Veterinary Archives, Vol. 85 No. 3, 2015.
Short communication, Note
Bacillus cereus harboring the pXO1 plasmid with pag gene causes anthrax-like fatal septicemia in immunosuppressed cattle - short communication.
Basavegowdanadoddi M. Chandranaik
; Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Papanna Giridhar
; Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Handenahally K. Muniyellappa
; Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Raveendra Hegde
; Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Ninganna Earanna
; Department of Agriculture Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Doddamane Rathnamma
; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Veterinary College, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Rajeshwar S. Kalge
; Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Sermaraja Kanaka
; Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Gowda K. Chandrakala
; Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Mudalagiri D. Venkatesha
; Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Hebbal, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is ubiquitous in nature and while most isolates appear to be harmless, some are associated with food-borne illnesses, wound infections, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, endophthalmitis and urinary tract infections in humans. Recently, a few isolates have been identified as the causative agents of anthrax-like severe pneumonia in humans, and these isolates were found to harbor most of the B. anthracis virulence plasmid pXO1. Here we report the characterization of three clinical B. cereus isolates recovered from heart blood and spleen samples of cattle which had died with ‘anthrax like’ symptoms. Apart from the cultural characterizations, primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene of B. cereus were designed and used on these isolates. The isolates were found to harbor the pXO1 plasmid and lacked pXO2 plasmid. Further characterization of the pXO1 plasmid revealed that the isolates contained pag, lef and cya genes, which code for protective antigen, lethal factor and edema factor toxins responsible for eliciting an ‘anthrax like disease’ in cattle. The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of partial pag gene sequences of B. cereus isolates were identical to pag gene sequences on the pXO1 of B. anthracis. In a pathogenicity test on mice, B. cereus isolates, when inoculated by the intra peritoneal route, caused mortality of the mice within 6 hours post inoculation.
Keywords
Bacillus cereus; pXO1 plasmid; Bacillus anthracis; pag gene
Hrčak ID:
141046
URI
Publication date:
26.6.2015.
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