• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2011

Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is a pathogen of a variety of infections in horse. We studied biochemical and molecular characteristics of S. zooepidemicus isolated from the genital tract of Thoroughbred mares in Korea. Seventy-nine isolates were identified as S. zooepidemicus by biochemical and PCR method from 374 horses. The biochemical characteristics of S. zooepidemicus isolates were positive reaction of lactose and sorbitol. However, S. zooepidemicus isoltes were negative reaction of inulin, mannitol, raffinose, trehalose, aesculin hydrolysis, growth in 6.5% NaCl and variable reaction of maltose. Epidemiological investigations of S. zooepidemicus isolates were performed by fragment analysis of SzP (S. zooepidemicus protective protein) gene, CNE (collagen binding protein) gene and ISR (16s rRNA intergenic spacer region) gene using ABI Prism $3,130{\times}1$ Genetic Analyzer System. All isolates were shown single amplification size of 906 bp in CNE gene, but SzP and ISR gene were shown variable patterns of fragment size. The characteristics of S. zooepidemicus investigated in this study will be very useful for the prevention of infection and the studies of epidemiologic characteristics of S. zooepidemicus, causing the severe economic losses due to reproductive failures.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 2014

In November 2012, a 4-month-old foal with anorexia, neurologic signs with ataxia and death was submitted for necropsy to the diagnostic laboratory of Jeju Self-Governing Provincial Veterinary Research Institute. Grossly, yellowish-white fibrinous materials were seen on the ventral cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla oblongata and cervical spinal cord of the foal. Histologically, severe fibrino-purulent meningitis characterized by the infiltration of neutrophils and fibrionous exudates with bacterial colonies were presented in cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem and cervical spinal cord. In the bacterial isolation using meningeal exudate, the small white colonies on blood agar plate with ${\beta}$-hemolysis were observed. Isolated bacteria were Gram-positive cocci and confirmed as Streptococcus (S.) equi subsp. zooepidemicus by VITEK 2 system. Based on the histopathological features and the bacterial test, this case was diagnosed as meningitis associated with S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus infection in a foal. In our best knowledge, this is the first report for fibrino-purulent meningitis caused by S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus infection in Jeju.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.409-415
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• 2007

An eight years old female barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia), which bred at the Gwangju Uchi Park Zoo had shown anorexia, depression, respiratory problem for several weeks after parturition. In necropsy, extensive necrotizing pneumonia was found with severe immunocytes infiltration in the alveolar spaces and bronchioles. Pulmonary pleura were thickened with fibrin and inflammatory cells. Bacteria were isolated from lung and identified as Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) by biochemical tests and PCR on sodA and gusA genes, though seel gene was not detected. Isolation of zoonotic SEZ in public place such as a zoo should be emphasized for the public health mangagement.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.187-190
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• 2011

The Thoroughbred horse was an approximately 4-years-old castrated male with highly emaciation, nasal epistaxis and subsequently died. Gross necropsy revealed epistaxis and hyperemia on the lung, multiple hemorrhage in muscle, and liver was focally attached to the peritoneum with fibrin. According to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Equine herpes virus type 1 and 4 (EHV type 1, 4) was detected in the lung and trachea. In bacterial culture from kidney, liver, spleen, muscle and blood, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was isolated. Based on the gross lesion and PCR, this horse was diagnosed as EHV type 1, 4 and S. zooepidemicus coinfection.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.315-319
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• 2007

