title: Aspergillosis, a Natural Infection in Poultry: Mycological and Molecular Characterization and Determination of Gliotoxin in Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates.
abstract: Aspergillosis affects all types of birds; it causes the loss of specimens with high ecologic value and also leads to significant economic losses within the poultry industry. The main etiologic agent is Aspergillus fumigatus , a filamentary fungus with multiple virulence factors, such as gliotoxin (GT), which is an immunosuppressive epipolythiodioxopiperazine molecule. Necropsy was performed on 73 poultry from different provenances, all of which presented with a respiratory semiology compatible with aspergillosis. A mycological culture was performed on the injured lungs of diseased birds, as was chloroform extraction of the GT, a thin-layer chromatography analysis (TLC), and a histopathology analysis with hematoxylin-eosin and Grocott stainings. The A. fumigatus identification was confirmed by PCR, where the ITS 1 5.1-5.8S-ITS 2 fragment of the rDNA complex was amplified. The in vitro GT production was studied by TLC in the recovered isolates from A. fumigatus . Seven isolates of A. fumigatus were obtained and in six of them, GT-like compounds were detected. In a lung sample, a compound with the same retention time (RF) as the reference GT was detected; whereas RF compounds different from the GT standard were observed in three lung samples.
authors.affiliation: A Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Avenida Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Verónica Montes
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: de Oca
authors.affiliation: B Laboratory of Quality Food Technology, Faculty of Higher Studies, Campus Cuautitlán, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Avenida 1o de Mayo S/N, Santa María las Torres, Campo 1 54740 Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico.
authors.forename: Sara Esther
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Valdés
authors.affiliation: C Teaching, Research and Extension Center in Animal Production of the Altiplano, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Km. 8.5 Tequisquiapan, Ezequiel Montes Federal Highway, 76790, Tequisquiapan Municipality, Querétaro, Mexico.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Segundo
authors.affiliation: D Department of Avian Medicine and Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Avenida Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Gabriela Guadalupe
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: E Pathology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Avenida Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.affiliation: A Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Avenida Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Roberto Arnulfo
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cervantes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens; D005912:Gliotoxin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005912:Gliotoxin
keywords: Aspergillus fumigatus; avian aspergillosis; gliotoxin