The role of the Oregon State University Endophyte Service Laboratory in diagnosing clinical cases of endophyte toxicoses.
Abstract: The Oregon State University Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural Sciences instituted the Endophyte Service Laboratory to aid in diagnosing toxicity problems associated with cool-season grasses in livestock. The endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophalum) present in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) produces ergopeptine alkaloids, of which ergovaline is the molecule used to determine exposure and toxicity thresholds for the vasoconstrictive conditions "fescue foot" and "summer slump". Another vasoconstrictive syndrome, "ergotism," is caused by a parasitic fungus, Claviceps purpurea, and its primary toxin, ergotamine. "Ryegrass staggers" is a neurological condition that affects livestock consuming endophyte (Neotyphodium lolii)-infected perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) with high levels of lolitrem B. HPLC-fluorescent analytical methods for these mycotoxins are described and were used to determine threshold levels of toxicity for ergovaline and lolitrem B in cattle, sheep, horses, and camels. In addition, six clinical cases in cattle are presented to illustrate diagnosis of these three diseases.
Publication Date: 2014-07-17 PubMed ID: 25017309DOI: 10.1021/jf5027229Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article details the function of the Endophyte Service Laboratory at Oregon State University in identifying diseases in livestock caused by toxins produced by various endophytes. The study explains the adverse effects of these toxins, how they can be detected, and how studies at the laboratory have helped establish threshold levels for toxicity in different species.
Role of the Endophyte Service Laboratory
- The Endophyte Service Laboratory, established under the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University, is tasked with diagnosing livestock illnesses related to toxic cool-season grasses.
Causes of Livestock Diseases
- The endophyte Neotyphodium coenophalum, found in tall fescue grass, produces ergopeptine alkaloids. A specific molecule, ergovaline, is used to determine exposure and toxicity levels in diseases such as ‘fescue foot’ and ‘summer slump’.
- A different ailment, ‘ergotism’, arises from the primary toxin, ergotamine, produced by the parasitic fungus Claviceps purpurea.
- The condition ‘ryegrass staggers‘ is a neurological disorder affecting livestock that consume Neotyphodium lolii-infected perennial ryegrass with high concentrations of a toxin identified as lolitrem B.
Methodologies for Diagnosing Toxin Levels
- The research describes the use of HPLC-fluorescent analytical methods to identify these mycotoxins in livestock.
- The examinations conducted at the laboratory have been instrumental in establishing the threshold levels of toxicity for ergovaline and lolitrem B in various animals, including cattle, sheep, horses, and camels.
Case Studies
- Along with these methodologies and findings, the research paper also recounts six clinical cases in cattle where these diseases were diagnosed.
- These case studies serve as practical illustrations of how real-life complications caused by these toxins can be identified and diagnosed.
Cite This Article
APA
Craig AM, Blythe LL, Duringer JM.
(2014).
The role of the Oregon State University Endophyte Service Laboratory in diagnosing clinical cases of endophyte toxicoses.
J Agric Food Chem, 62(30), 7376-7381.
https://doi.org/10.1021/jf5027229 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, and ‡Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States.
MeSH Terms
- Animal Diseases / diagnosis
- Animals
- Camelus
- Cattle
- Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
- Claviceps / pathogenicity
- Endophytes / pathogenicity
- Ergotamines / analysis
- Ergotamines / toxicity
- Festuca / microbiology
- Horses
- Indole Alkaloids / analysis
- Indole Alkaloids / toxicity
- Laboratories
- Livestock
- Lolium / microbiology
- Mycotoxins / analysis
- Mycotoxins / toxicity
- Neotyphodium / pathogenicity
- Oregon
- Sheep
- Universities
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Poudel S, Pent GJ, Fike JH, Zeller WE, Davis BE. Effects of Sericea Lespedeza Supplementation on Steers Grazing Wild-Type Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 28;15(3).
