Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance Diversity in <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> Isolates from Poultry Affected by Necrotic Enteritis in Canada
Necrotic enteritis (NE) caused by <i>C. perfringens</i> is one of the most common diseases of poultry and results in a huge economic loss to the poultry industry, with resistant clostridial strains being a serious concern and making the treatment difficult. Whole-genome sequencing approa...
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/7/905 |
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| author | Sara García-Vela Agustí Martínez-Sancho Laila Ben Said Carmen Torres Ismail Fliss |
| author_facet | Sara García-Vela Agustí Martínez-Sancho Laila Ben Said Carmen Torres Ismail Fliss |
| author_sort | Sara García-Vela |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Necrotic enteritis (NE) caused by <i>C. perfringens</i> is one of the most common diseases of poultry and results in a huge economic loss to the poultry industry, with resistant clostridial strains being a serious concern and making the treatment difficult. Whole-genome sequencing approaches represent a good tool to determine resistance profiles and also shed light for a better understanding of the pathogen. The aim of this study was to characterize, at the genomic level, a collection of 20 <i>C. perfringens</i> isolates from poultry affected by NE, giving special emphasis to resistance mechanisms and production of bacteriocins. Antimicrobial resistance genes were found, with the <i>tet</i> genes (associated with tetracycline resistance) being the most prevalent. Interestingly, two isolates carried the <i>erm(T)</i> gene associated with erythromycin resistance, which has only been reported in other Gram-positive bacteria. Twelve of the isolates were toxinotyped as type A and seven as type G. Other virulence factors encoding hyaluronases and sialidases were frequently detected, as well as different plasmids. Sequence types (ST) revealed a high variability of the isolates, finding new allelic combinations. Among the isolates, <i>C. perfringens</i> MLG7307 showed unique characteristics; it presented a toxin combination that made it impossible to toxinotype, and, despite being identified as <i>C. perfringens</i>, it lacked the housekeeping gene <i>colA</i>. Genes encoding bacteriocin BCN5 were found in five isolates even though no antimicrobial activity could be detected in those isolates. The <i>bcn5</i> gene of three of our isolates was similar to one previously reported, showing two polymorphisms. Concluding, this study provides insights into the genomic characteristics of <i>C. perfringens</i> and a better understanding of this avian pathogen. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:45:03Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:45:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-95015283c31e4424a779b39fa4d955382023-11-18T20:50:41ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172023-07-0112790510.3390/pathogens12070905Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance Diversity in <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> Isolates from Poultry Affected by Necrotic Enteritis in CanadaSara García-Vela0Agustí Martínez-Sancho1Laila Ben Said2Carmen Torres3Ismail Fliss4Department of Food Science, University of Laval, Quebec, QC QCG1V0A6, CanadaArea of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, OneHealth-UR Research Group, University of La Rioja, 26006 Logrono, La Rioja, SpainDepartment of Food Science, University of Laval, Quebec, QC QCG1V0A6, CanadaArea of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, OneHealth-UR Research Group, University of La Rioja, 26006 Logrono, La Rioja, SpainDepartment of Food Science, University of Laval, Quebec, QC QCG1V0A6, CanadaNecrotic enteritis (NE) caused by <i>C. perfringens</i> is one of the most common diseases of poultry and results in a huge economic loss to the poultry industry, with resistant clostridial strains being a serious concern and making the treatment difficult. Whole-genome sequencing approaches represent a good tool to determine resistance profiles and also shed light for a better understanding of the pathogen. The aim of this study was to characterize, at the genomic level, a collection of 20 <i>C. perfringens</i> isolates from poultry affected by NE, giving special emphasis to resistance mechanisms and production of bacteriocins. Antimicrobial resistance genes were found, with the <i>tet</i> genes (associated with tetracycline resistance) being the most prevalent. Interestingly, two isolates carried the <i>erm(T)</i> gene associated with erythromycin resistance, which has only been reported in other Gram-positive bacteria. Twelve of the isolates were toxinotyped as type A and seven as type G. Other virulence factors encoding hyaluronases and sialidases were frequently detected, as well as different plasmids. Sequence types (ST) revealed a high variability of the isolates, finding new allelic combinations. Among the isolates, <i>C. perfringens</i> MLG7307 showed unique characteristics; it presented a toxin combination that made it impossible to toxinotype, and, despite being identified as <i>C. perfringens</i>, it lacked the housekeeping gene <i>colA</i>. Genes encoding bacteriocin BCN5 were found in five isolates even though no antimicrobial activity could be detected in those isolates. The <i>bcn5</i> gene of three of our isolates was similar to one previously reported, showing two polymorphisms. Concluding, this study provides insights into the genomic characteristics of <i>C. perfringens</i> and a better understanding of this avian pathogen.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/7/905necrotic enteritis<i>Clostridium perfringens</i>antimicrobial resistance<i>erm</i>(T)bacteriocin genes<i>bcn5</i> |
| spellingShingle | Sara García-Vela Agustí Martínez-Sancho Laila Ben Said Carmen Torres Ismail Fliss Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance Diversity in <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> Isolates from Poultry Affected by Necrotic Enteritis in Canada Pathogens necrotic enteritis <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> antimicrobial resistance <i>erm</i>(T) bacteriocin genes <i>bcn5</i> |
| title | Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance Diversity in <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> Isolates from Poultry Affected by Necrotic Enteritis in Canada |
| title_full | Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance Diversity in <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> Isolates from Poultry Affected by Necrotic Enteritis in Canada |
| title_fullStr | Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance Diversity in <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> Isolates from Poultry Affected by Necrotic Enteritis in Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance Diversity in <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> Isolates from Poultry Affected by Necrotic Enteritis in Canada |
| title_short | Pathogenicity and Antibiotic Resistance Diversity in <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> Isolates from Poultry Affected by Necrotic Enteritis in Canada |
| title_sort | pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance diversity in i clostridium perfringens i isolates from poultry affected by necrotic enteritis in canada |
| topic | necrotic enteritis <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> antimicrobial resistance <i>erm</i>(T) bacteriocin genes <i>bcn5</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/7/905 |
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