Infection rates, disease frequency, pilin gene rearrangement, and pilin expression in calves inoculated with Moraxella bovis pilin-specific isogenic variants.
Pili have been implicated as virulence factors that result in increased infectivity of Moraxella bovis, the causative agent of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK). Healthy calves' eyes were inoculated with I- or Q-piliate or nonpiliate M bovis Epp63 to compare the pathogenicity of these isogenic variants. Pathogenicity was determined by the rate of persistent M bovis infection and the prevalence of clinical IBK. Inoculation with M bovis expressing the Q pili resulted in the highest frequency of infection and IBK, whereas I-piliate M bovis elicited a lower rate and nonpiliate M bovis did not result in infection. In vivo pilin gene rearrangement and pilin-type switching were evaluated by DNA hybridization and immunoblot. Gene rearrangement and type switching varied dependently, and were observed only in eyes inoculated with Q-piliate M bovis. This study suggests that Q pili are specific for colonization of bovine corneal epithelium, whereas I pili enable maintenance of an established infection.
Ruehl
W W
WW
Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305.
Marrs
C F
CF
George
L
L
Banks
S J
SJ
Schoolnik
G K
GK
D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D015321:Gene Rearrangement / Q000502:physiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007639:Keratoconjunctivitis, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016955:Moraxella bovis / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016870:Neisseriaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015995:Prevalence; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins