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Population and Virulence Factor Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus from Bovine Mastitis.
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2000-11-01
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Fitzgerald, J.R., Meaney, W.J., Hartigan, P.J., Smyth, C.J., Population and Virulence Factor Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus from Bovine Mastitis, End of Project Reports, Teagasc, 2000.
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of bovine mastitis and the disease
is responsible for substantial economic losses in the dairy industry
world-wide. A large number of commonly accepted virulence factors are
associated with S. aureus but it is yet to be elucidated which of these are
important for infection of the bovine udder.
A rational and effective strategy for the control of intramammary
infections may need to be directed against clones of S. aureus that
commonly cause disease. The objective of this study was to characterise
the genetic variance of S. aureus isolate populations from infected
udders in Ireland using RAPD-PCR, ribotyping and multilocus enzyme
electrophoresis (MLEE). Similar S. aureus isolates collected in the USA
were also typed in order to compare strain differences in staphylococcal
populations in a different environment. Phenotypic diversity based on
a number of presumed virulence factors together with antibiotic
sensitivity was examined and correlations between phenotype and
genotype were identified, if present. In addition, a pathogenicity island
encoding multiple superantigens was completely sequenced and
characterised. Knockout mutants of these superantigens were also
constructed and in vitro functional analysis performed.
Laboratory animal experiments (mice and rabbits) were used to study
the relative pathogenicity of individual staphylococcal strains (mice) and
also to measure the immunological responses after prolonged exposure
to the predominant strains (rabbits).