was established to be 945 +/- 8.4 Kb for M. agalactiae and 961 +/- 18.9 Kb for M. bovis.     

Identification and immunological characterization of conserved Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae lipoproteins Mhp378 and Mhp651

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the etiological agent of swine enzootic pneumonia, is an important pathogen in the swine industry worldwide. Investigations on pathogenicity mechanisms as well as current serological detection methods and the development of new recombinant subunit vaccines are hampered by the lack of known and well characterized, species-specific M. hyopneumoniae antigens. As a first step to solve these problems membrane and membrane-associated proteins were enriched from M. hyopneumoniae cells by Triton X-114 fractionation and further analyzed by 2D gel electrophoresis and Western blot analyses using convalescent sera. Two previously unknown immunogenic proteins were identified by quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and database analyses as the conserved putative lipoproteins, Mhp378 and Mhp651. Both proteins were expressed as recombinant GST fusion proteins and reacted with sera from convalescent pigs. Coated as solid-phase antigen, Mhp651 showed a distinct cross-reaction only with Mycoplasma flocculare specific rabbit hyperimmune serum, whereas Mhp378 was only recognized by the positive control serum directed against M. hyopneumoniae, thereby indicating its species specificity.     

Immunological characterization of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae recombinant proteins

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the primary pathogen of enzootic pneumonia, is highly prevalent worldwide and causes major economic losses to the pig industry. Commercial vaccines are widely used in the control of this disease, however, they provide only partial protection. The aim of this study was to evaluate 34 recombinant proteins of M. hyopneumoniae expressed in Escherichia coli. Antigenic and immunogenic properties of these proteins were analyzed. For this, the proteins were tested against hyperimmune and convalescent pig sera through ELISA and Western blot. Immunogenicity of the recombinant proteins was evaluated in BALB/c mice following intramuscular inoculation. Most antigens were able to induce a strong immune response and sera from inoculated mice were able to recognize native proteins by cell ELISA and Western blot. Several recombinant proteins were specifically recognized by convalescent pig sera, indicating they are expressed during infection. These data may help to develop more efficacious vaccines against M. hyopneumoniae.     

Molecular basis of Mycoplasma agalactiae pathogenicity

Compared to other bacterial pathogens, the current knowledge of the molecular basis of pathogenicity of mycoplasmas is limited, and their strategies of infection at the molecular and cellular level remain to be elucidated. Several studies in the past years have shown that pathogenic mycoplasmas are equipped with sophisticated genetic systems, which allow these agents to spontaneously change their surface antigenic make-up. It is implicated that these variable surface components provide the wall-less mycoplasmas with a means to avoid the host immune response and promote host colonization. In Mycoplasma (M.) agalactiae, the agent of "contagious agalactia" in sheep and goats, a pathogenicity island-like locus has recently been identified that contains six distinct but related genes which encode the major immunodominant membrane proteins, the so-called Vpmas. It was shown that these surface-associated proteins vary in expression at an unusual high frequency due to site-specific DNA rearrangements. The previous lack of tools to genetically manipulate M. agalactiae has hampered more refined studies to assess the exact function of Vpmas in M. agalactiae infection and disease. The recent successful introduction of foreign DNA into the M. agalactiae genome therefore represents an important breakthrough which sets up the basis for a variety of follow-up studies assessing the role of Vpmas in molecular pathogenesis.     

牛支原体新疆分离株P48基因的克隆、原核表达及重组蛋白免疫原性研究

试验旨在确定牛支原体P48基因的免疫原性，为进一步筛选牛支原体免疫保护性基因奠定基础。本研究以牛支原体新疆分离株为研究对象，运用Overlap PCR方法扩增得到点突变后的牛支原体新疆分离株P48基因，构建原核表达载体pET-32a （+）-P48，转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）感受态细胞，在诱导剂ITPG的诱导下获得重组蛋白P48，纯化后的重组P48蛋白免疫BALB/c小鼠制备多克隆抗体，运用Western blotting和ELISA方法验证其反应原性和免疫原性。结果表明，试验成功构建原核表达载体pET-32a （+）-P48，重组蛋白P48大小约为66 ku，纯化后的牛支原体P48重组蛋白免疫小鼠后可产生良好的免疫反应，血清抗体滴度达到较高水平（D_{450 nm}值为1.126）。Western blotting结果显示，抗牛支原体P48重组蛋白的鼠血清与牛支原体P48重组蛋白及牛支原体全菌蛋白抗原均能产生明显的抗原抗体反应，表明P48重组蛋白具有良好的免疫原性与反应原性，可作为牛支原体新型疫苗的候选基因，且牛支原体新疆分离株P48基因与国内外5株牛支原体P48基因的同源性很高，亲缘关系较近。     

Comparison of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strains by serologic methods

Six field strains of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae isolated from pneumonic lungs of pigs, reference strains 11 and J of M hyopneumoniae, Ms 42 strain of Mycoplasma flocculare, and BTS 7 strain of Mycoplasma hyorhinis were compared serologically, using hyperimmune antisera produced in rabbits. All strains of M hyopneumoniae were closely related as determined with the disk growth-inhibition test; however, differences in zone sizes indicated that some antigenic heterogeneity existed. Cross-reactions were not detected between M hyopneumoniae, M flocculare, and M hyorhinis with the growth-inhibition test. The metabolic-inhibition test was more useful for detection of intraspecies antigenic difference than was the growth-inhibition test, since antigenic diversity was clearly detected among M hyopneumoniae strains. Slight cross-reactions were observed between M hyopneumoniae and M flocculare. Using 2-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis, antigenic differences were observed among M hyopneumoniae strains, although many common components also were detected in electropherograms. Mycoplasma flocculare possessed a close antigenic relationship to M hyopneumoniae, as determined by two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis, whereas both organisms were less related to M hyorhinis. Evidence obtained in this study indicated that strains of mycoplasmas tentatively identified as M hyopneumoniae were similar antigenically, but evidence was obtained also of some diversity in antigenic structure among these strains.     

Cloning and characterization of a Moraxella bovis cytotoxin gene

OBJECTIVE: To identify the Moraxella bovis cytotoxin gene. PROCEDURE: Hemolytic and nonhemolytic strains of M. bovis were compared by use of western blotting to identify proteins unique to hemolytic strains. Oligonucleotide primers, designed on the basis of amino acid sequences of 2 tryptic peptides derived from 1 such protein and conserved regions of the C and B genes from members of the repeats in the structural toxin (RTX) family of bacterial toxins, were used to amplify cytotoxin-specific genes from M. bovis genomic DNA. Recombinant proteins were expressed, and antisera against these proteins were produced in rabbits. RESULTS: Several proteins ranging in molecular mass from 55 to 75 kd were unique to the hemolytic strain. An open reading frame encoding a 927-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 98.8 kd was amplified from M. bovis genomic DNA. The deduced amino acid sequence encoded by this open reading frame was homologous to RTX toxins. Antisera against the recombinant carboxy terminus encoded by this open reading frame neutralized hemolytic and cytolytic activities of native M. bovis cytotoxin. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A gene was identified in M bovis that encodes a protein with sequence homology to other RTX toxins. Results of cytotoxin neutralization assays support the hypothesis that M. bovis cytotoxin is encoded by this gene and belongs in the RTX family of bacterial exoproteins. Identification of this gene and expression of recombinant cytotoxin could facilitate the development of improved vaccines against infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.