Browsing by Author "Kutu, Vuyokazi"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Biochemical and genetic characterization of bacteria isolated from diseased rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farmed in Lesotho and Mpumalanga province of South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Kutu, Vuyokazi; Bellstedt, D. U.; Macey, B. M.; Mouton, A.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Biochemistry.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rainbow trout farms in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa and Lesotho, have periodically suffered significant losses from infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Such outbreaks have hampered the development of this industry in both South Africa and Lesotho. A total of 55 bacterial strains had been isolated between 2006-2012 from infected trout farmed in Lesotho and Mpumalanga Province and had been stored for long term by freeze drying. Some isolate identification had been performed and a few were used for vaccine development. Vaccines were however only effective for one or two seasons, highlighting the need to properly characterize these Gram-positive bacteria. The aims of the study were therefore to: (i) investigate the genetic diversity of these bacterial isolates by their phenotype; antimicrobial susceptibility and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, (ii) investigate the different antigenic epitopes that exist within this group of bacterial isolates by development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) utilizing six rabbit produced polyclonal antibodies, produced against six selected bacterial isolates from the 55 isolates investigated in this study. Phenotypic analysis showed that fifty of the isolates were Gram-positive cocci and five were Gram-positive rods. Their growth characterists and antimicrobial susceptibility were extensively characterized. The 16S rRNA analysis indicated the following isolate composition: 49 Lactococcus garvieae, one Lactococcus lactis, three Carnobacterium maltaromaticum and two Weissella species, which is the first report of Weissella from diseased trout from South Africa. Antigenicity analysis showed that there were highly specific epitopes that were limited to very few isolates, but also common epitopes that were shared between isolates of the same genus, but even some epitopes that were shared between different bacterial genera. The patterns of epitope sharing broadly correlated with the 16S rRNA phylogeny, but not entirely which was not unexpected as phylogeny does not indicate the presence or absence of bacterial epitopes. These results address the importance and accuracy of molecular identification of disease causing species and the need to investigate the antigenic differences expressed by these pathogenic bacteria to assist in generating correct information needed for the development of vaccines of high efficacy.