- Schrenk D, Bignami M, Bodin L, Chipman JK, Del Mazo J, Grasl-Kraupp B, Hogstrand C, Leblanc JC, Nebbia CS, Nielsen E, Ntzani E, Petersen A, Sand S, Schwerdtle T, Vleminckx C, Wallace H, Gropp J, Mulder P, Oswald IP, Woutersen R, Gómez Ruiz JÁ, Rovesti E, Hoogenboom LR. Risks for animal health related to the presence of ergot alkaloids in feed. EFSA J 2024 Jan;22(1):e8496.
- Poudel S, Fike JH, Wright L, Pent GJ. Non-Invasive Techniques Reveal Heifer Response to Fescue Endophyte Type in Grazing Studies. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jul 21;13(14).
- Wilbanks SA, Justice SM, West T, Klotz JL, Andrae JG, Duckett SK. Effects of Tall Fescue Endophyte Type and Dopamine Receptor D2 Genotype on Cow-Calf Performance during Late Gestation and Early Lactation. Toxins (Basel) 2021 Mar 9;13(3).
- Caradus JR, Johnson LJ. Epichloë Fungal Endophytes-From a Biological Curiosity in Wild Grasses to an Essential Component of Resilient High Performing Ryegrass and Fescue Pastures. J Fungi (Basel) 2020 Nov 27;6(4).
- Vikuk V, Fuchs B, Krischke M, Mueller MJ, Rueb S, Krauss J. Alkaloid Concentrations of Lolium perenne Infected with Epichloë festucae var. lolii with Different Detection Methods-A Re-Evaluation of Intoxication Risk in Germany?. J Fungi (Basel) 2020 Sep 18;6(3).
- Reddy P, Hemsworth J, Guthridge KM, Vinh A, Vassiliadis S, Ezernieks V, Spangenberg GC, Rochfort SJ. Ergot alkaloid mycotoxins: physiological effects, metabolism and distribution of the residual toxin in mice. Sci Rep 2020 Jun 16;10(1):9714.
- Krauss J, Vikuk V, Young CA, Krischke M, Mueller MJ, Baerenfaller K. Epichloë Endophyte Infection rates and Alkaloid Content in Commercially Available Grass Seed Mixtures in Europe. Microorganisms 2020 Mar 31;8(4).
- Reddy P, Elkins A, Hemsworth J, Guthridge K, Vassiliadis S, Read E, Spangenberg G, Rochfort S. Identification and Distribution of Novel Metabolites of Lolitrem B in Mice by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Molecules 2020 Jan 16;25(2).
- Vassiliadis S, Elkins AC, Reddy P, Guthridge KM, Spangenberg GC, Rochfort SJ. A Simple LC-MS Method for the Quantitation of Alkaloids in Endophyte-Infected Perennial Ryegrass. Toxins (Basel) 2019 Nov 7;11(11).
- Reddy P, Guthridge K, Vassiliadis S, Hemsworth J, Hettiarachchige I, Spangenberg G, Rochfort S. Tremorgenic Mycotoxins: Structure Diversity and Biological Activity. Toxins (Basel) 2019 May 27;11(5).
- Britt JL, Greene MA, Bridges WC, Klotz JL, Aiken GE, Andrae JG, Pratt SL, Long NM, Schrick FN, Strickland JR, Wilbanks SA, Miller MF, Koch BM, Duckett SK. Ergot alkaloid exposure during gestation alters. I. Maternal characteristics and placental development of pregnant ewes1. J Anim Sci 2019 Apr 3;97(4):1874-1890.
- Liebe DM, White RR. Meta-analysis of endophyte-infected tall fescue effects on cattle growth rates. J Anim Sci 2018 Apr 14;96(4):1350-1361.
- Craig AM, Klotz JL, Duringer JM. Cases of ergotism in livestock and associated ergot alkaloid concentrations in feed. Front Chem 2015;3:8.
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