2020 journal article

Histomonas meleagridis isolates compared by virulence and gene expression

VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY, 286.

By: Z. Wei *, M. Abraham *, E. Chadwick n & R. Beckstead n

co-author countries: China πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ United States of America πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ
author keywords: Histomonasmeleagridis; Blackhead disease; Turkeys; Trichomonas vaginalis; Entamoeba histolytica
MeSH headings : Animals; Gene Expression; Genes, Protozoan; Poultry Diseases / parasitology; Protozoan Infections, Animal / parasitology; Trichomonadida / genetics; Trichomonadida / pathogenicity; Turkeys; Virulence
Source: Web Of Science
Added: November 9, 2020

Pathology and putative virulence factor expression of three Histomonas meleagridis isolates differing in geographic origin, cell passage number (56 or 100), or cell populations grown from a monoculture were compared. Turkey poults inoculated with the high cell passage number isolates or monoculture isolates varied in gross lesion severity and weight gain (P<0.0001). Screening of a published H. meleagridis cDNA library identified forty- eight cysteine proteinases (CP) and one superoxide dismutase (Fe-SOD) proposed to function in either tissue damage and/or invasion and oxidative defense. The Fe-SOD and eight CPs were analyzed using real time polymerase chain reaction. CP2, CP3, and CP8 showed significant differences in expression among the field isolates (P ≀ 0.05). The high passage isolates had decreased CP2, CP3 and CP4 expression when compared with their field isolate. CP7 did not differ between field isolates or the 56-passaged isolate. The Fe-SOD gene showed significant differences in expression among the various isolates. When exposing cultured H. meleagridis to air, Fe-SOD expression decreased rapidly during the first hour of air exposure but increased progressively through the next 3 h. This study provides information on gross pathology and virulence factors associated with various isolates of Histomonas meleagridis which can aid in determining the pathogenetic mechanisms used by this organism.