[Identification and diagnosis of Taylorella equigenitalis by a DNA amplification method (PCR)].

The research outlines the development of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to identify and diagnose an infectious bacterium, Taylorella equigenitalis, which causes metritis in horses and donkeys.

Objective of the Research

• The study was aimed at developing a PCR method to identify the Taylorella equigenitalis bacterium. This bacterium is the cause of contagious equine metritis, a sexually transmitted infection among horses and donkeys, that results in temporary infertility in females.

Methodology

• The researchers designed oligonucleotide primers based on the DNA sequence of the rrs gene of T. equigenitalis, which encodes for the 16S ribosomal RNA.
• These primers were used to target and amplify the presence of T. equigenitalis in the tested samples.
• The samples consisted of 21 strains of T. equigenitalis from England, USA, and Switzerland, and 60 genital swabs taken from horses and donkeys during the control of contagious equine metritis.

Results

• The results of the PCR tests demonstrated an amplification product of 410 base pairs with an identical Sau3A restriction profile, confirming the presence of the bacterium.
• The sensitivity of the PCR method was estimated to detect between 50 to 500 bacteria of T. equigenitalis in a mixture with frequently found contaminants.
• This suggests that the new PCR method is highly specific and can uniquely amplify and detect T. equigenitalis even in samples mixed with other contaminants.

Conclusions

• The study concluded that the PCR method they developed can be effectively used to identify and detect strains of T. equigenitalis in horses and donkeys.
• The preliminary results also indicate that the method might be applicable for direct in vitro testing of the presence of T. equigenitalis in clinical samples, promoting faster diagnosis.