Brucellosis 2003 proceedings - PHIDIAS

Poster Session
ApaI+0/MseI+G) were applied to AFLP studies of around 250 isolates of Brucella
representing all type strains and known species of Brucella, including the recently
identified marine mammal isolates, and a wide range of clinical isolates from animals
and humans.
106- OXIDATIVE METABOLIC PROFILES OF Brucella STRAINS ISOLATED
FROM MARINE MAMMALS.
I. Jacques 1,2 , M. Grayon 1 , J.-M. Verger 1 , and L. Guilloteau 1 . (1) Unité de Pathologie Infectieuse et
Immunologie, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 37380 Nouzilly, France. (2) Institut
Universitaire de Technologie, 29 rue du Pont Volant, 37083 Tours cedex, France.
In spite of their genomic homogeneity, members of the genus Brucella still
remain classified into six conventional species –i.e., B. melitensis, B. abortus, B. suis,
B. ovis, B. canis and B. neotomae- mainly on the basis of differences in pathogenicity
and host preference. Since the 1990's, many bacterial strains were worldwide
isolated from marine mammals. They were shown to have phenotypic characteristics
of Brucella, without however being identified to existing species. These marine
isolates were later confirmed to belong to the genus Brucella on the basis of
DNA/DNA hybridization studies. Molecular studies, particularly on the polymorphism
of the omp2 locus, allowed the differentiation between terrestrial and marine Brucella
and also between the marine isolates themselves. In this study, thirty-one Brucella
strains isolated from various marine mammals (seals, porpoises, dolphins…) were
examined for their oxidative metabolic pattern on a sample of 12 conventional aminoacid
and carbohydrate substrates. The oxygen uptake for each substrate was
measured on a Warburg apparatus. QO 2 (N) values were then graphically presented,
and compared with the oxidative profiles of the reference strains for the six known
Brucella species. Three main oxidative profiles were identified in the marine sample,
which were different from those of the Brucella reference strains. Interestingly, the
subdivision of the marine Brucella by the oxidative metabolism was quite identical to
that previously obtained with the omp2 polymorphism studies on the same isolates.
Thus, on the basis of both oxidative and omp2 studies, at least two species, B.
pinnipediae and B. cetaceae, could be proposed to classify the marine isolates within
the genus Brucella.
107- MAPPING OF THE PROTEINS OF Brucella abortus AND CROSS-
REACTING BACTERIA USING TWO-DIMENSIONAL (2-D) ELECTROPHORESIS
AND SELDI (SURFACE-ENHANCED LASER DESORPTION/IONIZATION)
PROTEIN CHIP TECHNOLOGY .
Al Dahouk S. 1 , Tomaso H. 1 , Bogumil R. 2 , Bartling C. 1 , Neubauer H. 1 (1) Institute of Microbiology,
Federal Armed Forces, Munich, Germany. (2) Ciphergen Biosystems GmbH, Göttingen, Germany.
Brucellosis is a re-emerging zoonosis resulting in a severe multiorgan disease
in humans. Clinical signs and symptoms of brucellosis can be misleading as they are
unspecific and may mimic many other febrile illnesses. Serological tests usually
detect antibodies to LPS of smooth Brucella strains causing various cross-reactions.
The antibody response to a preparation of cytoplasmatic proteins depleted of LPS
has already proved to be more reliable and specific. A comprehensive proteomic
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Brucellosis 2003 International Research Conference