Lethal toxin of Clostridium sordellii is associated with fatal equine atypical myopathy.
Abstract: The lethal toxin of Clostridium sordellii (TcsL) evokes severe, mostly fatal disease patterns like toxic shock syndrome in humans and animals. Since this large clostridial toxin-induced severe muscle damaging when injected intramuscularly into mice, we hypothesized that TcsL is also associated with equine atypical myopathy (EAM), a fatal myodystrophy of hitherto unknown etiology. Transmission electron microscopy revealed skeletal and heart muscles of EAM-affected horses to undergo degeneration ultrastructurally similar to the damage found in TcsL-treated mice. Performing immunohistochemistry, myofibers of EAM-affected horses specifically reacted with sera derived from horses with EAM as well as an antibody specific for the N-terminal part of TcsL, while both antibodies failed to bind to the myofibers of either healthy horses or those with other myopathies. The presence of TcsL in myofibers of horses with EAM suggests that it plays a role as trigger or even as lethal factor in this disease.
Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2010-02-01 PubMed ID: 20189733DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2010.01.024Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article examines whether the lethal toxin of Clostridium sordellii (TcsL), known for causing fatal diseases in humans and animals, may also be connected to equine atypical myopathy (EAM), a deadly muscle disease in horses with previously unknown causes.
Research Hypothesis
The study hypothesizes that the TcsL is associated with EAM, as the toxin induced severe muscle damage when injected intramuscularly into mice. The researchers expected that a similar pattern of muscle degeneration would be found in horses suffering from EAM.
Use of Transmission Electron Microscopy
- The researchers used transmission electron microscopy to investigate the muscle tissues of EAM-affected horses.
- They compared the observations with the muscle damage found in TcsL-treated mice and found similar patterns of degeneration in skeletal and heart muscles.
Use of Immunohistochemistry
- Immunohistochemistry was performed on the muscle tissues of EAM-affected horses.
- These tissues specifically reacted with sera (the clear part of blood) extracted from other EAM-affected horses and an antibody specific for the N-terminal part of TcsL.
- In comparison, the tissues did not show a reaction when exposed to sera from healthy horses or horses with other types of muscle diseases.
Conclusion of the Study
- The research found evidence of TcsL presence in the muscle fibers of horses afflicted with EAM.
- This suggests that TcsL might play a role as a trigger or even the lethal factor in this disease.
- The study is a significant step forward in understanding the etiology of EAM and suggests potential avenues for effective treatment and prevention strategies.
Cite This Article
APA
Unger-Torroledo L, Straub R, Lehmann AD, Graber F, Stahl C, Frey J, Gerber V, Hoppeler H, Baum O.
(2010).
Lethal toxin of Clostridium sordellii is associated with fatal equine atypical myopathy.
Vet Microbiol, 144(3-4), 487-492.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2010.01.024 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Clinic, Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bacterial Toxins / isolation & purification
- Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
- Clostridium Infections / microbiology
- Clostridium Infections / veterinary
- Clostridium sordellii / metabolism
- Female
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Male
- Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
- Muscle, Skeletal / ultrastructure
- Muscular Diseases / microbiology
- Myocardium / ultrastructure
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Kalender H, Öngör H, Timurkaan N, Karagülle B, Karabulut B, İncili CA, Başar HE, Ekinci E, Çevik A, Atıl E, Çetinkaya B. Detection and molecular characterization of Clostridium perfringens, Paeniclostridium sordellii and Clostridium septicum from lambs and goat kids with hemorrhagic abomasitis in Turkey. BMC Vet Res 2023 Jan 13;19(1):8.
- Mathis D, Sass JO, Graubner C, Schoster A. Diagnosis of atypical myopathy based on organic acid and acylcarnitine profiles and evolution of biomarkers in surviving horses. Mol Genet Metab Rep 2021 Dec;29:100827.
- Capewell P, Rupp A, Fuentes M, McDonald M, Weir W. Fatal Clostridium sordellii-mediated hemorrhagic and necrotizing gastroenteropathy in a dog: case report. BMC Vet Res 2020 May 24;16(1):152.
- Nyaoke AC, Navarro MA, Fresneda K, Diab SS, Moore J, Lyras D, Awad M, Uzal FA. Paeniclostridium (Clostridium) sordellii-associated enterocolitis in 7 horses. J Vet Diagn Invest 2020 Mar;32(2):239-245.
- Sacco SC, Ortega J, Navarro MA, Fresneda KC, Anderson M, Woods LW, Moore J, Uzal FA. Clostridium sordellii-associated gas gangrene in 8 horses, 1998-2019. J Vet Diagn Invest 2020 Mar;32(2):246-251.
- Rabi R, Turnbull L, Whitchurch CB, Awad M, Lyras D. Structural Characterization of Clostridium sordellii Spores of Diverse Human, Animal, and Environmental Origin and Comparison to Clostridium difficile Spores. mSphere 2017 Sep-Oct;2(5).
- Awad MM, Singleton J, Lyras D. The Sialidase NanS Enhances Non-TcsL Mediated Cytotoxicity of Clostridium sordellii. Toxins (Basel) 2016 Jun 17;8(6).
- Couchman EC, Browne HP, Dunn M, Lawley TD, Songer JG, Hall V, Petrovska L, Vidor C, Awad M, Lyras D, Fairweather NF. Clostridium sordellii genome analysis reveals plasmid localized toxin genes encoded within pathogenicity loci. BMC Genomics 2015 May 16;16(1):392.
- Bouvet P, Sautereau J, Le Coustumier A, Mory F, Bouchier C, Popoff MR. Foot infection by Clostridium sordellii: case report and review of 15 cases in France. J Clin Microbiol 2015 Apr;53(4):1423-7.
- Unger L, Nicholson A, Jewitt EM, Gerber V, Hegeman A, Sweetman L, Valberg S. Hypoglycin A concentrations in seeds of Acer pseudoplatanus trees growing on atypical myopathy-affected and control pastures. J Vet Intern Med 2014 Jul-Aug;28(4):1289-93.
- Votion DM. The story of equine atypical myopathy: a review from the beginning to a possible end. ISRN Vet Sci 2012;2012:281018.
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