Search for adhesins-encoding genes in Staphylococcus spp. isolated from bovine mastitis

• Grant number: 11/51483-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2011
• End date: November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Priscilla Anne Melville
• Grantee: Priscilla Anne Melville
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the world of dairy cattle, mastitis is a major challenge, accounting for economic losses related mainly to reduction in milk production and expences with medicines. The genus Staphylococcus assumes greater importance as a etiologic agent of mastitis due to its wide distribution and frequency of occurrence. Staphylococcal infection starts when the microorganism adheres to the host tissue which is favored by the presence of virulence factors called adhesins. There are few literature data on adhesins in Staphylococcus spp., and especially their role in the pathogenesis of mastitis. This study aims to clarify aspects of the epidemiology of mastitis caused by Staphylococcus species, by searching for genes encoding adhesins on isolates of coagulase-positive and negative Staphylococcus obtained from clinical and subclinical bovine mastitis. Milk samples will be collected from cows with clinical and subclinical mastitis and will be submitted to microbiological examinations and somatic cell count. The amount of milk samples should be sufficient to allow a minimum number of 100 strains of Staphylococcus spp. These strains, once identified, will be tested for "in vitro" susceptibility against different antimicrobials and polymerase chain reaction will be used to search for genes encoding adhesins - genes that code for collagen-binding protein (cna), laminin-binding protein (eno), elastin-binding protein (ebp), fibrinogen-binding protein (fnb), fibronectin-binding protein A (fnbA), fibronectin-binding protein B (fnbB) and protein associated with biofilm formation (bap). The information obtained will be correlated with somatic cell count in order to expand the range of information on the subject and thus allow the development of more effective treatment and control measures of this disease and to increase milk productivity. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ZUNIGA, EVELINE; MELVILLE, PRISCILLA A.; SAIDENBERG, ANDRE B. S.; LAES, MARCO A.; GONSALES, FEMANDA F.; SALABERRY, SANDRA R. S.; GREGORI, FABIO; BRANDAO, PAULO E.; DOS SANTOS, FRANKLIN G. B.; LINCOPAN, NILTON E.; et al. Occurrence of genes coding for MSCRAMM and biofilm-associated protein Bap in Staphylococcus spp. isolated from bovine subclinical mastitis and relationship with somatic cell counts. Microbial Pathogenesis, v. 89, p. 1-6, DEC 2015. (11/51483-6)