An RTX operon in hemolytic Moraxella bovis is absent from nonhemolytic strains

Pathogenic isolates of Moraxella bovis express a calcium-dependent transmembrane pore forming cytotoxin that is an RTX toxin encoded by mbxA. The DNA flanking mbxA was cloned and sequenced to determine if M. bovis contained a classical RTX operon. Open reading frames (ORFs) with deduced amino acid sequence homology to putative activation (RTX C) and transport (RTX B and D) proteins were identified and have been designated MbxC, MbxB, and MbxD, respectively. Thus, hemolytic M. bovis contains a typical RTX operon comprised of four genes arranged (5'-3') mbxCABD. In addition, the deduced amino acid sequences of DNA flanking mbxCABD revealed ORFs with amino acid sequence similarity to transposases (5'). At the 3' end of the mbx gene cluster, an ORF with homology to bacterial tolC genes was identified. Thus, as with the cya RTX operon of Bordetella pertussis, M. bovis appears to have a secretion accessory protein linked to RTX genes. Analysis of genomic DNA isolated from 5 nonhemolytic M. bovis strains by PCR and Southern blotting revealed the absence of mbxCABD. These strains did, however, amplify with primers specific for the 5' region flanking mbxC. M. bovis harbors a classical RTX operon that is absent in nonhemolytic strains.     

Vaccination against infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis: protective efficacy and antibody response induced by pili of homologous and heterologous strains of Moraxella bovis

The protective effect of 2 Moraxella bovis pili vaccines against infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) experimentally induced by homologous or heterologous strain challenge with virulent, haemolytic M. bovis strain, Dal 2d, was measured in trials using weaned calves aged 3 to 7 months. Purified pili vaccines were prepared from haemolytic strain Dal 2d, (pilus serogroup IV), and haemolytic strain Epp 63, (pilus serogroup III). Calves were challenged by conjunctival instillation of 1 x 10(9) colony forming units of virulent M. bovis strain Dal 2d 14 days after the second of 2 subcutaneous doses of vaccine. Each consisted of 200 micrograms of pili in alum-oil adjuvant administered at an interval of 21 days. In trial 1 the level of protection against challenge with the homologous strain was 46.7% (p less than 0.01). Small, rapidly resolving lesions of IBK occurred in some vaccinates compared with a larger proportion of severe lesions that required treatment in non-vaccinated calves (p less than 0.025). In trial 2, the level of protection against IBK after exposure of vaccinates to the homologous Dal 2d strain was 72.7%, but no significant level of protection or reduction in the size and duration of lesions was apparent in similarly challenged calves vaccinated with Epp 63 pili when contrasted with susceptible, non-vaccinated controls. No marked reduction in the duration of infection with M. bovis Dal 2d following challenge resulted from vaccination with pili of either of the serogroups III or IV. Rising homologous serum IgG antibody titres to serogroups III and IV pili were recorded in response to vaccination with each antigen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Identification and characterization of complete RTX operons in Moraxella bovoculi and Moraxella ovis

To determine if Moraxella bovoculi (M. bovoculi), a recently characterized coccoid Moraxella that was isolated from the eyes of calves affected with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), and Moraxella ovis (M. ovis), originally isolated from sheep with conjunctivitis, possessed genes encoding RTX proteins, genomic DNA was amplified with oligonucleotide primers targeting RTX operon genes of Moraxella bovis (M. bovis). Complete classical RTX operons composed of RTXCABD genes closely linked to a putative secretion accessory protein encoding gene (tolC) were identified in M. bovoculi and M. ovis and were designated mbvCABDtolC and movCABDtolC, respectively. These genes were closely related to M. bovis mbxCABDtolC. Polyclonal rabbit antiserum against the carboxy terminus of M. bovoculi MbvA neutralized hemolytic activity of both M. bovoculi and M. ovis; this antiserum did not neutralize the hemolytic activity of M. bovis. M. bovoculi and M. ovis possess genes that encode proteins related to pathogenic factors of M. bovis.     

