Studies of bovine Mycoplasma mastitis. 4. Serological classification of Mycoplasma strains isolated from 3 stocks

Thirty-two isolates from altered milk samples taken from cows with mastitis of two herds were serologically tested by the WHT against rabbit hyperimmune sera of 16 reference and type strains. The strains tested were associated and grouped in the following way: 16 M. bovis, nine A. laidlawii, and seven A. axanthum. The classification of on M. bovis strain was confirmed by SHT. Five isolates from another stock, with biochemical properties related to the family of mycoplasmataceae, were not serologically identified.     

Antigen heterogeneity and epitope variable expression in Mycoplasma meleagridis isolates

Immunoblotting was used to check the antigenic profiling of 27 Mycoplasma meleagridis strains isolated in different countries. Hyperimmune polyclonal rabbit antiserum as well as monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against M. meleagridis (MM) showed antigen heterogeneity among strains. Five anti-MM MAbs were selected for lack of reaction against heterologous avian mycoplasma. Three of these five Mabs did not cross-react with 63 mycoplasma strains from six species affecting turkeys other than M. meleagridis. The five Mabs used to analyse the epitopes of 30 M. meleagridis strains indicated that some epitopes were not expressed in all strains. Moreover, other epitopes were located on proteins which differed according to number or molecular mass from strain to strain. The five Mabs therefore, recognised variable surface proteins, among which two were amphiphilic membrane proteins.Three of the selected Mabs recognised 29 or 30 of the 30 tested strains. The in vitro expression of surface epitopes in M. meleagridis ATCC 25284 was investigated by colony immunobinding and allowed demonstration of a variable antigenic system.     

Studies of Mycoplasma mastitis in cattle. 5. Studies of udder pathogenicity of Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma strains of different origins

Isolated acholeplasma laidlawii strains exhibited highly differentiated behaviours regarding their udder pathogenicity. Twelve of 16 tested strains were pathogenic to udder. Symptoms of acute udder inflammation were caused by all ten A. laidlawii strains isolated from differentiated material of calf, but by only two of six strains isolated from differentiated material of cattle. Intracisternal instillation of both strains from milk and one strain each from udder skin or cervical mucus caused merely temporary disorders of secretion. Ultrasonic extracts of A. laidlawii strains, some of them additionally heated, were intracisternally applied, as well. Udder irritation was caused only by those acholeplasma strains which were udder-patha was assumed to be attributable to a toxin of the polysaccharide type. Pathogenicity to udder was recorded also from one M. alkalescens strain isolated from a nose swab taken of cattle as well as from two A. granularum strains isolated from calf lungs.     

The capacity of Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and seven other Mycoplasma species for hemadsorption, sperm adsorption, hemolysis and peroxide formation

Searching for potential virulence markers of Ureaplasma (U.) urealyticum and Mycoplasma (M.) hominis, simple laboratory methods were used to detect strain specific properties. Haemadsorption, sperm adsorption, haemolysis, and peroxide formation were tested on clinical isolates and type strains of U. urealyticum and M. hominis in comparison to reference strains of seven other Mycoplasma species. In contrast to M. bovis, M. gallisepticum and M. pulmonis, all strains of M. hominis and U. urealyticum failed to adsorb human spermatozoa and erythrocytes from five vertebrate species to their colonies. Unexpectedly, colonies of M. arthritidis PG 6 adsorbed both human erythrocytes and spermatozoa. Using various methods, the known haemolytic and peroxide activities of the reference strains could be confirmed. None of the U. urealyticum strains tested demonstrated lysis of human or ovine erythrocytes or peroxide production. On the other hand, 76 of 108 isolates of M. hominis showed an alpha'- or beta-haemolysis of different degree. However, this phenomenon could not be reproduced in all cases and it was not attributable to the activity of a peroxide. None of the methods used in this study were found to be suitable for detection of possible virulence factors of U. urealyticum or M. hominis.     

A novel medium devoid of ruminant peptone for high yield growth of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is considered an emerging veterinary pathogen causing pneumonia in sheep and goats worldwide. Currently it has not been possible to define a growth medium that yields the maximum growth of M. ovipneumoniae within a short incubation period. Growth yields of M. ovipneumoniae in Eaton's medium are variable and not as consistently high as those seen with other Mycoplasma spp. This study investigated the ability of different M. ovipneumoniae field strains to grow in various media formulations, where PPLO broth was replaced by a vegetable protein source, and comparisons were made in terms of strain viability in Eaton's medium. Studies were also conducted to determine the optimal carbohydrate source for use in the M. ovipneumoniae medium. Generally, it was found that different strains showed good growth in all media tested, with growth yields at 24h in TSB-1 medium higher than those observed with Eaton's medium. Growth yields reached 10(8) to 10(9)cfu ml(-1) within 24h for particular field strains, with all strains achieving this growth level within 48-72h.     

