Microarray for the study of brucellosis in rams experimtally infected with virulent rough strain of Brucella ovis

• Grant number: 12/08188-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Jane Megid
• Grantee: Joao Marcelo Azevedo de Paula Antunes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brucella ovis is recognized as the most important cause of epididymitis and infertility in sheep, representing losses for the production of wool, meat and milk. Early lesions are observed during the second month post-inoculation in reproductive organs and after two months a bacteremia is observed in other organs. The cytokine gene expression is studied in several diseases in sheep and extensively studied in bovine brucellosis. In a previous study (FAPESP 2008/03962-0) we observed by real time RT-PCR technology (qRT-PCR) that different levels of gene expression of cytokines may influence the pathogenesis of the disease depending on the organ infected, which could be responsible for B. ovis being restricted to the reproductive organs in the first two months of infection. The aim of this project is to assess gene expression in sheep infected after 8 months of infection by microarray hybridization technique. This study will provide a better understanding of gene expression, pathogenesis and behavior of B. ovis in its acute and chronic post-infection