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Infect. Immun. doi:10.1128/IAI.00938-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Cytotoxicity of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC toward bovine epithelial cells

Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, Universität Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, Postfach, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland; INRA, Université de Bordeaux 2, UMR1090, 71, avenue Edouard Bourlaux, F-33883 Villenave d'Ornon, France; and Institute of Veterinary Virology, Vetsuisse Faculty, Universität Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, Postfach, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: joachim.frey{at}vbi.unibe.ch.

	Abstract

Cytotoxicity of various strains of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC, the agent of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), was measured in vitro using embryonic calf nasal epithelial (ECaNEp) cells. Strains isolated from acute cases of CBPP induced high cytotoxicity in the presence of glycerol, concomitantly to release of high amounts of toxic H₂O₂ that was found to be translocated into the cytoplasm of the host cells by close contact of the Mycoplasma with the latter. Currently used vaccine strains also showed high cytotoxicity and high H₂O₂ release, indicating that they are attenuated in another virulence attribute. Strains isolated from recent European outbreaks of CBPP with mild clinical signs, which are characterized by a defect in the glycerol uptake system, released low amounts of H₂O₂ and showed low cytotoxicity toward ECaNEp cells. M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC type strain PG1 released high amounts of H₂O₂ but was only slightly cytotoxic. PG1 was found to have a reduced capacity to bind to ECaNEp cells and was unable to translocate H₂O₂ into the bovine cells, in contrast to virulent strains that release high amounts of H₂O₂. Thus, an efficient translocation of H₂O₂ into host cells is prerequisite for the cytotoxic effect and requires an intact adhesion mechanism to ensure a close contact between mycoplasmas and host cells.

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