Pasteurella multocida effectively utilizes hyaluronic acid to facilitate its continuous growth - short comminication

Abstract

Pasteurella multocida B: 2 (P. multocida) causes haemorrhagic septicemia (HS), a fatal disease in cattle and buffalo. Despite its widespread prevalence, little is known about the factors that contribute to P. multocida’s pathogenicity. This pathogen produces hyaluronidase, a hyaluronic acid degrading enzyme. However, its role in P. multocida pathogenicity is unknown. In this study we attempted to assess the potential of P. multocida in utilising hyaluronic acid as a nutrient in vitro. Six isolates of P. multocida, isolated from outbreaks of HS, were examined for their growth in a chemically defined medium (CDM) with glucose, and a CDM without glucose but with hyaluronic acid (HA) added. The bacterial growth was determined by counting the number of colonies at each observation time (24, 48, 72, 96 h), and was expressed as CFU millions/mL log10. P. multocida continued to grow throughout the period of the experiment in the CDM with HA. However, in the CDM with glucose, growth could be observed until 72 h, followed by a decline and then no growth after that. This is the first ever report of P. multocida utilising hyaluronic acid for its growth, a strategy that could be used to obtain nutrients for colonisation and proliferation.