Louise M. Ball

Differentiation of Moraxella bovoculi sp. nov. from other coccoid moraxellae by the use of polymerase chain reaction and restriction endonuclease analysis of amplified DNA

Moraxella oris was historically the only coccoid Moraxella identified in cultures of ocular fluid from cattle with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) and could be morphologically and biochemically differentiated from Moraxella bovis. Moraxella bovoculi sp. nov. is a recently characterized Moraxella isolated from ulcerated eyes of calves with IBK in northern California in 2002. Like Moraxella ovis, M. bovoculi sp. nov. is a gram-negative coccus/diplococcus. All 18 original isolates of M. bovoculi sp. nov. possessed phenylalanine deaminase (PADase) activity and could therefore be differentiated from M. ovis and M. bovis. During the characterization of 44 additional isolates of hemolytic gram-negative cocci that were cultured from ulcerated eyes of IBK-affected calves, 2 PADase-negative isolates were identified that could not be differentiated biochemically from M. ovis; however, the DNA sequence of the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region (ISR) of the isolates matched the 16S-23S ISR DNA sequence of M. bovoculi sp. nov. To facilitate the identification of PADase-negative moraxellae, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with restriction enzyme digestion analysis of amplified DNA was developed. Amplification of the 16S-23S ISR followed by AfaI digestion of amplified DNA could differentiate M. bovoculi sp. nov. from M. ovis and other moraxellae. The DNA sequence analysis of the amplified 16S-23S ISR from the 42 PADase-positive isolates of hemolytic gram-negative cocci indicated that all were M. bovoculi sp. nov. and all possessed an AfaI site. A PCR coupled with restriction analysis of amplified DNA can aid in identifying M. bovoculi sp. nov.

Detection of mixed infections with "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" and Mycoplasma haemofelis using real-time TaqMan polymerase chain reaction.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of real-time TaqMan PCR assays for detection of coinfections with “Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum” (Mhm), and Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), in vitro and over time in experimentally infected cats. First, the ability of each real-time PCR assay to detect and quantify mixed infections was determined in vitro by testing mixtures of plasmids containing Mhm and Mhf 16S rDNA with each assay. Subsequently, 4 specific pathogen-free (SPF) cats, 2 of which were splenectomized, were inoculated with blood from a cat infected with both Mhm and Mhf. Sixteen blood samples were then collected from each cat over a 55-day period. Each of the 64 postinoculation samples was tested using both conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) and real-time PCR for the 16S rRNA gene of each organism. When applied to mixtures of plasmid DNA from each species, the results of quantitation with each of the real-time PCR assays approximately reflected the number of plasmid copies present. Forty-nine of 64 post-inoculation samples (77%) were positive using both cPCR and real-time PCR, 4 (6%) were positive using cPCR only, and 3 (5%) were positive using real-time PCR only. Both organisms were detected in 23 samples using real-time PCR. Mixed infections were not detected using cPCR. The size of the corresponding cPCR products suggested infection with Mhm in 4 and Mhf in 18 of these samples. The use of multiple separate real-time PCR assays rather than cPCR alone should thus be considered for epidemiologic studies of hemoplasmosis in cats.

Opa+ Neisseria gonorrhoeae Exhibits Reduced Survival in Human Neutrophils Via Src Family Kinase-Mediated Bacterial Trafficking Into Mature Phagolysosomes

During gonorrhoeal infection, there is a heterogeneous population of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc) varied in their expression of opacity‐associated (Opa) proteins. While Opa proteins are important for bacterial attachment and invasion of epithelial cells, Opa+ Gc has a survival defect after exposure to neutrophils. Here, we use constitutively Opa− and OpaD+ Gc in strain background FA1090 to show that Opa+ Gc is more sensitive to killing inside adherent, chemokine‐treated primary human neutrophils due to increased bacterial residence in mature, degradative phagolysosomes that contain primary and secondary granule antimicrobial contents. Although Opa+ Gc stimulates a potent oxidative burst, neutrophil killing of Opa+ Gc was instead attributable to non‐oxidative components, particularly neutrophil proteases and the bactericidal/permeability‐increasing protein. Blocking interaction of Opa+ Gc with carcinoembryonic antigen‐related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) or inhibiting Src family kinase signalling, which is downstream of CEACAM activation, enhanced the survival of Opa+ Gc in neutrophils. Src family kinase signalling was required for fusion of Gc phagosomes with primary granules to generate mature phagolysosomes. Conversely, ectopic activation of Src family kinases or coinfection with Opa+ Gc resulted in decreased survival of Opa− Gc in neutrophils. From these results, we conclude that Opa protein expression is an important modulator of Gc survival characteristics in neutrophils by influencing phagosome dynamics and thus bacterial exposure to neutrophils’ full antimicrobial arsenal.

Minimum inhibitory concentrations of selected antimicrobial agents for Moraxella bovoculi associated with infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) has been associated with ocular infections by Moraxella bovis, the established etiologic agent of IBK, and more recently, Moraxella bovoculi, a recently described species of Moraxella. To assist in designing rational treatment regimens for M. bovoculi infections associated with IBK, the in vitro susceptibilities of 57 M. bovoculi field isolates cultured from eyes of cattle with IBK in California from 2002 through 2007 were determined. The minimum inhibitory concentration required to inhibit the growth of 90% of organisms (MIC90) of the following 18 antibiotics tested in the present study were: danofloxacin and enrofloxacin: ≤0.12 µg/ml; ampicillin and ceftiofur: ≤0.25 µg/ml; penicillin: 0.25 µg/ml; gentamicin: ≤1 µg/ml; chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, and tiamulin: 1 µg/ml; florfenicol: 0.5 µg/ml; trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole: ≤2/38 µg/ml; clindamycin: 2 µg/ml; neomycin and tilmicosin: ≤4 µg/ml; tulathromycin: 4 µg/ml; spectinomycin and tylosin: 16 µg/ml; and sulfadimethoxine: >256 µg/ml. The low MIC90 of these M. bovoculi isolates suggests that commonly used antibiotics for treatment of IBK associated with M. bovis should also be effective against M. bovoculi.

Neisserial Opa Protein-CEACAM Interactions: Competition for Receptors as a Means of Bacterial Invasion and Pathogenesis.

Carcino-embryonic antigen-like cellular adhesion molecules (CEACAMs), members of the immunoglobulin superfamily, are responsible for cell-cell interactions and cellular signaling events. Extracellular interactions with CEACAMs have the potential to induce phagocytosis, as is the case with pathogenic Neisseria bacteria. Pathogenic Neisseria species express opacity-associated (Opa) proteins, which interact with a subset of CEACAMs on human cells, and initiate the engulfment of the bacterium. We demonstrate that recombinant Opa proteins reconstituted into liposomes retain the ability to recognize and interact with CEACAMs in vitro but do not maintain receptor specificity compared to that of Opa proteins natively expressed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We report that two Opa proteins interact with CEACAMs with nanomolar affinity, and we hypothesize that this high affinity is necessary to compete with the native CEACAM homo- and heterotypic interactions in the host. Understanding the mechanisms of Opa protein-receptor recognition and engulfment enhances our understanding of Neisserial pathogenesis. Additionally, these mechanisms provide insight into how human cells that are typically nonphagocytic can utilize CEACAM receptors to internalize exogenous matter, with implications for the targeted delivery of therapeutics and development of imaging agents.