Host origin determines pH tolerance of Tritrichomonas foetus isolates from the feline gastrointestinal and bovine urogenital tracts.
Exp Parasitol
; 157: 68-77, 2015 Oct.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26160677
ABSTRACT
The ability for protozoan parasites to tolerate pH fluctuations within their niche is critical for the establishment of infection and require the parasite to be capable of adapting to a distinct pH range. We used two host adapted Tritrichomonas foetus isolates, capable of infecting either the digestive tract (pH 5.3-6.6) of feline hosts or the reproductive tract (pH 7.4-7.8) of bovine hosts to address their adaptability to changing pH. Using flow cytometry, we investigated the pH tolerance of the bovine and feline T. foetus isolates over a range of physiologically relevant pH in vitro. Following exposure to mild acid stress (pH 6), the bovine T. foetus isolates showed a significant decrease in cell viability and increased cytoplasmic granularity (p-value < 0.003, p-value < 0.0002) compared to pH 7 and 8 (p-value > 0.7). In contrast, the feline genotype displayed an enhanced capacity to maintain cell morphology and viability (p-value > 0.05). Microscopic assessment revealed that following exposure to a weak acidic stress (pH 6), the bovine T. foetus transformed into rounded parasites with extended cell volumes and displays a decrease in viability. The higher tolerance for acidic extracellular environment of the feline isolate compared to the bovine isolate suggests that pH could be a critical factor in regulating T. foetus infections and host-specificity.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Contexto en salud:
3_ND
Problema de salud:
3_zoonosis
Asunto principal:
Infecciones Protozoarias en Animales
/
Sistema Urogenital
/
Enfermedades de los Gatos
/
Enfermedades de los Bovinos
/
Tritrichomonas foetus
/
Tracto Gastrointestinal
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Exp Parasitol
Año:
2015
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Australia