Survival of taylorellae in the environmental amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii.
Abstract: Taylorella equigenitalis is the causative agent of contagious equine metritis, a sexually-transmitted infection of Equidae characterised in infected mares by abundant mucopurulent vaginal discharge and a variable degree of vaginitis, cervicitis or endometritis, usually resulting in temporary infertility. The second species of the Taylorella genus, Taylorella asinigenitalis, is considered non-pathogenic, although mares experimentally infected with this bacterium can develop clinical signs of endometritis. To date, little is understood about the basic molecular virulence and persistence mechanisms employed by the Taylorella species. To clarify these points, we investigated whether the host-pathogen interaction model Acanthamoeba castellanii was a suitable model for studying taylorellae. Results: We herein demonstrate that both species of the Taylorella genus are internalised by a mechanism involving the phagocytic capacity of the amoeba and are able to survive for at least one week inside the amoeba. During this one-week incubation period, taylorellae concentrations remain strikingly constant and no overt toxicity to amoeba cells was observed. Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence of the capacity of taylorellae to survive in a natural environment other than the mammalian genital tract, and shows that the alternative infection model, A. castellanii, constitutes a relevant alternative system to assess host-pathogen interactions of taylorellae. The survival of taylorellae inside the potential environmental reservoir A. castellanii brings new insight, fostering a broader understanding of taylorellae biology and its potential natural ecological niche.
Publication Date: 2014-03-19 PubMed ID: 24641089PubMed Central: PMC3995319DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-14-69Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research investigates how Taylorella equigenitalis and Taylorella asinigenitalis, two species of bacteria causing equine infections, interact with and survive within Acanthamoeba castellanii, a type of amoeba. This study reveals that the bacteria can remain stable within the amoeba for at least a week and thus finds that Acanthamoeba could be a crucial host for studying Taylorella infections.
Overview of the Study
- This research primarily focuses on two species of bacteria, Taylorella equigenitalis and Taylorella asinigenitalis. T. equigenitalis causes contagious equine metritis, a sexually transmitted equine infection resulting in temporary infertility in mares. T. asinigenitalis, while generally non-pathogenic, can cause endometritis symptoms if a mare is experimentally infected.
- The authors wanted to improve the understanding of these bacteria’s virulence and persistence mechanisms. They identified Acanthamoeba castellanii as a potential model for investigating these mechanisms and assessing how the bacteria interact with their hosts.
Major Findings
- The investigators found that the amoeba could internalize both bacteria species using its innate phagocytic capability. Furthermore, the bacteria managed to maintain consistent concentrations within the amoeba for at least a week, during which the amoeba did not exhibit any apparent toxicity.
- This indicates that the Taylorella species can survive within a host other than the mammalian genital tract, their typical infection site. This survival ability suggests the amoeba may be a potential environmental reservoir for the bacteria, broadening our understanding of the possible natural habitats for Taylorella.
Significance and Future Implications
- These findings establish that A. castellanii can serve as an effective model for studying the host-pathogen interactions of Taylorella species, a significant advancement in the study of Taylorella infections and their biological mechanics.
- The discovery that Taylorella can survive inside the amoeba sheds light on the bacteria’s potential natural ecological niche and could influence future investigations on controlling and preventing Taylorella infections.
Cite This Article
APA
Allombert J, Vianney A, Laugier C, Petry S, Hébert L.
(2014).
Survival of taylorellae in the environmental amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii.
BMC Microbiol, 14, 69.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2180-14-69 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- ANSES, Dozulé Laboratory for Equine Diseases, Bacteriology and Parasitology Unit, 14430 Goustranville, France. sandrine.petry@anses.fr.
MeSH Terms
- Acanthamoeba castellanii / microbiology
- Acanthamoeba castellanii / physiology
- Microbial Viability
- Phagocytosis
- Taylorella / physiology
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Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- 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.
- Guillonneau R, Baraquet C, Molmeret M. Marine Bacteria Display Different Escape Mechanisms When Facing Their Protozoan Predators. Microorganisms 2020 Dec 12;8(12).
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