Xingyuan Cao

Development of an immunoaffinity column method using broad-specificity monoclonal antibodies for simultaneous extraction and cleanup of quinolone and sulfonamide antibiotics in animal muscle tissues

This paper describes a novel mixed-bed immunoaffinity column (IAC) method. The IAC was produced by coupling anti-quinolone and anti-sulfonamide broad-specificity monoclonal antibodies to Sepharose 4B for simultaneously isolating 13 quinolones (QNs) and 6 sulfonamides (SAs) from swine and chicken muscle tissues, followed by antibiotic determination using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A new broad-specificity Mab (B1A4E8) toward sulfonamides was produced using sulfamethoxazole as hapten that demonstrated cross-reactivities to 6 SAs in the range of 31-112%. IAC optimized conditions were found that allowed the IAC to be reused for selective binding of both SAs and QNs. Recoveries of all 19 antibiotics from animal muscle ranged from 72.6 to 107.6%, with RSDs below 11.3% and 15.4% for intra-day and inter-day experiments, respectively. The limit of quantification ranged from 0.5 to 3.0ng/g. The strategy used here for a mixed-bed IAC may be used to study other compounds and more than two classes of analytes simultaneously.

Macrolide–lincosamide-resistant phenotypes and genotypes of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine clinical mastitis

The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and mechanisms of macrolide-lincosamide (ML) resistance in 72 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from cows with clinical mastitis. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ML antibiotics were determined by the broth microdilution technique, inducible ML resistance phenotype by the D test, and ML resistance genes by PCR assay. The isolates showed a high level of resistance to erythromycin (93.1%), azithromycin (93.1%), spiramycin (41.7%), tylosin (40.3%), tilmicosin (27.8%), and clindamycin (36.1%). Macrolide-lincosamide MIC(90) values were > or = 128 mg/L. Inducible ML resistance (iML) phenotype was detected in 52.8% (38/72) of isolates. In erythromycin-resistant (ER-R) strains, methylase genes ermB and ermC, efflux gene msrA/msrB, and inactivating enzyme genes lnuA and mphC were present alone or in various combinations, with ermB and ermC genes predominating. This is the first report of ML resistance genes ermB, mrsA/mrsB and mphC in S. aureus isolated from bovine mastitis. The occurrence of high levels of resistance to ML antibiotics among the S. aureus isolates, and the high rate of iML phenotype, indicate that appropriate alternative antibiotics should be prescribed for treating bovine mastitis caused by S. aureus. Furthermore, significant differences in the conformations of lactone rings of 16- and 14-membered macrolides could explain why some isolates with a constitutive ML resistance (cML) phenotype were sensitive to 16-membered macrolides alone. The different interaction of the 16-membered macrolides with the 50S ribosomal subunit is also presumably the reason why the susceptibility results of tilmcosin differed from those of tylosin and spiramycin.

Mutations in 23S rRNA gene associated with decreased susceptibility to tiamulin and valnemulin in Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Mycoplasma gallisepticum is a major etiological agent of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) in chickens and sinusitis in turkeys. The pleuromutilin antibiotics tiamulin and valnemulin are currently used in the treatment of M. gallisepticum infection. We studied the in vitro development of pleuromutilin resistance in M. gallisepticum and investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in this process. Pleuromutilin-resistant mutants were selected by serial passages of M. gallisepticum strains PG31 and S6 in broth medium containing subinhibitory concentrations of tiamulin or valnemulin. A portion of the gene encoding 23S rRNA gene (domain V) and the gene encoding ribosome protein L3 were amplified and sequenced. No mutation could be detected in ribosome protein L3. Mutations were found at nucleotide positions 2058, 2059, 2061, 2447 and 2503 of 23S rRNA gene (Escherichia coli numbering). Although a single mutation could cause elevation of tiamulin and valnemulin MICs, combinations of two or three mutations were necessary to produce high-level resistance. All the mutants were cross-resistant to lincomycin, chloramphenicol and florfenicol. Mutants with the A2058G or the A2059G mutation exhibited cross-resistance to macrolide antibiotics erythromycin, tilmicosin and tylosin.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolated from canine pyoderma in North China

Aims:  To determine the prevalence of carriage of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) among dogs with pyoderma from two small animal hospitals in North China during a 21‐month period and to characterize these isolates.

Molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains from pet animals and veterinary staff in China.

The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from pet animals and veterinary staff and the characteristics of these isolates. A total of 22 MRSA isolates were isolated from nasal swabs from dogs, cats and veterinary staff in six pet hospitals in six cities, and examined for antimicrobial susceptibility, the presence of resistance genes, Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene lukF-lukS, staphylococcal chromosomal cassette (SCC) mec typing, spa tying, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing. Of 22 MRSA isolates, 21 were recovered from pet animals, and one was isolated from a member of sstaff. All 22 MRSA strains were resistant to penicillin, oxacillin, azithromycin, clindamycin and ceftriaxone, and harboured mecA, ermB and linA genes. The lukF-lukS gene was not detected in any of the MRSA isolates. Eighteen MRSA strains from Qingdao belonged to ST59-MRSA-IV-spa t437. Of four MRSA isolates from Beijing, one belonged to ST398-MRSA-V-spa t034, and three belonged to ST239-MRSA-III-spa t030 profiles. Two PFGE types (A and B) were identified. Two isolates originating from dogs and one isolate originating from a staff member in Beijing shared similar PFGE patterns. Our cumulative data suggested that cross-transmission of MRSA may have occurred between pet animals and veterinary staff.

High Specific Monoclonal Antibody Production and Development of an ELISA Method for Monitoring T-2 Toxin in Rice

This research produced a highly-specific and sensitive anti-T-2 toxin monoclonal antibody (mAb), and developed a rapid and sensitive competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for monitoring T-2 toxin in rice. The mAb showed a negligible cross-reactivity value (CR) to most of the mycotoxins, and it could specifically bind to T-2 toxin without other mycotoxins, including HT-2 toxin (CR value at 3.08%), which exhibited a similar structure to T-2 toxin. The limit of detection (LOD) value, measured by IC10, was 5.80 μg/kg. In spiked samples, mean recoveries ranged from 72.0% to 108.5% with intraday and interday variation less than 16.8 and 13.7%. This proposed protocol was significantly confirmed by a reliable ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method and significant correlation was obtained.

In vitro and in vivo metabolite profiling of valnemulin using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight hybrid mass spectrometry.

Valnemulin, a semisynthetic pleuromutilin derivative related to tiamulin, is broadly used to treat bacterial diseases of animals. Despite its widespread use, metabolism in animals has not yet been fully investigated. To better understand valnemulin biotransformation, in this study, metabolites of valnemulinin in in vitro and in vivo rats, chickens, swines, goats, and cows were identified and elucidated using ultraperformance liquid chromatography–quadrupole/time-of-flight hybrid mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS). As a result, there were totally 7 metabolites of valnemulin identified in vitro and 75, 61, and 74 metabolites detected in in vivo rats, chickens, and swines, respectively, and the majority of metabolites were reported for the first time. The main metabolic pathways of valnemulin were found to be hydroxylation in the mutilin part (the ring system) and the side chain, oxidization on the sulfur of the side chain to form S-oxides, hydrolysis of the amido bond, and acetylization in the amido of the side chain. In addition, hydroxylation in the mutilin part was proposed to be the primary metabolic route. Furthermore, the results revealed that 2β-hydroxyvalnemulin (V1) and 8α-hydroxyvalnemulin (V2) were the major metabolites for rats and swines and S-oxides (V6) in chickens.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of florfenicol in fish feed

