Extracellular Proteins of Mycoplasma synoviae

Mycoplasma synoviae is a Gram positive bacteria lacking of cell wall that affects chickens and turkeys causing infection in the upper respiratory tract and in some cases arthritis, with economical impact to broiler breeders. Treatment and prevention of avian synovitis depend on knowledge of the infectious process. Secreted or surface-exposed proteins play a critical role in disease because they often mediate interactions between host and pathogen. In the present work, we sought to identify possible M. synoviae secreted proteins by cultivating the bacteria in a modified protein-free Frey medium. Using this approach, we were able to detect in the cell-free fraction a number of proteins that have been shown in other organisms to be secreted, suggesting that they may also be secreted by M. synoviae.