title: Sheep primary cells as in vitro models to investigate Mycoplasma agalactiae host cell interactions.
abstract: Appropriate infection models are imperative for the understanding of pathogens like mycoplasmas that are known for their strict host and tissue specificity, and lack of suitable cell and small animal models has hindered pathogenicity studies. This is particularly true for the economically important group of ruminant mycoplasmas whose virulence factors need to be elucidated for designing effective intervention strategies. Mycoplasma agalactiae serves as a useful role model especially because it is phylogenetically very close to M. bovis and causes similar symptoms by as yet unknown mechanisms. Here, we successfully prepared and characterized four different primary sheep cell lines, namely the epithelial and stromal cells from the mammary gland and uterus, respectively. Using immunohistochemistry, we identified vimentin and cytokeratin as specific markers to confirm the typical cell phenotypes of these primary cells. Furthermore, M. agalactiae's consistent adhesion and invasion into these primary cells proves the reliability of these cell models. Mimicking natural infections, mammary epithelial and stromal cells showed higher invasion and adhesion rates compared to the uterine cells as also seen via double immunofluorescence staining. Altogether, we have generated promising in vitro cell models to study host-pathogen interactions of M. agalactiae and related ruminant pathogens in a more authentic manner.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria;
authors.forename: Shrilakshmi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Cordula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria;
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kragl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria; Rohini.Chopra-Dewasthaly@vetmeduni.ac.at.
authors.forename: Rohini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chopra-Dewasthaly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008954:Models, Biological; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D045644:Mycoplasma agalactiae / Q000502:physiology*; D012756:Sheep; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: adhesion; host cell interactions; immunohistochemistry; invasion; primary cell culture; ruminant mycoplasmosis