Staphylococcal Nuclease in Udder Secretions of Cows with Acute Mastitis

High concentrations of nuclease produced by Staphylococcus aureus were demonstrated within a few hours by direct examination of udder secretions from cows with a severe staphylococcal mastitis. A positive correlation between the nuclease concentration and the severity of the mastitis was found. The cows with high nuclease concentrations were generally young individuals and/or in the first 2 weeks of the lactation period. Most had a low titre of antibodies against staphylococcal nuclease. Two-thirds of the cows in which high nuclease concentrations were demonstrated were culled or died because of the mastitis attack. The role which nuclease plays for staphylococcal virulence is discussed, and it is concluded that nuclease contributes to the pathogenicity of S. aureus.     

奶牛乳腺炎大肠杆菌csgC基因的克隆及序列分析

根据GenBank上发表的curli菌毛csgC基因序列,设计了一对特异性引物。从患乳腺炎的奶牛乳汁中分离出致病性大肠杆菌,经生物学鉴定后,提取全基因组DNA为模板,PCR扩增出csgC基因,连入pMD18-T克隆载体,测序。结果表明,扩增片段含有333个核苷酸,编码111个氨基酸的成熟蛋白,与已报道的大肠杆菌W3110的全基因组DNA中的csgC基因序列最相近,氨基酸序列同源性为99．7％。Curli菌毛csgC基因的克隆,为获得重组csgC蛋白及对其结构和功能的研究奠定了基础。     

奶牛乳房炎抗性候选基因的研究进展

乳房炎是奶业生产中的一种常见病,发病率很高,每年给世界各国奶牛饲养者造成严重的经济损失。乳房炎的影响因素很多,但遗传因素对其起着重要作用。综述了乳铁蛋白基因、MHC/BoLA基因、ToLL样受体家族基因、趋化性细胞因子受体基因、牛锌指蛋白313基因、β-防御素基因和热休克蛋白70基因等奶牛乳房炎抗性候选基因的研究现状。     

泰州市奶牛乳房炎调查及其病原菌的分离

奶牛乳房炎是奶牛场的常发病和难以防治的疾病,为进一步了解引起奶牛乳房炎的病原微生物,本研究通过对泰州市3个奶牛场572头泌乳牛的乳房炎发病率进行了调查并对乳房炎主要病原菌进行分离和鉴定。结果表明,奶牛临床型乳房炎的发病率为7.69%,隐性型乳房炎发病率为56.64%,乳区阳性率为33.8%,其中临床型:隐性=1:7.36。从65份确定患有乳房炎的奶样中共分离获得8种细菌、156株分离株,且引起乳房炎的主要病原菌是金黄色葡萄球菌和表皮葡萄球菌,其次是停乳链球菌、大肠杆菌、乳房链球菌和无乳链球菌,其检出率分别为42.31%、23.08%、8.97%、6.41%、5.13%和1.28%。该项调查结果初步明确了泰州市乳房炎发病情况,同时为进一步综合防治奶牛乳房炎和研制乳房炎治疗药物提供了科学依据。     

Serum Enzyme Changes in Lames with Experimentally Induced Acute Muscular Dystrophy

An experiment was performed to study some serum enzyme changes taking place in artificially fed lambs made dystrophic on a skim milk ration supplemented with α-tocopherolextracted cod liver oil. In the course of two to three weeks the lambs showed highly increased serum values of aspartate- and alanine aminotransferase (AspAT = GOT and A1AT = GPT), total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine phosphokinase (GPK). The latter enzyme proved to be the most sensitive test of myopathies, with serum values above 1000 times the normal level. A high-grade hyaline skeletal muscle degeneration was confirmed by histology. Myocardial changes were also present. Contrary to expectations, electrophoretic separation of LDH isoenzymes in the serum of the dystrophic lambs did not reflect any increase of the prevalent muscular cathodic thermolabile fraction LDH5. The use of a so-called LDH heat stability test as an aid in clinical diagnostic work, as previously suggested, therefore does not seem to be valid in this disease. The results are discussed.     

