Protein and Antigenic Profile among Mycoplasma bovis Field Strains Isolated in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mycoplasma bovis is a serious, worldwide-spread but often overlooked pathogen causing respiratory disease, mastitis, and arthritis in cattle. In this study we characterize the protein and antigenic profiles of M. bovis field strains isolated in Bosnia and Herzegovina by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting, and analyze possible variations among these strains. Greater differences occurred when comparing field strains with the reference strain PG45. One field strain isolated from lung samples of a heifer was markedly different from strains isolated from nasal swabs taken from cattle raised in another geographic region. A possible correlation may exist between protein and antigen profiles of M. bovis field strains, geographic regions and anatomical sites of isolation. Mycoplasma bovis, cattle, antigen, immunoblotting, protein, SDS-PAGE Mycoplasma bovis is the most pathogenic bovine mycoplasma in the parts of the world considered to be free of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia. This pathogen primarily causes calf pneumonia, mastitis and arthritis. Other symptoms are seen less frequently. Diseases caused by M. bovis are found worldwide, causing significant economic losses. Yet, there are no effective control measures or standard protocols for their routine application available (Nicholas and Ayling 2003). Although M. bovis, like other mycoplasmas, possesses a small genome size, it is still highly invasive and able to colonize organ systems. It is now clear that one of the possible explanations for its ability to avoid bodily defence mechanisms and adapt to different environments in the host is due to phenotypic variations in mycoplasmas (Wise 1993; Razin et al. 1998; Minion 2002). Rosengarten et al. (1994) demonstrated highly variable membrane surface proteins (Vsps) of M. bovis which represent a family of antigenically and structurally related lipoproteins. These Vsps represent the predominant antigens recognized by the host immune response during infection, and they can undergo high frequency changes in size and expression. This system is responsible for the survival of these pathogens in the presence of cytolytic antibodies and for their adaptation to specialized environments within their respective hosts (Behrens et al. 1994; Razin et al.1998). A full understanding of phenotypic variation among M. bovis strains should be of great value when developing diagnostic methods and vaccines for the control of infections caused by this organism. Recently, M. bovis has been isolated, for the first time, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Rifatbegovic et al. 2007). The aim of this study was to characterize the protein and antigenic profile of these M. bovis field strains by SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and immunoblot and to analyze possible variations among these strains.