title: Toxin-associated and other genes in Clostridium perfringens type A isolates from bovine clostridial abomasitis (BCA) and jejunal hemorrhage syndrome (JHS).
abstract: This study examined known or possible virulence-associated genes in type A Clostridium perfringens from cases of both bovine clostridial abomasitis (BCA) and jejunal hemorrhage syndrome (JHS) and compared these to isolates from calves that were healthy or had undifferentiated diarrheal illness. A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to genotype the 218 C. perfringens isolates. Isolates were sourced from healthy and diarrheic young and mature cattle (n = 191), from calves with confirmed or suspected BCA (n = 22), and from mature cattle with JHS (n = 5). Of 216 isolates (96%), 208 were positive for the cpa gene and 13% (29/218) were positive for atypical cpb2. Three of 8 (37.5%) confirmed BCA isolates, 2 of 13 (15.4%) suspected BCA isolates, and no JHS isolates tested positive for atypical cpb2. As all isolates were negative for cpb, cpb2, cpe, etx, netB, and tpeL, the results of the present study do not support a role for these genes in BCA or JHS. A subset of unique genes identified in 1 bovine clostridial abomasitis isolate (F262), for which a genome sequence is available, was searched for in 8 BCA isolates by PCR. None of the 10 genes was consistently present in all or even in a majority of BCA isolates. Many of these genes were also variably and inconsistently present in type A isolates from calves that did not have BCA. Although a virulence signature to aid in the diagnosis of BCA caused by C. perfringens type A was not identified, further work may discover a gene or group of genes that would constitute such a signature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Schlegel
authors.forename: Victoria J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Nowell
authors.forename: Valeria R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Parreira
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soltes
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Prescott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005838:Genotype; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D037521:Virulence Factors
references.citation: Clin Microbiol Rev. 1996 Apr;9(2):216-34
references.pmid: 8964036
references.citation: PLoS Pathog. 2008 Feb 8;4(2):e26
references.pmid: 18266469
references.citation: Can Vet J. 2009 Aug;50(8):857-60
references.pmid: 19881926
references.citation: PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e32271
references.pmid: 22412860
references.citation: Can Vet J. 2005 Aug;46(8):711-5
references.pmid: 16187715
references.citation: Vet Microbiol. 2008 Feb 5;127(1-2):179-85
references.pmid: 17855025
references.citation: J Vet Diagn Invest. 2011 Mar;23(2):254-9
references.pmid: 21398444
references.citation: Vet Microbiol. 2007 Feb 25;120(1-2):151-7
references.pmid: 17126502
references.citation: J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002 Sep 1;221(5):686-9
references.pmid: 12216909
references.citation: Anaerobe. 2005 Oct;11(5):290-4
references.pmid: 16701586
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 2008 Dec;46(12):3957-64
references.pmid: 18945840
references.citation: Infect Immun. 2005 Jan;73(1):652-6
references.pmid: 15618211
references.citation: Am J Vet Res. 1988 Feb;49(2):201-7
references.pmid: 2894790
references.citation: Vet Microbiol. 2002 May 1;86(3):191-202
references.pmid: 11900954