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Molecular Characterization of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Isolated over a 15-Year Period in Switzerland

Jessica Schlicher1, Sarah Schmitt1, Marc J A Stevens2

  • 1Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Section of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.

Veterinary Sciences
|August 26, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This study analyzed Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strains from sheep and goats in Switzerland over 15 years. Findings reveal genetic diversity but no specific strains linked to host or region, impacting caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) understanding.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Microbiology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar Ovis causes caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), a significant disease in sheep and goats.
  • The economic impact and transmission dynamics of CLA in Switzerland are not well understood.
  • Limited data exists on the genetic diversity of C. pseudotuberculosis strains circulating in the region.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize C. pseudotuberculosis isolates from Swiss sheep, goats, and dromedaries.
  • To investigate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of these isolates.
  • To assess the presence of the diphtheria-like toxin gene and correlate MLSA types with origin and isolation year.

Main Methods:

  • Multi-Locus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) was performed on 215 C. pseudotuberculosis isolates.
  • Isolates were classified into biovars (Ovis and Equi).
  • Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using concatenated sequences of four housekeeping genes.

Main Results:

  • All sheep and goat isolates were identified as C. pseudotuberculosis biovar Ovis; the dromedary isolate was biovar Equi.
  • The diphtheria-like toxin gene was not detected in any isolate.
  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed 24 distinct MLSA clusters, with no correlation to isolation year or geographical origin.
  • No host-specific MLSA sequence types were identified for sheep and goats.

Conclusions:

  • Multiple MLSA sequence types of C. pseudotuberculosis are present in Switzerland and Liechtenstein over a 15-year period.
  • The genetic diversity does not correlate with host species (sheep/goat), geographical origin, or isolation year.
  • Further research is needed to understand CLA transmission and economic impact in the region.
Keywords:
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosisMLSASwitzerlandbiovar Oviscaseous lymphadenitismolecular characterizationwhole-genome sequencing

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