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Insertion sequence profiling of UK Mycoplasma bovis field isolates
Katie Miles1, Laura McAuliffe, Anja Persson
1Department of Statutory and Exotic Bacterial Diseases, Veterinary Laboratories Agency (Weybridge), Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK. k.miles@vla.defra.gsi.gov.uk
Veterinary Microbiology
|May 3, 2005
Summary
This study investigated insertion sequences (IS) in Mycoplasma bovis, finding significant variation in the copy numbers of ISMbov2 and ISMbov3 among field isolates. These findings help understand bacterial genetic diversity in Mycoplasma bovis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Mycoplasma bovis is a significant pathogen causing respiratory disease in cattle.
- Insertion sequences (IS) are mobile genetic elements that can influence bacterial genome evolution and pathogenicity.
- Understanding the distribution of IS elements in M. bovis is crucial for characterizing strain diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the presence and distribution of insertion sequences ISMbov2 and ISMbov3 in Mycoplasma bovis field isolates.
- To quantify the copy numbers of ISMbov2 and ISMbov3 in different M. bovis strains.
- To correlate IS element distribution with previous genetic analyses.
Main Methods:
- Southern blotting technique was employed using specific DNA probes.
- Probes were designed to detect ISMbov2 and ISMbov3, homologous to ISMmy1 and IS1634 respectively.
- Analysis was performed on 49 field isolates of M. bovis from pneumonic lungs collected in the UK (1996-2002).
Main Results:
- Hybridization profiles revealed considerable variation in insertion sequence distribution among M. bovis strains.
- ISMbov2 sequences were detected in 2 to 17 copies per genome.
- The IS1634 homologue, ISMbov3, was present in 3 to 14 copies per genome.
- Results support previous findings from random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analyses.
Conclusions:
- Significant genomic variability exists in Mycoplasma bovis field isolates related to insertion sequence copy numbers.
- The characterized distribution of ISMbov2 and ISMbov3 provides a molecular basis for understanding M. bovis strain differentiation.
- This study contributes to the molecular epidemiology of Mycoplasma bovis infections.