牛支原体GAPDH定点突变、原核表达及生物学特性初步分析

根据已发表的牛支原体GAPDH基因序列设计引物,从牛支原体湖北分离株扩增出GAPDH基因,亚克隆于载体pET-30a。设计定点突变引物,采用环状PCR法对载体上GAPDH基因进行两轮定点突变,原核表达突变成功的重组质粒,获得重组牛支原体GAPDH蛋白,经Western-blot证实该重组蛋白具有较好的反应原性,为其在牛支原体病防控中的应用奠定了基础。     

牛分枝杆菌融合基因ESAT6-MPB63-HSP65的原核表达及鉴定

以牛分枝杆菌Vallee Ⅲ株基因组DNA为模板,PCR扩增ESAT6、MPB63和HSP65基因,将其依次定向克隆入原核表达载体pET-32a (+),构建重组质粒pET-E6-M63-H65,将重组质粒转化到大肠杆菌BL21 (DE3) 感受态细胞,1 mmol/L IPTG诱导融合蛋白表达,以Ni2+亲和层析柱纯化表达的融合蛋白并进行Western blotting 分析。结果表明,rESAT6-MPB63-HSP65融合蛋白为可溶性表达,且大小与理论值相符,纯化的融合蛋白能够与抗牛分枝杆菌阳性血清发生反应,为进一步的诊断学研究奠定了基础。     

Expression and Bioactivity Identification of eis Gene of Mycobacterium bovis in Mycobacterium smegmatis

This study was aimed to construct a shuttle expression vector of Mycobacterium bovis(M.bovis) eis gene and identify its bioactivity in recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis (M.smegmatis). M.bovis eis gene was cloned by PCR and the shuttle expression vector pMV261-Mbeis was constructed, then it was identified by double digestion and sequencing. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into M.smegmatis mc²155 by electroporation. The expression of M.bovis eis gene in M.smegmatis was detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, and the amino acids sequence of the target protein was identified by mass spectrometry. The growth curve of recombinant M.smegmatis mc²155 containing pMV261-Mbeis was successfully constructed.The results showed that pMV261-Mbeis did not affect the growth of M. smegmatis in vitro. The results of SDS-PAGE and Western blotting confirmed that the M. bovis eis gene expressed the eis protein which was about 44 ku in M. smegmatis. Mass spectrometry proved that the protein was the eis protein of M. bovis.The expression vector pMV261-Mbeis was successfully constructed and the expressed recombinant protein was proved to be have biological activities in M. smegmatis, which laid a foundation for the further study of the function of eis protein in M. bovis.     

牛分枝杆菌eis基因在耻垢分枝杆菌中的表达及其生物学活性鉴定

试验旨在构建牛分枝杆菌eis基因的穿梭表达载体,鉴定其在重组耻垢分枝杆菌中的生物学活性。采用PCR技术扩增并克隆牛分枝杆菌eis基因,构建大肠杆菌-分枝杆菌穿梭表达载体pMV261-Mbeis,经双酶切和测序鉴定其正确性,利用电穿孔法将重组质粒转化至耻垢分枝杆菌mc²155中,采用SDS-PAGE和Western blotting技术检测牛分枝杆菌eis基因在耻垢分枝杆菌中的表达,质谱鉴定目的蛋白氨基酸序列。研究结果表明,成功构建了牛分枝杆菌eis基因穿梭表达载体pMV261-Mbeis;生长曲线表明负载重组质粒不会影响耻垢分枝杆菌的体外生长;SDS-PAGE和Western blotting检测证实了牛分枝杆菌eis基因在耻垢分枝杆菌中可表达出分子质量约44 ku的eis蛋白;质谱检测证明了该蛋白即为牛分枝杆菌eis蛋白。本研究构建的牛分枝杆菌eis基因穿梭表达质粒pMV261-Mbeis在耻垢分枝杆菌中具有生物学活性,为下一步研究表达产物eis蛋白的功能奠定了基础。     

Outer membrane protein antigens of Moraxella bovis

Outer membranes were isolated from bovine isolates and type strains of Moraxella bovis, M phenylpyruvica, M lacunata, and M ovis by sodium N lauroyl sarcosinate extraction and differential centrifugation. Analysis of outer membranes from these organisms by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis revealed that all M bovis isolates shared a common polypeptide pattern that was readily distinguishable from other Moraxella spp. Nine major outer membrane protein bands were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis analysis of M bovis. Immunoblotting of protein antigens of M bovis revealed several outer membrane proteins that seemed to be common antigens of all M bovis isolates.     