仔猪产气荚膜梭菌肠毒血症病原诊断及疫苗研究Ⅲ.7株A型产气荚膜梭菌菌株的产毒素试验

本试验对7株A型产气荚膜梭菌菌株在不同培养基、不同培养温度和不同培养时间的产毒力进行了试验。结果表明，培养基的种类和培养时间对菌株的产毒素能力影响较大，而培养温度则影响较小。所试菌株中C57-1菌株的产毒素能力最强，是制备疫苗的最佳菌株。     

Experimental infections of goats with Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides, LC type

In five experiments 29 goats were infected experimentally by five different routes with a strain of Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides, LC type, isolated from a contagious caprine pleuropneumonia-like outbreak on a farm in northern Sweden. All the goats were colonised except those inoculated subcutaneously with small doses. In its pattern of pathogenicity this strain was similar to other experimentally tested strains except that peroral infection in kids produced no clinical signs. A 'contact' goat was also colonised but the clinical signs seen in it were probably due to a concomitant infection with Pasteurella haemolytica.     

Studies of bovine Mycoplasma mastitis. 2. Testing of various culture media and culture methods for the isolation of Mycoplasma from milk samples]

The recipes Medium-I broth, Medium-B broth, and Weissenseemycoplasma broth as well as Medium-I agar, Medium-B agar, and MRL agar were tested for their applicability to culturing mycoplasma from milk samples, using the direct and indirect techniques. No dependable information on the occurrence of mycoplasma was obtainable from tested material unless several nutritive media and techniques were combined. Medium I, for which almost no imported substances were needed, was in no way inferior to common international nutritive substrates. Its use in conjunction with the indirect culturing technique is recommended for routine diagnosis.     

The Corynebacterium pyogenes infection of cattle. 2. Tenacity of Corynebacterium pyogenes]

Some common agents were tested for their effectiveness against Corynebacterium pyogenes. The pathogen proved most susceptable to Wofasteril. All germs were killed within ten minutes by a 0.005% solution. Equally good action was recorded from all the other tested agents as well (lactic acid, Lugol's solution, formalin, cupric sulphate, alcohol, and aethacridine. Other studies were conducted with the view to testing the survival capacity of Corynebacterium pyogenes in different media and storage conditions. The pathogen survived three months in routine media and mastitis secretion at room temperature. Regrowth of 38 in 50 strains took place after nine months of refrigerator storage in slanting blood agar tubes with paraffin plugs. Germs sampled from mastitis secretion and stored in a refrigerator were cultivable even after one year had elapsed. The detectability rate of Corynebacterium pyogenes did not change over months by storage of wound infection material at 12 degrees C below zero. The pathogen remained detectable five days from artificial contamination of cattle skin.     

Interactions of Mycoplasma bovoculi with erythrocytes: role of p94 surface protein.

The attachment of two strains of Mycoplasma bovoculi to erythrocytes was measured using 35S-methionine-labelled organisms. Receptor sites of M. bovoculi involved in this attachment are trypsin-sensitive, since mild trypsin treatment of the intact organisms abolished this process completely. Pretreatment of erythrocytes with trypsin or increasing concentrations of neuraminidase resulted in no measurable effect. Monoclonal antibody MA25.5 directed against a M. bovoculi surface antigen of 94 kDa termed p94 blocked 40% of the attachment, while MA18.13 directed against a 57 kDa protein band of M. bovoculi had no effect on the attachment process. Other properties of M. bovoculi were tested using six strains of the mycoplasma and erythrocytes from several animal species. None of the strains showed haemagglutinating or haemadsorbing activities.     

Diversity in nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide requirement for the growth of different strains of Mycoplasma synoviae

The type strain WVU 1853 and field strains SG, N26 and A642 of Mycoplasma synoviae were examined for their requirement for nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NAD) for in vitro growth. All the strains grew and could be repeatedly passaged in Frey broth medium supplemented with filter-sterilised NAD. In modified Frey broth medium from which NAD was omitted and broth medium for which the supplements including yeast extract and NAD were autoclaved, only strains N26 and A642 could be grown and passaged. The growth curves of strain N26 determined in broth media with and without NAD were similar. These results indicated that there are differences in NAD-requirement for in vitro growth among strains of M synoviae.     

Isolation and immunological detection of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in sheep with atypical pneumonia, and lack of a role for Mycoplasma arginini

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae NCTC 10151(T) and four new isolates from UK sheep flocks were compared. Only glucose and pyruvate were used as energy sources by the five strains: glucose was the best energy source for the type strain, pyruvate supported better growth of the new strains. Whole cell protein patterns and antigenic profiles showed high similarity between all five strains. The new isolates fell into two groups in ELISA tests. Serum samples from 30 pneumonic sheep were assessed for M. ovipneumoniae infection and Mycoplasma arginini co-infection. Fourteen (out of 30) serum samples were positive for M. ovipneumoniae both by ELISA and immunoblotting. Twelve antigenic proteins of M. ovipneumoniae were detected in infected serum samples: the antigen patterns were unique, with between one and at least seven occurring in any one sample. All serum samples were designated as negative for M. arginini antibodies by both ELISA and immunoblotting.     