Abstract A sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on monoclonal antibody was developed for routine screening of florfenicol (FF) in fish feed. FF succinate was synthesised and conjugated to human serum albumin by N-hydroxysuccinimide-activated ester method as immunogen, while it was conjugated to ovalbumin by mixed anhydride reaction as coating antigen. The ELISA for FF showed an IC50 value of 2.5 ng/mL, and negligible cross-reactivities with other amphenicol family of antibiotics. The inter-assay recoveries of FF from fortified fish feed at levels of 2–20 mg/kg ranged from 98.8 to 117.6% with coefficients of variation (CV) of 9.3–14.2%, intra-assay recoveries ranged from 102.5 to 121.2% with CV of 10.9–13.8%. The developed ELISA were then validated by liquid chromatography method and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method, the results indicated this ELISA could be used as convenient method for detection of FF in fish feed.

In vitro and in vivo metabolism of ochratoxin A: a comparative study using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight hybrid mass spectrometry

AbstractOchratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that frequently contaminates a wide variety of food and feedstuffs. The metabolism of OTA greatly affects fate and toxicity in humans and animals, because of its possible carcinogenic character (International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), group 2B). To completely characterize the metabolites of OTA, the metabolism of OTA in liver microsomes of rats, chickens, swine, goats, cows, and humans was investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight hybrid mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS). In addition, an in vivo comparative metabolism study of OTA was performed among rats and chickens after oral administration of OTA. As a result, a clear metabolic profile of OTA in different species was proposed, and a total of eight metabolites were identified, of which three hydroxylated metabolites at the phenylalanine moiety were discovered for the first time (preliminarily identified as 9′-OH-OTA, 7′-OH-OTA, and 5′-OH-OTA). Considerable amounts of 7′-OH-OTA were detected in different species’ liver microsomes, especially in chickens and humans. Moreover, the metabolism of OTA in chickens was elucidated for the first time in the present study. The 7′-OH-OTA proved to be the main metabolite in vitro and in vivo in chickens. Furthermore, the 4(S)-OH-OTA isomer was the major one, and 4(R)-OH-OTA the minor metabolite in chickens, which was different from others where 4R was the major. OTA undergoes metabolism via three different pathways, namely hydroxylation, dechlorination, and conjugation. The proposed metabolic pathways of OTA in various species provide the scientific community useful data for the toxicological safety evaluation of OTA among different species, and will further facilitate the food safety evaluation of OTA. Graphical abstractIn Vitro and in Vivo Metabolism of Ochratoxin A: A Comparative Study Using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole/Time-of-Flight Hybrid Mass Spectrometry

Selection of anti-sulfadimidine specific ScFvs from a hybridoma cell by eukaryotic ribosome display.

Background Ribosome display technology has provided an alternative platform technology for the development of novel low-cost antibody based on evaluating antibiotics derived residues in food matrixes. Methodology/Principal Findings In our current studies, the single chain variable fragments (scFvs) were selected from hybridoma cell lines against sulfadimidine (SM2) by using a ribosome library technology. A DNA library of scFv antibody fragments was constructed for ribosome display, and then mRNA–ribosome–antibody (MRA) complexes were produced by a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system. The synthetic sulfadimidine-ovalbumin (SM2-OVA) was used as an antigen to pan MRA complexes and putative scFv-encoding genes were recovered by RT-PCR in situ following each panning. After four rounds of ribosome display, the expression vector pCANTAB5E containing the selected specific scFv DNA was constructed and transformed into Escherichia coli HB2151. Three positive clones (SAS14, SAS68 and SAS71) were screened from 100 clones and had higher antibody activity and specificity to SM2 by indirect ELISA. The three specific soluble scFvs were identified to be the same molecular weight (approximately 30 kDa) by Western-blotting analysis using anti-E tag antibodies, but they had different amino acids sequence by sequence analysis. Conclusions/Significance The selection of anti-SM2 specific scFv by in vitro ribosome display technology will have an important significance for the development of novel immunodetection strategies for residual veterinary drugs.