Genotyping of Clostridium perfringens Isolates from Domestic Livestock in Saudi Arabia.

Sawsan A Omer,Salah Eldin H Babiker,Abdulaziz N Alagaili,Ebtesam M Al-Olayan,Osama B Mohammed,Mohammed Z Aljulaifi

doi:10.1155/2020/9035341

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to confirm the genetic identity of Clostridium perfringens isolates from domestic livestock in Saudi Arabia and to characterize the genes encoding to alpha, beta, epsilon, and iota (α-, β-, ε-, and ι-) toxins. C. perfringens were confirmed in 104 out of 136 isolates on multiplex polymerase chain reaction using specific primers amplifying genes related to toxins produced by C. perfringens. Genes encoding α-toxins were detected in 104 samples. Of the isolates, 80.8% were diagnosed as type A, 15.4% as type D, 2.9% as type C, and 0.96% as type B. None of the isolates has genes encoding iota (ι-) toxin. All isolates investigated yielded enterotoxin (cpe) products and none yielded β2 (cpb2-toxin) or NetB products. PLC gene sequences encoding α-toxin showed >96.7% similarity. Isolates which had α-toxins as well as enterotoxin (cpe) are regarded as type F. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood analysis yielded two clades, and the majority of the isolates were in one group while only two isolates clustered on the second clade. Within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strains, 54 variable positions and 23 polymorphic amino acids were noticed. Isolates with ε- and β-toxins were variable and were found to be close to those published for C. perfringens. ETX gene sequences encoding ε-toxins were found to be related to CPE sequences.

Highlights

The anaerobe and spore-forming Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium detected in soil and water as well as among intestinal bacterial flora of animals and man [1]
Isolates of C. perfringens were obtained from field investigations for the diagnosis of enterotoxaemia in domestic livestock in Saudi Arabia
C. perfringens type A has been reported in 80.8% of the bacterial isolates, type D was reported in 15.4%, type C was isolated from 2.9%, and type B was reported in 0.98%

Summary

Introduction

The anaerobe and spore-forming Clostridium perfringens is a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium detected in soil and water as well as among intestinal bacterial flora of animals and man [1]. It is categorized with the most widespread bacteria, which occurs in different environments such as soil, sewage, food, feces, and the normal intestinal flora of humans and animals [2]. C. perfringens is a human and livestock pathogen, resulting in disease in different tissues as well as intestinal diseases in the form of enterotoxaemia. Recent results by Rood and others suggested a modification for the toxinotyping of C. perfringens which required the inclusion of the enterotoxin (CPE)

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Discussion

Conclusion