Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New exfoliative toxin gene found in dogs with skin infections
By Iyori, Keita et al.·Published in FEMS microbiology letters·2010·Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Identification of a novel Staphylococcus pseudintermedius exfoliative toxin gene and its prevalence in isolates from canines with pyoderma and healthy dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found a new toxin gene in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, a bacteria linked to skin infections in dogs, particularly those with pyoderma (a type of skin infection). This gene was present in about 23% of bacteria samples from dogs with skin issues but only in 6% of samples from healthy dogs. The toxin can damage skin cells, which may explain why some dogs develop skin problems. Understanding this toxin could help veterinarians better diagnose and treat skin infections in dogs.
People also search for: dog skin infection treatment · pyoderma in dogs · Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in dogs
Abstract
Staphylococcal exfoliative toxins are involved in some cutaneous infections in mammals by targeting desmoglein 1 (Dsg1), a desmosomal cell-cell adhesion molecule. Recently, an exfoliative toxin gene (exi) was identified in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolated from canine pyoderma. The aim of this study was to identify novel exfoliative toxin genes in S. pseudintermedius. Here, we describe a novel orf in the genome of S. pseudintermedius isolated from canine impetigo, whose deduced amino acid sequence was homologous to that of the SHETB exfoliative toxin from Staphylococcus hyicus (70.4%). The ORF recombinant protein caused skin exfoliation and abolished cell surface staining of Dsg1 in canine skin. Moreover, the ORF protein degraded the recombinant extracellular domains of canine Dsg1, but not Dsg3, in vitro. PCR analysis revealed that the orf was present in 23.2% (23/99) of S. pseudintermedius isolates from dogs with superficial pyoderma exhibiting various clinical phenotypes, while the occurrence in S. pseudintermedius isolates from healthy dogs was 6.1% (3/49). In summary, this newly found orf in S. pseudintermedius encodes a novel exfoliative toxin, which targets a cell-cell adhesion molecule in canine epidermis and might be involved in a broad spectrum of canine pyoderma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20875053/