Putative ATP-binding cassette transporter is essential for Brucella ovis pathogenesis in mice

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Microscopy-based Assays for High-throughput Screening of Host Factors Involved in Brucella Infection of Hela Cells
15:29

Microscopy-based Assays for High-throughput Screening of Host Factors Involved in Brucella Infection of Hela Cells

Published on: August 5, 2016

Teane M A Silva1, Tatiane A Paixão, Erica A Costa

  • 1Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Infection and Immunity
|February 9, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Brucella ovis causes sheep infertility. A mouse model showed an ABC transporter is crucial for B. ovis virulence and survival, while a hemagglutinin is not essential for pathogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Animal Reproduction

Background:

  • Brucella ovis is a significant pathogen causing reproductive issues in sheep, specifically epididymitis and infertility in rams.
  • Unlike other Brucella species, B. ovis is not zoonotic, making it a unique subject for pathogenesis research.
  • Limited studies exist on B. ovis infection, necessitating the development of animal models to understand its virulence factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of a putative hemagglutinin and an ABC transporter in Brucella ovis pathogenesis using a murine model.
  • To evaluate the suitability of a mouse model for studying B. ovis infection and its associated genital disease.
  • To determine the in vivo survival mechanisms and virulence factors of B. ovis.

Main Methods:

  • Generation of two B. ovis mutant strains: ΔabcAB (lacking ABC transporter) and Δhmg (lacking putative hemagglutinin).
  • Infection of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice with wild-type (WT) B. ovis and mutant strains to assess colonization and histopathological changes.
  • Evaluation of bacterial survival in macrophages and peritoneal cavity for the ΔabcAB mutant.
  • Assessment of lethality in regulatory factor 1-knockout mice infected with WT and ΔabcAB strains.

Main Results:

  • The murine model showed systemic infection (liver, spleen) but minimal genital tract involvement, indicating suitability for general B. ovis infection but not genital disease.
  • The B. ovis ΔabcAB strain exhibited significant attenuation in spleen and liver colonization compared to WT (P < 0.001).
  • The Δhmg strain showed similar infection levels to WT, suggesting the putative hemagglutinin is dispensable for pathogenesis.
  • The ΔabcAB strain failed to survive in macrophages and the peritoneal cavity, and was non-lethal in susceptible mice, unlike the lethal WT strain.

Conclusions:

  • The predicted ABC transporter is essential for Brucella ovis's full virulence and survival in vivo.
  • A putative hemagglutinin is not required for B. ovis pathogenesis in the murine model.
  • The developed mouse model is valuable for studying systemic B. ovis infection but not its genital manifestations.

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