Abstract
Biochemical and molecular analysis were conducted on 34 strains of Mycoplasma species isolated between 2003 and 2009 from the genital tract of clinically healthy Dorper sheep and sheep with ulcerative vulvitis and balanitis. Earlier publications identified the causative agent as Mycoplasma mycoides mycoides large colony (MmmLC) and Arcanobacterium pyogenes. The aims of the study were to characterise Mycoplasma species isolated from the genital tract of Dorper sheep with polymerase chain reaction assay, cloning and gene sequencing. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) results revealed six predominant Mycoplasma species: Mycoplasma arginini, Mycoplasma bovigenitalium, Arcanobacterium laidlawii, MmmLC, Mycoplasma sp. ovine/caprine serogroup II and M. canadense. Sequencing of the 34 isolates were analysed using phylogenetic methods, and 18 (50%) were identified as M. arginini with 99% – 100% similarity to M. arginini from England and Sweden. Six isolates showed 99% similarity to M. bovigenitalium strains from Turkey and Germany. Two isolates had 99% similarity to an M. sp. ovine/caprine sero group II from the United Kingdom. BLAST for two isolates revealed 99% similarity to Acholeplasma laidlawii from India, another two were 99% similar to MmmLC strain from Sweden, two showed 98% similarity to Mycoplasma sp. Usp 120 from Brazil, and two isolates have a 97% – 99% similarity to M. mm. Jcv1 strain from the United States of America. Finally, one isolate showed similarity of 99% to Mycoplasma canadense strain from Italy. The findings support the hypothesis that ulcerative vulvitis and balanitis of Dorper sheep in South Africa (SA) is a multifactorial disease with involvement of different Mycoplasma species.
Highlights
Mycoplasmas are prokaryotic micro-organisms belonging to the class Mollicutes, which lacks rigid cell walls
Thirty-four Mycoplasma strains isolated from swabs and scrapings taken from the genital tract of Dorper sheep with clinical signs of ulcerative balanitis and vulvitis were included in this study
The results showed that 18 isolates (51%) were strains of M. arginini
Summary
Mycoplasmas are prokaryotic micro-organisms belonging to the class Mollicutes, which lacks rigid cell walls. Their genomic size ranges from 500 bp to 1500 bp. They cause a wide variety of different diseases in small ruminants, in particular ulcerative balanitis and vulvitis that affects Dorper sheep in South Africa (SA). The disease causes serious economic losses to Dorper sheep breeders in SA. This venereal disease is characterised by erosion and ulceration of the glans penis and vulval labia of sheep and has been described in several countries (Kidanemariam et al 2005). Other signs included vulval scabs on the lower commissure with small vesicles and plaques on the posterior floor of the vagina (Martin & Aitken 2000)
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