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Involvement of lipopolysaccharide in the pathogenicity of Treponema hyodysenteriae
Abstract:
Treponema hyodysenteriae, the etiologic agent of swine dysentery, caused gross and microscopic lesions in the large intestines of C3HeB/FeJ mice. No gross lesions were observed in the intestines of the closely related, but lipopolysaccharide-resistant, C3H/HeJ strain of mice, and microscopic lesions were mild, if present at all. In the presence of actinomycin D, 1 mg of T. hyodysenteriae lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was lethal for C3HeB/FeJ but not for C3H/HeJ mice. Also, the treponemal LPS was chemotactic for macrophages from C3H/HeJ mice but not for macrophages from C3HeB/FeJ mice. The difference between the two mouse strains in lesion development may be due to the nondestructive nature of LPS in C3H/HeJ mice, which suggests that the treponemal LPS is involved in the pathogenicity of T. hyodysenteriae. T. hyodysenteriae may prove to be a useful bacterium in the study of LPS-resistant C3H/HeJ mice, because resistance to the treponemal LPS and to the treponeme itself appear to correlate.
Insights
Treponema hyodysenteriae lipopolysaccharide (LPS) caused intestinal lesions in susceptible mice but not resistant ones. This suggests LPS is key to swine dysentery
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Veterinary Pathology
Background:
- Swine dysentery is caused by Treponema hyodysenteriae.
- Mouse models are used to study bacterial pathogenesis.
- Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a key component of Gram-negative bacteria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of T. hyodysenteriae lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in disease pathogenesis.
- To compare the response of LPS-susceptible (C3HeB/FeJ) and LPS-resistant (C3H/HeJ) mice to T. hyodysenteriae infection and LPS.
Main Methods:
- Infection of mice with T. hyodysenteriae.
- Administration of T. hyodysenteriae LPS with actinomycin D.
- Assessment of gross and microscopic intestinal lesions.
- Macrophage chemotaxis assays.
Main Results:
- T. hyodysenteriae caused lesions in C3HeB/FeJ mice but not C3H/HeJ mice.
- T. hyodysenteriae LPS was lethal to C3HeB/FeJ mice but not C3H/HeJ mice when combined with actinomycin D.
- Treponemal LPS induced macrophage chemotaxis in C3H/HeJ mice, but not C3HeB/FeJ mice.
Conclusions:
- The lipopolysaccharide of T. hyodysenteriae plays a significant role in the pathogenicity of swine dysentery.
- The C3H/HeJ mouse strain, resistant to T. hyodysenteriae LPS, may serve as a valuable model for studying LPS resistance and T. hyodysenteriae infections.