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Home / Equine Research Bank / Sci Rep / Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae strains isolated f...
Scientific reports2016; 6; 31736; doi: 10.1038/srep31736

Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae strains isolated from horses are a genetically distinct population within the Streptococcus dysgalactiae taxon.

Abstract: The pathogenic role of beta-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae in the equine host is increasingly recognized. A collection of 108 Lancefield group C (n = 96) or L (n = 12) horse isolates recovered in the United States and in three European countries presented multilocus sequence typing (MLST) alleles, sequence types and emm types (only 56% of the isolates could be emm typed) that were, with few exceptions, distinct from those previously found in human Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis. Characterization of a subset of horse isolates by multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) and 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that most equine isolates could also be differentiated from S. dysgalactiae strains from other animal species, supporting the existence of a horse specific genomovar. Draft genome information confirms the distinctiveness of the horse genomovar and indicates the presence of potentially horse-specific virulence factors. While this genomovar represents most of the isolates recovered from horses, a smaller MLST and MLSA defined sub-population seems to be able to cause infections in horses, other animals and humans, indicating that transmission between hosts of strains belonging to this group may occur.
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Publication Date: 2016-08-17 PubMed ID: 27530432PubMed Central: PMC4987641DOI: 10.1038/srep31736Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study focuses on establishing that Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae strains from horses are a genetically distinct population within the Streptococcus dysgalactiae group. The research involved analysis from samples obtained from the United States and three European countries.

Importance of Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae in Horses

  • This research emphasized on the increasingly recognized role of beta-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae, a bacteria species, in horse illnesses.
  • The study revolved around a collection of bacterial isolates from horses from the United States and three countries in Europe.

Differentiation through Genetic Sequencing

  • Various gene typing figures were applied, like multilocus sequence typing (MLST) alleles, sequence types, and emm types to distinguish the bacterial strains. This process revealed that the majority of isolates in horses, with few exceptions, were notably different from those previously identified in humans.
  • This finding implies a certain genetic distinction, substantiating the hypothesis that bacteria from horses form a unique population within the Streptococcus dysgalactiae group.

More Genetic Analysis Supporting a Unique Horse Genomovar

  • Further characterization of the horse isolates through multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing also reinforced the same conclusion. The horse isolates carried distinct traits differentiating them from S. dysgalactiae strains obtained from other animal species.
  • The study suggested the existence of a specific ‘horse genomovar,’ a kind of genetic variant or subtype.
  • Preliminary genome sequencing information supported this distinctiveness and indicated the presence of potential horse-specific virulence factors, i.e., traits that enable the bacteria to cause diseases specifically in horses.

Transmission Possibility between Hosts

  • While the derived ‘horse genomovar’ represents most of the bacterial isolates obtained from horses, the study noted the existence of a smaller, genetically distinct subgroup of bacteria.
  • These strains, defined by MLST and MLSA, appear capable of causing infections not only in horses but also in other animals and humans.
  • This observation suggested the likelihood of bacterial transmission between different hosts, meaning that strains from this subgroup could potentially infect various animal species, including humans.

Cite This Article

APA
Pinho MD, Erol E, Ribeiro-Gonçalves B, Mendes CI, Carriço JA, Matos SC, Preziuso S, Luebke-Becker A, Wieler LH, Melo-Cristino J, Ramirez M. (2016). Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae strains isolated from horses are a genetically distinct population within the Streptococcus dysgalactiae taxon. Sci Rep, 6, 31736. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep31736

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 6
Pages: 31736
PII: 31736

Researcher Affiliations

Pinho, Marcos D
  • Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Erol, Erdal
  • Department of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States.
Ribeiro-Gonçalves, Bruno
  • Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Mendes, Catarina I
  • Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Carriço, João A
  • Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Matos, Sandra C
  • Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Preziuso, Silvia
  • Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Camerino, Matelica, Italy.
Luebke-Becker, Antina
  • Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
Wieler, Lothar H
  • Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
  • Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Melo-Cristino, Jose
  • Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Ramirez, Mario
  • Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Genome, Bacterial
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • RNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Species Specificity
  • Streptococcus / genetics
  • Streptococcus / isolation & purification
  • Streptococcus / pathogenicity
  • Virulence Factors / genetics

Conflict of Interest Statement

Dr. José Melo-Cristino has received research grants administered through his university and received honoraria for serving on the speakers bureaus of Pfizer, Bial, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis. Dr Mário Ramirez has received honoraria for serving on speakers bureau of Pfizer and for consulting from GlaxoSmithKline. The other authors declare no conflict of interest. No company or financing body had any interference in the decision to publish.

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Citations

This article has been cited 15 times.
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