Genomic Comparative Study of Bovine Mastitis Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli, one of the main causative agents of bovine mastitis, is responsible for significant losses on dairy farms. In order to better understand the pathogenicity of E. coli mastitis, an accurate characterization of E. coli strains isolated from mastitis cases is required. By using phylogenetic analyses and whole genome comparison of 5 currently available mastitis E. coli genome sequences, we searched for genotypic traits specific for mastitis isolates. Our data confirm that there is a bias in the distribution of mastitis isolates in the different phylogenetic groups of the E. coli species, with the majority of strains belonging to phylogenetic groups A and B1. An interesting feature is that clustering of strains based on their accessory genome is very similar to that obtained using the core genome. This finding illustrates the fact that phenotypic properties of strains from different phylogroups are likely to be different. As a consequence, it is possible that different strategies could be used by mastitis isolates of different phylogroups to trigger mastitis. Our results indicate that mastitis E. coli isolates analyzed in this study carry very few of the virulence genes described in other pathogenic E. coli strains. A more detailed analysis of the presence/absence of genes involved in LPS synthesis, iron acquisition and type 6 secretion systems did not uncover specific properties of mastitis isolates. Altogether, these results indicate that mastitis E. coli isolates are rather characterized by a lack of bona fide currently described virulence genes.     

Serum Calcium Response Following Oral Zinc Oxide Administrations in Dairy Cows

Six non-pregnant cows were allocated into 3 groups. Group 1 comprised a pair of lactating cows, whereas groups 2 and 3 each comprised a pair of non-lactating cows. The cows in groups 1 and 2 were dosed intraruminally by stomach tube with zinc oxide at 120 mg Zn per kg of bodyweight at weekly intervals for a period of 33 days. Each cow received a total of 4 doses of zinc oxide. Group 3 served as non-treated control group. Blood samples were collected from all 6 cows daily. Serum was analysed for concentration of calcium. Within 12–24 h of each zinc oxide administration the serum calcium of the lactating cows dropped dramatically indicating the existence of an antagonistic effect between Zn and Ca. The first Zn induced hypocalcaemic episode in the lactating cows was followed by a rise in serum calcium to a level above the pre-dosing level and above the mean value of the control group. The depth of the hypocalcaemic response decreased with the number of zinc oxide dosings. This effect was explained as a response from the stimulation of the calcium homeostatic mechanisms. In the Zn dosed non-lactating cows responses were similar but less clear. The perspective of these findings is discussed in relation to resistance towards parturient hypocalcaemia.     

Draft Genome Sequence of Corynebacterium bovis DSM 20582, Which Causes Clinical Mastitis in Dairy Cows

Bovine mastitis represents the most economically important disease in dairy cows and can be caused by Corynebacterium bovis, a commensal in the bovine udder. The draft genome sequence provides insights into the adaptation of this bacterium to the bovine habitat and its lipolytic capabilities to utilize components of cow's milk.     

Association of IL8 -105G/A with Mastitis Somatic Cell Score in Chinese Holstein Dairy Cows

The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5′ upstream of bovine IL8 gene were investigated in 810 Chinese Holstein cows from 35 bull families in a dairy farm in Shanghai using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) technique. The Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of genotype Chinese Holstein dairy cows. The results showed that one SNP -105G>A was detected, designating three genotypes (GG, GA and AA) with respective frequencies of 0.38, 0.46, and 0.16. The significant association of the SNP -105G>A with somatic cell score (SCS) was identified. Genotype GG had a significantly lower SCS than genotype GA or AA (P < 0.01), and the relative mRNA expression and protein level of GG was found to be the highest. These results suggest that the genotype GG may be a useful genetic marker for mastitis resistance selection and breeding in Chinese Holstein dairy cows.     

