Taylorella asinigenitalis sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from the genital tract of male donkeys (Equus asinus).

Abstract

Three bacterial isolates that were phenotypically indistinguishable from Taylorella equigenitalis were obtained from the urethral fossae of three male donkeys (Equus asinus), one located in the state of California and the other two in the state of Kentucky, USA. Based on results of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, the isolate from California differed from the two Kentucky isolates, which were the same. Mares bred artificially (California) or naturally (Kentucky) did not show signs of disease, even though infection with the organism was established in those bred naturally. Mares and, uncharacteristically, all three jacks produced antibodies that reacted in the complement fixation test utilized to identify mares recently infected with T. equigenitalis. Sequence analysis of DNA encoding the 16S rRNA revealed that the gene sequences of these isolates were virtually identical to each other (>99.8% similarity), but different (97.6% similarity) from those of several confirmed isolates of T. equigenitalis. The 16S rDNA sequences of the latter were 100% identical. DNA-DNA hybridization studies revealed a mean hybridization level of 89% between the donkey isolate from California and the donkey isolate from Kentucky. On the other hand, the mean DNA-DNA hybridization level from the donkey isolates with DNA from a strain of T. equigenitalis was 23%. The DNA G+C composition was 37.8 mol% for the two donkey isolates, as well as the strain of T. equigenitalis used in the hybridization studies. These data support our opinion that micro-organisms isolated from the male donkeys are different from T. equigenitalis and it is proposed that they be considered a new species within the genus Taylorella and named Taylorella asinigenitalis sp. nov. The type strain is strain UCD-1T (= ATCC 700933T = LMG 19572T).

Detection of Taylorella equigenitalis and Taylorella asinigenitalis in horses in Croatia as a result of small scale survey

“…the rate of transmission via natural service exceeds that from either chilled or extended semen (SChULMaN et al, 2013). a similar bacterium from the same genus, T. asinigenitalis, was first isolated from a donkey in 1997 (katZ et al, 2000;JaNG et al, 2001) and thereafter from a horse in 2004(BaVerUD et al, 2006. the clinical relevance of T. asinigenitalis is currently unclear and is probably negligible (JaNG et al, 2001;MeaDe et al, 2010).…”

Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Genotyping of Taylorella equigenitalis Isolates Collected in the United States from 1978 to 2010

“…Preparation of agarose blocks from these cell suspensions and techniques for PFGE were performed as previously described (7,14,16). Genomic DNA was digested via restriction enzymes ApaI, NotI, and NaeI.…”

“…Confirmation of suspect isolates relies on biochemical analysis, latex agglutination, fluorescent antibody, PCR testing (1,24), or 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The latter two tests are also used to differentiate T. equigenitalis from Taylorella asinigenitalis, which was identified in donkeys in the United States in the late 1990s (7). Taylorella asinigenitalis has periodically been isolated from naturally infected horses but is not known to cause clinical signs like CEM and is not regulated in the United States (15).…”

Bacterial infections of the equine genital tract

“…Recently, a phylogenetically close relative of T. equigentialis, i.e. T. asinigenitalis has been isolated from the genital tract of male donkeys (Jang et al 2001). Under natural conditions T. asinigenitalis is apparently able to colonize also the equine male genital tract.…”