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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Clin Microbiol / Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotyping of Taylorella eq...
Journal of clinical microbiology2010; 49(3); 829-833; doi: 10.1128/JCM.00956-10

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotyping of Taylorella equigenitalis isolates collected in the United States from 1978 to 2010.

Abstract: Taylorella equigenitalis is the etiologic agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM), a venereal disease of horses. A total of 82 strains of T. equigenitalis isolated in the United States were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after digestion of genomic DNA with restriction enzyme ApaI. Twenty-eight of those strains isolated from horses in the 2009 U.S. outbreak (CEM09) were further analyzed with NotI and NaeI enzymes. When ApaI alone was used for analysis, the 82 isolates clustered into 15 different genotypes that clearly defined groups of horses with known epidemiological connections. The PFGE profiles of the CEM09 isolates were indistinguishable after digestion with ApaI, NotI, and NaeI and did not match those of isolates from previous U.S. outbreaks in 1978 and 2006 or of any other isolate from the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) culture library. Coupled with the fact that the CEM09 isolates are epidemiologically related, these results suggest a common source for the outbreak not linked to previous occurrences of CEM in the United States.
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Publication Date: 2010-12-29 PubMed ID: 21191049PubMed Central: PMC3067726DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00956-10Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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.

This research study analyzes different strains of Taylorella equigenitalis, the agent responsible for a venereal disease in horses, using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The different profiles created through this process suggest that the outbreak of this disease in 2009 had a distinct, common source, not linked to previous outbreaks in the United States.

Research Objectives and Methodology

  • The study aimed to understand the genetic variety and distinctness of Taylorella equigenitalis, the bacterium causing contagious equine metritis (CEM), a sexually transmitted disease in horses
  • The researchers used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to analyze a total of 82 strains of T. equigenitalis isolated in the United States.
  • Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis is a technique that separates large DNA molecules by applying an electrical field that pulls the negatively charged DNA strands toward a positively charged electrode.
  • The DNA was digested with the restriction enzyme ApaI, which cuts the DNA at specific sites, creating pieces that can be separated based on size during electrophoresis.
  • A subset of 28 strains from the 2009 U.S. outbreak (CEM09) were further analyzed with the addition of NotI and NaeI enzymes.

Results of the Research

  • From the PFGE analysis with ApaI enzyme, the 82 T. equigenitalis isolates were grouped into 15 different genotypes. These genotypes defined groups of horses with known epidemiological connections, implying a relationship between genotypes and the spread of the disease.
  • The CEM09 isolates, when analyzed with ApaI, NotI, and NaeI enzymes, showed indistinguishable PFGE profiles, suggesting they were very closely related genetically. This suggested a common source for the 2009 outbreak.
  • The CEM09 isolates did not match any profiles of isolates from previous U.S. outbreaks in 1978 and 2006 or of any other isolate from the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) culture library. This indicated that the 2009 outbreak was caused by a new source and was not connected to earlier disease occurrences.

Conclusion

  • This research provides valuable insights into the genetic diversity and origins of T. equigenitalis outbreaks in the United States.
  • The genetic profiles produced through PFGE can contribute to further research, outbreak source identification, and potentially effective control and prevention strategies for CEM.
  • The results underscore the importance of continuous genetic monitoring and research in relation to diseases that affect livestock and other animals.

Cite This Article

APA
Aalsburg AM, Erdman MM. (2010). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotyping of Taylorella equigenitalis isolates collected in the United States from 1978 to 2010. J Clin Microbiol, 49(3), 829-833. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00956-10

Publication

Journal of clinical microbiology
ISSN: 1098-660X
NlmUniqueID: 7505564
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 49
Issue: 3
Pages: 829-833

Researcher Affiliations

Aalsburg, Alan M
  • Diagnostic Bacteriology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, USDA, 1920 Dayton Avenue, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA.
Erdman, Matthew M

    MeSH Terms

    • Animals
    • Bacterial Typing Techniques
    • Cluster Analysis
    • DNA Restriction Enzymes / metabolism
    • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
    • DNA, Bacterial / metabolism
    • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
    • Genotype
    • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / epidemiology
    • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / microbiology
    • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / veterinary
    • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
    • Horse Diseases / microbiology
    • Horses
    • Molecular Epidemiology
    • Taylorella equigenitalis / classification
    • Taylorella equigenitalis / genetics
    • Taylorella equigenitalis / isolation & purification
    • United States / epidemiology

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    Citations

    This article has been cited 4 times.
    1. Grabatin M, Fux R, Zablotski Y, Goehring LS, Witte TS. Taylorella equigenitalis in Icelandic intact males compared with other horse breeds using natural cover. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):441-448.
      doi: 10.1111/evj.14121pubmed: 39031711google scholar: lookup
    2. Knox A, Zerna G, Beddoe T. Current and Future Advances in the Detection and Surveillance of Biosecurity-Relevant Equine Bacterial Diseases Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP). Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 18;13(16).
      doi: 10.3390/ani13162663pubmed: 37627456google scholar: lookup
    3. May CE, Guthrie AJ, Schulman ML. Direct culture-independent sequence typing of Taylorella equigenitalis obtained from genital swabs and frozen semen samples from South African horses. J Vet Diagn Invest 2019 Sep;31(5):792-794.
      doi: 10.1177/1040638719871089pubmed: 31423914google scholar: lookup
    4. Hicks J, Stuber T, Lantz K, Erdman M, Robbe-Austerman S, Huang X. Genomic diversity of Taylorella equigenitalis introduced into the United States from 1978 to 2012. PLoS One 2018;13(3):e0194253.
      doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194253pubmed: 29584782google scholar: lookup
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