Evaluation of Some Serological Techniques for The Identification of Mycoplasma Hyorhinis and Mycoplasma Suipneumoniae

Eighteen strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis and a strain of Mycoplasma suipneumoniae were tested in 4 serological tests, i. e., disc growth inhibition, metabolic inhibition, indirect haemagglutination and indirect epi-immunofluorescence. Only with immunofluorescence could all tested strains of M. hyorhinis be shown; no cross-reactions between M. hyorhinis and M. suipneumoniae could be detected. The other tests failed in many cases to identify strains of the same species, and they gave cross-reactions between M. hyorhinis and M. suipneumoniae.     

Strain differentiating real-time PCR for Mycoplasma gallisepticum live vaccine evaluation studies

Mycoplasma gallisepticum causes respiratory disease and production losses in poultry. Vaccination of poultry with M. gallisepticum live vaccines is an approach to reduce susceptibility to infection and to prevent the economic losses. The development and evaluation of live vaccines usually requires the involvement of several vaccine and challenge strains in the same experimental setup. Our goal was to develop a tool to allow the differentiation between a set of known M. gallisepticum strains in a quantitative manner. We developed 5 real-time PCR assays that absolutely differentiated between one of the five commercial and laboratory vaccine strains: F, ts-11, 6/85, K5831, K5054, and the challenge strain R low when tested on in vitro cultures. The assay K5831 vs. R low was also tested on specimens from live birds that were vaccinated with K5831 and challenged with R low, and successfully differentiated between the vaccine and the challenge strains in a quantitative manner. This preliminary in vivo application of the method also shed light on possible protection mechanisms for the M. gallisepticum K5831 vaccine strain.     

A new selective medium for the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes.

A new selective medium for the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), is described. The medium contained propolis, nalidixic acid, polymyxin B and rivanol as selective substances. The new medium (propolis-agar) was compared with two other selective media and one nonselective medium. No inhibitory effect was found on the 6 strains of Lm tested, and Lm was easily isolated from a mixture of Lm and contaminating bacteria. The selective effect was better than for the two other selective media tested.     

Comparison of strains of Mycoplasma iowae

Comparison of biochemical test results and protein electrophoretic patterns of 21 strains of Mycoplasma iowae indicated that all were similar. Comparison of agglutination test results indicated marked within-species antigenic variation. None of 21 antigens prepared from different strains were effective in demonstrating turkey antibody against five reference strains. Examination of sera from turkeys exposed by intra-air-sac inoculation to two pathogenic strains also indicated antigenic variation. Neither the M. iowae type-strain, Iowa 695, nor the other reference strains were effective in demonstrating antibody against both strains used to expose the turkeys. These findings suggest that antigenic variation may be a major problem in effective serodiagnosis of M. iowae infections.     

Molecular analysis of field strains of Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae and Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides, small colony type isolated from goats in Tanzania.

A molecular analysis of strains of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (M. capripneumoniae) and Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, small colony type (M. mycoides SC) isolated from goats was performed using the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) fingerprinting techniques. Among the 11 field strains of M. capripneumoniae from Tanzanian goats, two AFLP patterns were demonstrated, with 10 of the strains showing indistinguishable patterns. Five Kenyan strains of M. capripneumoniae produced three AFLP patterns, with two of them being indistinguishable from the 10 identical Tanzanian and one Ugandan strain (M74/93) isolated from sheep. The AFLP pattern of the type strain (F38(T)) was identical to two Kenyan strains (Baringo and G183/82). On PFGE analysis, all the examined M. capripneumoniae strains exhibited identical PFGE profiles.Five field strains of M. mycoides SC isolated from goats displayed identical AFLP patterns except for one strain which differed from others at only one position. The AFLP pattern of the type strain of M. mycoides SC (PG1(T)) was different from the field strains. The five field strains of M. mycoides SC produced identical PFGE profiles, which were, however, different from the type strain. The AFLP and PFGE profiles of M. mycoides SC strains from goats were identical to those of six strains isolated from cattle affected with contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in the same areas. The results of this study suggest a close epidemiological linkage between strains of M. capripneumoniae and between M. mycoides SC type, respectively, isolated from goats in Tanzania.     

Identification of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens type A in mixed cultures.

Three known enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens type A strains were mixed in various combinations with three nonenterotoxigenic strains and three lots of animal intestinal contents. They were grown as mixed cultures and tested for the presence of enterotoxin by the fluorescent antibody, reversed passive hemagglutination and immunodiffusion techniques. The fluorescent antibody and reversed passive hemagglutination tests detected enterotoxin in all 16 cultures prepared but the immunodiffusion test failed on two cultures. Attempts to reisolate the enterotoxigenic strains from the mixed cultures was successful in 12 cases when two of five isolated colonies were selected.     

Inhibition of the growth of some strains of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides by the blood of certain horses.

When incorporated in solid medium at a concentration of 15 per cent, the defibrinated blood of certain horses strongly suppressed the growth of some, but not all, strains of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides so that many colonies failed to develop to a visible size. Blood from a single rabbit was tested and found to exert a similar effect. There was striking variation in the degree of inhibition produced by different samples of horse blood and, of five strains of the organism examined, the T1 vaccine strain was the most susceptible. The results suggested that the effect was not due to antibody.