牛分枝杆菌抗原MPB70、MPB83和ESAT-6的融合表达及重组蛋白的初步应用

应用PCR方法从牛分枝杆菌Vallee株基因组中扩增获得mpb70、mpb83和esat-6三个目的基因片段。采用重叠延伸剪接技术(splicing by overlap extension,SOE)获得融合基因mpb70-mpb83后,将mpb70-mpb83和esat-6串连于同一表达载体pET32a( )中得到重组质粒pET70-83-E6。转化BL21(DE3)大肠杆菌感受态后,经IPTG诱导以可溶的形式表达融合蛋白。用Ni2 亲合层析的方法纯化该融合蛋白。Western blot分析显示:该融合蛋白能与抗牛分枝杆菌阳性血清发生特异性反应,而与牛副结核病阳性血清不反应。用该纯化蛋白初步建立了间接ELISA方法,并检测了117份临床血清样本(其中67份为PPD阳性牛血清),阳性率为39.32%(46/117)份,与PPD皮试诊断的符合率为82.05%(96/117)。     

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.     

致犊牛肺炎牛支原体南疆株的分离鉴定及oppF基因序列分析

本研究旨在调查新疆喀什某规模化奶牛场的犊牛死亡原因,并确定病原体.无菌采集3份因肺炎死亡的犊牛肺脏病料样品.采用牛支原体专用液体培养基和1.0%牛支原体琼脂固体筛选培养基从3份病死犊牛肺脏病料中分离得到2株牛支原体(Mycoplasma bovis,M.bovis),分别命名为M.bovis-NJ-1和M.bovis-NJ-2.通过菌落形态学观察、特异性PCR和oppF测序比对对分离株进行鉴定.结果显示,2个分离株在固体培养基上的菌落呈现典型的"煎蛋状",且Dienes染色特点符合牛支原体菌落着色特征,中心呈深蓝色;PCR能扩增出牛支原体特异的448 bp目的片段;2个分离株的oppF基因序列与牛支原体国际标准株PG45的同源性分别为96.7%和95.3%.结果表明,引起犊牛发病死亡的病原是牛支原体,本研究为犊牛支原体肺炎的快速诊断和防制提供依据.     

Tuberculosis in captive seals: bacteriological studies on an isolate belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex

Culture of tuberculous lesions from six of 14 captive seals yielded an organism which, on the basis of biochemical and drug sensitivity tests, was identified as Mycobacterium bovis, although the organism showed a weak cording pattern and was glycerol tolerant. It was pathogenic in rabbits and guinea pigs and after passage the organism exhibited strong cord formation and was glycerol intolerant. Restriction endonuclease analysis and sodium dodecyl-sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the organism belonged to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Restriction patterns indicated that infection in the six seals was from a single source. Western blotting with monoclonal antibody to M bovis identified antigens at 23 and 27 kDa in M bovis which were absent from the seal isolates.     

牛结核杆菌MPB70-ESAT-6融合蛋白的原核表达及抗原反应性分析

为增强单个蛋白的抗原性,利用(Gly4Ser)3柔性连接肽将牛结核杆菌MPB70和ESAT-6融合。采用重叠延伸PCR技术将牛结核杆菌mpb70与esat-6基因连接,获得融合基因mpb70-esat-6,连接至T-Vector pMD19中,获得克隆质粒pMD-70-esat-6。经Bam HⅠ、EcoRⅠ酶切、纯化,并与p ET28a(+)载体连接,构建了pET-70-esat-6重组表达质粒。SDS-PAGE发现,在27.2 ku处表达了融合蛋白MPB70-ESAT-6,Western blotting证实,MPB70-ESAT-6与牛结核阳性血清反应性良好。MPB70-ESAT-6融合蛋白的研究为牛结核病诊断抗原及相关疫苗研究奠定了基础。     

Observation of the Growth Trends of Mycoplasma bovis with Four Different Antigen Quantitation Methods

