U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Virus and Prion Research: Ames, IA
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    CareersSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area Ames, Iowa National Animal Disease Center Virus and Prion Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Nicholson, Tracyitem
                                            Brockmeier, Susanitem
                                            Loving, Crystal
  Submitted to: Infection and Immunity
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 2/12/2009
                                    Publication  Date: 5/15/2009
                                    Citation: Nicholson, T.L., Brockmeier, S., Loving, C.L. 2009. Contribution of Bordetella bronchiseptica Filamentous Hemagglutinin and Pertactin to Respiratory Disease in Swine. Infection and Immunity. 77(5):2136-2146.Interpretive Summary: Respiratory disease in pigs is the most important health concern for swine producers today. Bordetella bronchiseptica is pervasive in swine populations and has multiple roles in respiratory disease. Two well-studied Bordetella virulence factors are filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and pertactin (PRN). To investigate the role of these in swine, we constructed mutants containing a deletion of the FHA or the PRN structural gene in a virulent B. bronchiseptica swine isolate. We compared both of these mutants to the wild-type swine isolate for their ability to colonize and cause disease. Colonization of the FHA mutant was lower than wild-type at all respiratory tract sites and time points examined and caused limited to no disease. In contrast, the PRN mutant caused similar disease severity relative to wild-type, however, colonization of the PRN mutant was reduced during early and late infection. The decreased colonization observed early suggests that PRN plays a role in attachment, while the decreased colonization levels observed late implies a role for PRN in persistence in the swine respiratory tract. Higher anti-Bordetella antibodies were also detected in pigs infected with the PRN mutant.  These results provide a crucial understanding of the role of PRN and FHA in swine respiratory disease, which will expedite the discovery of new vaccine therapy.
                                Technical Abstract: Respiratory disease in pigs is the most important health concern for swine producers today. Bordetella bronchiseptica is pervasive in swine populations and plays multiple roles in respiratory disease. It is a primary etiologic agent of atrophic rhinitis, bronchopneumonia in young pigs, and has been demonstrated to increase the frequency and severity of respiratory disease due to other viral and bacterial pathogens. Most studies addressing virulence factors of B. bronchiseptica are based on isolates derived from hosts other than pigs. Two well-studied virulence factors implicated in the adhesion process are filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and pertactin (PRN). We hypothesized that both FHA and PRN would serve critical roles in the adhesion process and be necessary for colonization of the swine respiratory tract. To investigate the role of FHA and PRN in Bordetella pathogenesis in swine, we constructed mutants containing an in-frame deletion of the FHA or the PRN structural gene in KM22, a virulent B. bronchiseptica swine isolate. We compared both of these mutants to the wild-type swine isolate for their ability to colonize and cause disease. Colonization of the FHA mutant was lower than wild-type at all respiratory tract sites and time points examined and caused limited to no disease. These results indicate that FHA is required for optimal colonization throughout the respiratory tract, including the nasal cavity, in swine. In contrast, the PRN mutant caused similar disease severity relative to wild-type, however, colonization of the PRN mutant was reduced relative to wild-type during early and late infection. The decreased colonization observed early suggests that PRN may play a role in aiding early attachment. The decreased colonization levels observed late in the infection occurred in the lung and coincided with higher anti-Bordetella antibody titers in pigs infected with the PRN mutant. The elevated serum antibody response induced by the PRN mutant may have contributed to the clearance of this mutant from the lower respiratory tract.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov