Mycoplasma gallisepticum is an economically important pathogen of poultry worldwide. Yet the characteri sation of M. gallisepticum field strains present in southern Africa has not previously been reported. We characterised various M. gallisepticum genotypes within the region and highlight the unique differences between two genotypes found in South Africa and Zimbabwe. PCR targeting a partial region of the mgc2 gene was used to screen various poultry farms in South Africa and Zimbabwe for M. gallisepticum. Samples were characterised using multilocus genetargeted sequencing. Portions of the surface protein encoding pvpA, gapA and mgc2 genes and the uncharacterised surface lipoprotein gene designated MGA_0319 were sequenced and analysed. Nucleotide sequences were compared to vaccine and reference strains as well as to strains from different countries. The South African genotype contained unique mgc2 and pvpA gene regions, while the Zimbabwean genotype proved to be even more distinct with unique gapA, mgc2 and pvpA gene regions. In addition, BLAST results showed high similarities in the partial mgc2 gene region between the South African and Zimbabwean genotypes and the 'atypical' Israeli RV2 strain, suggesting a link in its epidemiology. These results also allow for improved control strategies for southern Africa, and the use of more effective vaccine strains.
The atmosphere may not strike people as a very suitable habitat for bacteria, but recent studies indicate it may harbour diverse and active bacterial communities. Although their complexity is similar to those found in soil or marine environments, it is not as well understood. Active bacterial communities in the soil, for example, have not only been observed to become more resistant when exposed to pollutants, but they also developed degradation mechanisms. Can similar processes occur in airborne bacterial communities? This possibility holds great potential for dealing with air pollution in the future. As basic research is limited, we aimed to study how active life in the atmosphere is influenced by airborne stressors. An unusually high fraction of airborne bacteria was observed to be pigmented, presuming to resist UV radiation. Furthermore, the airborne bacteria from three different locations in the region of Antwerp (Belgium), i.e. the centre of the city, the harbour, and a greener suburb were compared for their cadmium resistance. Furthermore, the growth of airborne bacteria exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was assessed. The results indicate that airborne bacterial communities adapt to the present air pollutants, possibly using VOCs as nutritional substrates. Airborne bacteria are therefore good candidates for future applications in biomonitoring and bioremediation.
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