To explore the antigen harvest time of Mycoplasma bovis (M.bovis) and the antigen quantitation alternative method,M.bovis 08M strain was inoculated in the Thiaucourt's medium.Four growth curve plottings were made by measuring color change units (CCU),colony forming units (CFU),protein concentration and nucleic acid levels.Both the results of CCU and CFU counts showed that the growth of M.bovis was divided into four phases,the logarithmic phase appeared after being cultrured 10 h,the stationary phase appeared at 30 h with the highest number of viable cells up to 1.0×10⁸ CCU/mL and 7.7×10⁷ CFU/mL,and the decline phase started at 75 h.The protein concentration of M.bovis increased rapidly from 15 to 35 h,reached 72.06 μg/mL at 35 h,then maintained at 58.38 to 70.65 μg/mL.The nucleic acid levels of M.bovis increased rapidly from 15 h,and the cycle threshold (Ct) values were maintained between 15.32 to 17.84 after 25 h.These results indicated that there was a good correlation between the protein concentration and viable count of M.bovis at the early stationary phase,which was the best time period to harvest antigen.The protein concentration determination could be an alternative method to quantify antigen contents of M.bovis when preparing inactivated M.bovis vaccine.     

4种抗原定量方法观察牛支原体培养特征

为探索在疫苗研制过程中牛支原体抗原收获时间及抗原定量替代方法,将牛支原体08M株接种于含10%马血清的Thiaucourt's培养基,在110 h内同时监测其颜色变化单位（color change units,CCU）、菌落形成单位（colony forming units,CFU）、菌体蛋白浓度和核酸含量的变化,绘制相应曲线。活菌计数结果（CCU和CFU）显示,牛支原体生长可分为明显的4期,10 h进入对数期,30 h进入稳定期,活菌数最高可达1.0×10⁸ CCU/mL和7.7×10⁷ CFU/mL,75 h进入衰亡期;蛋白浓度从15 h开始迅速增长,至35 h蛋白浓度最高,为72.06 μg/mL,此后维持在58.38~70.65 μg/mL;核酸含量从15 h开始增长,至25 h后Ct值维持在15.32~17.84。结果表明,牛支原体蛋白含量在稳定期初期与活菌数具有良好的相关性。因此,在牛支原体灭活疫苗生产中,稳定期初期是最佳抗原收获时间,可用蛋白浓度法代替活菌计数法进行抗原定量。     

Plasmid content of piliated and nonpiliated forms of Moraxella bovis

Plasmid profiles were compared between nonpiliated and piliated forms of Moraxella bovis isolates. The piliated form of M bovis isolate IBH64 contained 1 fewer plasmid than did the nonpiliated form. Piliated and nonpiliated cells of IBH64 contained plasmids having molecular size of 45, 32.8, 4.9, and 4.6 kilobases (kb). Single- and double-restriction endonuclease digestion by Ava I and Nde I indicated that the size of the additional plasmid carried by the nonpiliated form of IBH64 was approximately 43.6 kb. The M bovis isolates, Newport and GRS, contained the same number of plasmids in either their piliated or nonpiliated form.     

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。     

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。     

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of lysozyme extracts of virulent Mycobacterium bovis in guinea pigs and calves

Extracts of Mycobacterium bovis ATCC 19210 were prepared from cells following treatment with acetone 3 times, ethyl alcohol-ether 3 times (1:1, v/v), and chloroform 3 times. Cells were dried and suspended in 0.05M Tris-HCl (pH 7.5) containing lysozyme (1 mg/50 mg of dried cells). One aliquot of the lysozyme extract was filter-sterilized and 1 aliquot of the lysozyme extract was autoclaved. Delayed-type hypersensitivity responses elicited in sensitized guinea pigs, using the filter-sterilized lysozyme extract, were significantly greater than responses elicited using the autoclaved lysozyme extract (P less than 0.01). The filter-sterilized lysozyme extract and a purified protein derivative (PPD) of M bovis, at equal protein concentrations, elicited comparable delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in sensitized guinea pigs. Significant differences were not detected between the mean enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) values on sera collected from calves before exposure to M bovis, using each of the lysozyme extracts or the M bovis PPD (P greater than 0.05). Significant differences were detected when ELISA values obtained using each of the antigens on post-exposure serum were compared with ELISA values on serum collected from calves before exposure to M bovis (P less than 0.01). Differences were not detected in mean ELISA values on sera from cattle collected 12 months after exposure to M bovis, using each of the lysozyme extracts or M bovis PPD (P greater than 0.05); however, 8 of 8 calves were identified as positive on ELISA, using the filter-sterilized lysozyme extract, 7 of 8 calves were positive, using M bovis PPD, and 7 of 8 calves were positive, using the autoclaved lysozyme extract.