Multilocus sequence typing schemes for the emerging swine pathogen Mycoplasma hyosynoviae
Moritz Bünger1, Michael Blümlinger1, Igor Loncaric2
1University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University Clinic for Swine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
Veterinary Microbiology
|January 18, 2024
Summary
New typing methods for Mycoplasma hyosynoviae, a swine pathogen, reveal high strain diversity. Both core genome (cg) MLST and conventional MLST are effective for epidemiological studies, with cgMLST offering higher resolution for closely related isolates.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Genomics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Mycoplasma hyosynoviae (M. hyosynoviae) is a swine pathogen causing arthritis.
- Epidemiological studies of M. hyosynoviae are limited by a lack of effective typing methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and compare conventional multi locus sequence typing (MLST) and core genome (cg) MLST schemes for M. hyosynoviae.
- To assess the genetic diversity and epidemiological relatedness of M. hyosynoviae strains.
Main Methods:
- Development of a 390-target gene cgMLST scheme using whole genome sequences.
- Selection of seven housekeeping genes for conventional MLST.
- Typing of 73 M. hyosynoviae strains using both cgMLST and conventional MLST.
Main Results:
- cgMLST revealed high genetic diversity among M. hyosynoviae strains.
- Seven clonal clusters were identified, comprising 20 isolates.
- Both methods produced congruent phylogenetic trees, with cgMLST showing slightly higher resolution.
Conclusions:
- Both cgMLST and conventional MLST are suitable for M. hyosynoviae epidemiological analysis.
- cgMLST provides enhanced resolution for differentiating closely related isolates.
- These methods will aid scientific and diagnostic investigations of M. hyosynoviae.
