The very potent antibacterial activity of cecropin B makes it a likely candidate to prevent and/or treat Mannheimia haemolytica 1:A infection in the upper respiratory tract (URT) of cattle. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the URT could be transfected with a gene coding for the antimicrobial peptide cecropin B. By transfecting cattle with a gene coding for cecropin B, this study attempted to inhibit colonization of a virulent strain of M. haemolytica 1:A in the URT while investigating any possible changes in the indigenous and transient nasal flora.
In this study the antibacterial efficacy of cecropin B for a virulent strain of M. haemolytica 1:A was determined. In vitro results showed that cecropin B was very effective in inhibiting this virulent strain of M. haemolytica 1:A within 20 minutes of incubation at 37°C. No inhibition of its activity was observed by incubating cecropin B in pooled bovine nasal secretions.
The nasal passages of calves were aerosolized with different amounts of plasmid DNA containing a gene coding for cecropin B. Results of this study show that calves transfected with 50 or 100 μg of plasmid DNA per nostril were able to express cecropin B at the mRNA and peptide level. Detection of the cecropin B gene in control calves may indicate the possibility of native bovine cecropin.
After challenge with a virulent strain of M. haemolytica 1:A, all calves were stressed by transportation in a crowded trailer 100 miles for 3 hours. Seven out of the 8 control calves yielded detectible levels of M. haemolytica 1:A in nasal aspirates throughout the weeks following challenge. All 4 calves given 25 μg of plasmid DNA per nostril and two of the 4 calves given 50 μg of plasmid DNA per nostril yielded detectible levels of M. haemolytica 1:A in nasal aspirates following challenge. However, M. haemolytica 1:A was not detected in any calf given 100 μg of plasmid DNA per nostril. There appeared to be no change in the normal bacterial nasal flora.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-07012004-101913 |
| Date | 02 July 2004 |
| Creators | Boudreaux, Charles Mitchell |
| Contributors | Marjorie Gill, Richard Cooper, Frederick Enright, Richard Corstvet |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-07012004-101913/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached herein a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below and in appropriate University policies, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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