title: Non-pathogenic Actinobacillus isolates antigenically and biochemically similar to Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae: a novel species?
abstract: Two unusual Actinobacillus isolates were recovered from pigs with no clinical signs, no lesions and no history of swine pleuropneumonia. Two representative strains (9953L55 and 0347) analyzed in this study were initially biochemically and antigenically identified as A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1 and 9, respectively, by traditional identification methods. Both strains presented, however, negative results with three A. pleuropneumoniae-specific PCR tests and revealed in particular the absence of the apxIV toxin genes. However, both strains produced and secreted ApxII toxin although they only harbored the toxin genes apxIICA, which is an uncommon feature for any of the known A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes. Upon experimental inoculation of pigs, these strains proved to be totally non-pathogenic. Animals infected with one of the strains produced antibodies that cross-react with A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1-9-11-specific LC-LPS ELISA. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that these strains form a separate phylogenetic group that is distinct from other Actinobacillus species and is particularly different from A. pleuropneumoniae.
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses du Porc (GREMIP), Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, C.P. 5000, St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada J2S 7C6. gottschm@medvet.umontreal.ca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gottschalk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broes
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobisch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuhnert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebrun
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D000188:Actinobacillus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000189:Actinobacillus Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D005779:Immunodiffusion / Q000662:veterinary; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000662:veterinary; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S