Antigenic Profiling of Yersinia Pestis Infection in the Wyoming Coyote (Canis Latrans)

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Although Yersinia pestis is classified as a ''high-virulence'' pathogen, some host species are variably susceptible to disease. Coyotes (Canis latrans) exhibit mild, if any, symptoms during infection, but antibody production occurs postinfection. This immune response has been reported to be against the F1 capsule, although little subsequent characterization has been conducted. To further define the nature of coyote humoral immunity to plague, qualitative serology was conducted to assess the antiplague antibody repertoire. Humoral responses to six plasmidencoded Y. pestis virulence factors were first examined. Of 20 individual immune coyotes, 90% were reactive to at least one other antigen in the panel other than F1. The frequency of reactivity to low calcium response plasmid (pLcr)-encoded Yersinia protein kinase A (YpkA) and Yersinia outer protein D (YopD) was significantly greater than that previously observed in a murine model for plague. Additionally, both V antigen and plasminogen activator were reactive with over half of the serum samples tested. Reactivity to F1 was markedly less frequent in coyotes (35%). Twenty previously tested antibody-negative samples were also examined. While the majority were negative across the panel, 15% were positive for 1-3 non-F1 antigens. In vivo-induced antigen technology employed to identify novel chromosomal genes of Y. pestis that are up-regulated during infection resulted in the identification of five proteins, including a flagellar component (FliP) that was uniquely reactive with the coyote serum compared with immune serum from two other host species. Collectively, these data suggest that humoral immunity to pLcr-encoded antigens and the pesticin plasmid (pPst)-encoded Pla antigen may be relevant to plague resistance in coyotes. The serologic profile of Y. pestis chromosomal antigens up-regulated in vivo specific to C. latrans may provide insight into the differences in the pathogen-host responses during Y. pestis infection.

Seroprevalence, Blood Chemistry, and Patterns of Canine Parvovirus, Distemper Virus, Plague, and Tularemia in Free-Ranging Coyotes ( Canis Latrans ) in Northern New Mexico, Usa

“…Coyotes infected with Y. pestis show few, if any, clinical signs (Vernati et al 2011; Baeten et al 2013). They become infected by consuming infected rodents or lagomorphs, or by being bitten by infected fleas (CDC, 2022).…”

Yersinia pestis Intracellular Parasitism of Macrophages from Hosts Exhibiting High and Low Severity of Plague

“…Rodents are natural hosts and suffer severe disease with high mortality, but some rodent predators such as dogs and coyotes experience only mild or in apparent disease [1]–[4], [33], [42], [43]. This variation in disease severity among susceptible hosts may be related to the extent to which Y. pestis overcomes the initial host macrophage mediated stress.…”

“…These coccobacilli eventually died within YCVs due to macrophage killing. This failure of Y. pestis to overcome macrophage imposed stress during the initial intracellular parasitism phase of plague may result in less severe disease in dogs and coyotes [1], [33], [42], [43].…”

A Rapid Field Test for Sylvatic Plague Exposure in Wild Animals

“…Detection of antibodies to Y. pestis proteins other than F1 may be useful in determining antibody prevalence in wild animals and avoiding false negative results. Vernati et al (2011) showed that 65% of coyote serum samples from Wyoming that were antibody-positive by ELISA using whole-cell extracts were negative for anti-F1 antibodies by Western blot. However, 90% of these samples were reactive with at least one other Y. pestis antigen, LcrV, YpkA, YopD, and Pla.…”