Repeated Oronasal Exposure to Lipopolysaccharide Induced Mucosal IgA Responses in Periparturient Dairy Cows

This study investigated the effects of repeated oronasal treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the humoral immune responses in saliva, vaginal mucus, and the plasma markers of the acute phase response in periparturient dairy cows. One hundred pregnant Holstein cows were administered either 3 increasing doses of LPS (n = 50) as follows: 1) 0.01 µg/kg body weight (BW) on d −28, 2) 0.05 µg/kg BW on d −25, and −21, and 3) 0.1 µg/kg BW on d −18, and −14, or sterile saline solution (controls; n = 50) oronasally for 3 consecutive wk starting at 28 d before parturition. Intensive sampling was conducted on thirty cows (n = 15/group). Multiple saliva, vaginal mucus and blood samples were collected around parturition and analyzed for total immunoglobulin-(Ig)A, plasma serum amyloid A (SAA), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), anti-LPS IgA, IgG, IgM, tumour necrosis factor(TNF)-α, and interleukin(IL)-1. Results regarding total secretory IgA (sIgA) antibodies showed greater concentrations in the saliva and an overall tendency for higher total sIgA in the vaginal mucus of the LPS-treated cows. Treatment had no effect on plasma sIgA, IgG, IgM anti-LPS antibodies, haptoglobin, SAA, LBP, TNF-α, and IL-1. Treatments by time interactions were observed for SAA and IL-1 with lowered concentrations of both variables in the plasma of LPS-treated cows after parturition. Overall, repeated oronasal LPS treatment clearly enhanced total sIgA antibodies in the saliva, stimulated their production in vaginal mucus shortly before calving, and lowered plasma IL-1 around parturition, but showed limited effects on markers of the acute phase response in the plasma in dairy cows around parturition.     

Socio-Spatial Relationships in Dairy Cows

Farm animals may serve as models for evaluating social networks in a controlled environment. We used an automated system to track, at fine temporal and spatial resolution (once per minute, ±50 cm) every individual in six herds of dairy cows ( Bos taurus ). We then analysed the data using social network analyses. Relationships were based on non-random attachment and avoidance relationships in respect to synchronous use and distances observed in three different functional areas (activity, feeding and lying). We found that neither synchrony nor distance between cows was strongly predictable among the three functional areas. The emerging social networks were tightly knit for attachment relationships and less dense for avoidance relationships. These networks loosened up from the feeding and lying area to the activity area, and were less dense for relationships based on synchronicity than on median distance with respect to node degree, relative size of the largest cluster, density and diameter of the network. In addition, synchronicity was higher in dyads of dairy cows that had grown up together and shared their last dry period. This last effect disappeared with increasing herd size. Dairy herds can be characterized by one strongly clustered network including most of the herd members with many non-random attachment and avoidance relationships. Closely synchronous dyads were composed of cows with more intense previous contact. The automatic tracking of a large number of individuals proved promising in acquiring the data necessary for tackling social network analyses.     

Effect of Sand and Sawdust Bedding Materials on the Fecal Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Dairy Cows

Farm management practices that reduce the prevalence of food-borne pathogens in live animals are predicted to enhance food safety. To ascertain the potential role of livestock bedding in the ecology and epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on farms, the survival of this pathogen in used-sand and used-sawdust dairy cow bedding was determined. Additionally, a longitudinal study of mature dairy cattle housed on 20 commercial dairy farms was conducted to compare the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle bedded on sand to that in cattle bedded on sawdust. E. coli O157:H7 persisted at higher concentrations in used-sawdust bedding than in used-sand bedding. The overall average herd level prevalence (3.1 versus 1.4%) and the number of sample days yielding any tests of feces positive for E. coli O157:H7 (22 of 60 days versus 13 of 60 days) were higher in sawdust-bedded herds. The choice of bedding material used to house mature dairy cows may impact the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 on dairy farms.