Molecular Monitoring of the Main Changes in Bacterial Floral Diversity in the Gastrointestinal Tract of a Thoroughbred Foal with Catarrhal Enteritis by Using PCR-DGGE

Morita, Hidetoshi; Nakajima, Fumihiko; Murakami, Masaru; Endo, Akihito; Suzuki, Takehito; Shiratori, Chiharu; Kato, Yukio; Okatani, Alexandre T.; Akita, Hiroaki; Masaoka, Toshio

doi:10.1016/j.jevs.2006.11.011

« Previous Next »Journal of Equine Veterinary Science
Volume 27, Issue 1 , Pages 14-19, January 2007

Molecular Monitoring of the Main Changes in Bacterial Floral Diversity in the Gastrointestinal Tract of a Thoroughbred Foal with Catarrhal Enteritis by Using PCR-DGGE

Hidetoshi Morita, PhD
- From the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
- Reprint requests: Hidetoshi Morita, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8501, Japan.
Fumihiko Nakajima, DVM
- Northern Farm, Hokkaido, Japan
Masaru Murakami, DVM, PhD
- From the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
Akihito Endo, PhD
- NODAI Culture Collection Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
Takehito Suzuki, DVM, PhD
- From the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
Chiharu Shiratori (bachelor)
- From the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
Yukio Kato, DVM, PhD
- From the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
Alexandre T. Okatani, DVM, PhD
- From the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
Hiroaki Akita, DVM, PhD
- Northern Farm, Hokkaido, Japan
Toshio Masaoka, DVM, PhD
- From the School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan

Abstract

In this study, the main changes in bacterial floral diversity in the gastrointestinal tract of a Thoroughbred foal were monitored by using polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The foal died of catarrhal enteritis of the cecum and large colon. Diarrheal feces and gastrointestinal contents were compared with normal feces. The closest relatives of the bacterium in the samples were Lactobacillus johnsonii (100% similarity), uncultured Bacteroides sp. (92.5% similarity), Bacteroides fragilis (96.3% similarity), and Enterococcus faecium/Enterococcus durans (100% similarity); these were detected by PCR-DGGE using a universal primer set. Monitoring revealed that the numbers of Escherichia coli/Shigella sonnei (97.9% similarity) were significantly higher in the diarrheal feces. Thus, PCR-DGGE is a useful tool for monitoring the main changes in bacterial floral diversity occurring in the gastrointestinal tracts of Thoroughbreds.

Keywords: Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), Thoroughbred foal, Gastrointestinal tract