Identification of a large repetitive RTX immunogen in a highly virulent Rodentibacter heylii strain.
Microbes Infect
; 23(2-3): 104771, 2021.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33164813
ABSTRACT
Rodentibacter (R.) heylii is frequently detected in laboratory rodents. Repeats in toxin (RTX) toxins are considered important virulence factors of this major murine pathogen. We evaluated the virulence of a R.heylii strain negative for all known RTX toxin genes and Muribacter (M.) muris, a commensal in mice, in experimental infections of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Experimental intranasal infection with 108 CFU of the pnxI-, pnxII- and pnxIII- R. heylii strain resulted in 75% and 100% mortality in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, respectively. In early losses, multiple internal organs were infected and purulent bronchopneumonia was the main pathology. Intranasal application of M. muris did not result in mortality or severe weight loss. Immunoproteomics led to the identification of a surface-associated and specific immunogen, which was designated as R. heylii immunogen A (RhiA) and which was exclusively recognised by sera obtained from mice infected with this R. heylii pathotype. RhiA is a 262.6 kDa large protein containing long imperfect tandem repeats and C-terminal RTX consensus sequences. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that this R.heylii pathotype expresses RhiA in the lower respiratory tract. In summary, this study describes a specific immunogen in a virulent R. heylii, strain which is an excellent antigen for pathotype-specific serological screenings and which might carry out RTX-related functions.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Doenças dos Roedores
/
Proteínas de Bactérias
/
Pasteurellaceae
/
Infecções por Pasteurellaceae
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article