Fibrinopurulent peritonitis and abdominal abscesses associated with Streptococcus (S.) equi subsp. zooepidemicus is reported in a 1-year-old female thoroughbred horse. The horse died after showing 5-day history of the cold, severe abdominal distention, abdominal breathing, hyperthermia, anorexia, and loss of intestinal sound. At necropsy, several liters of turbid yellowish green fluid were seen in the abdominal cavity. Yellowish creamy and fibrinous or bloody materials were presented on the serosa of various abdominal organs that were intensively adhered with each other. Spleen and mesenteric lymph node were remarkably enlarged. Affected lobes of the lung showed severe congestion, hemorrhage and doughy consistency. Histologically, the lung showed hemorrhagic pneumonia with diffuse congestion and edema. Severe diffuse fibrinopurulent peritonitis with Gram-positive bacterial cocci and adjacent fibrosis were showed in the serosa of various abdominal organs such as liver, spleen, stomach, and intestine. And multifocal abscess pouches were presented in the granulation tissue of abdominal viscera. S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus was isolated from the peritoneal swab, abdominal organs, and lung. Hematogenous dissemination of bacteria from hemorrhagic pneumonia is proposed as the route of infection in this case.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.579-585
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• 2013

Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (Streptococcus zooepidemicus, SEZ) is an important pathogen associated with opportunistic infections of a wide range of species, including pigs and humans. The absence of a suitable vaccine makes it difficult to control SEZ infection. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) has been previously identified as an immunogenic protein using immunoproteomic techniques. In the present study, we confirmed that the sequence of GAPDH was highly conserved with other Streptococcus spp. The purified recombinant GAPDH could elicit a significant humoral antibody response in mice and confer significant protection against challenge with a lethal dose of SEZ. GAPDH could adhere to the Hep-2 cells, confirmed by flow cytometry, and inhibit adherence of SEZ to Hep-2 cells in an adherence inhibition assay. In addition, real-time PCR demonstrated that GAPDH was induced in vivo following infection of mice with SEZ. These suggest that GAPDH could play an important role in the pathogenesis of SEZ infection and could be a target for vaccination against SEZ.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.649-654
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• 2010

A total of 68 samples were collected including vaginal mucosa (n=66) from Jangsu stud farm, an equine aborted fetus (n=1), and uterine contents (n=1) from Jeju island. Seventeen Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) strains isolated from horses in Korea were identified as S. zooepidemicus by biochemical tests and sodA.seeI specific multiplex PCR. All isolated strains were divided into 4 clusters: group 1 (No. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15), group 2 (No. 4, 9), group 3 (No. 10, 16, 17), and group 4 (No. 1, 8) by RAPD typing. In group 3, No. 10 isolate that was isolated from vaginal mucosa was indistinguishable from No. 16 and 17 isolates, which were isolated from the equine uterine contents and the equine aborted fetus, respectively. The results of this study suggest that a limited epidemiological relationship exists between the strains from Jangsu (No. 10) and Jeju (No. 16 and No. 17). All isolates showed a high susceptibility to ampicillin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur, cephalothin, florofenicol, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, oxacillin, penicillin, tiamulin, tylosin and vancomycin in antimicrobial susceptibility tests. These results may provide the basic information needed to establish strategies for the treatment and prevention of reproductive diseases in mares in Korea.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 1992

An optimal composition of medium for hyaluronic acid production and some characteristics of its from Streptococcus zooepidemicus were investigated. The hyaluronic acid from S. zooepidemicus was reached maximum level in the BY-medium containing 0.1% beef extract, 0.1% yeast extract, 3.0% glucose, 2.0% peptone, 0.1% NaCl and $0.5%CaCO_3$ (pH 7.5) at $37^{\circ}C$ for 36 hours with shaking. Addition of $CaCO_3$ to the medium was necessary to neulralize the lowered pH which was resulted from hyaluronic acid production. Molecular weights of extracelluar and cellular hyaluronic acid produced by the strain were $1-1.4{\times }10^6$ and $5{\times}10^6$, respectively. The amount of extracellular hyaluronic acid was 91.9% of total hyaluronic acid produced and the vest was all intracellular.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1849-1855
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• 2006

It has been shown that the initial conditions of bacterial cultivation are extremely important for the successful production of hyaluronic acid (HA) by fermentation. We investigated several parameters that affect cell growth rate and the productivity and molecular weight of hyaluronic acid--i.e., agitation speed, aeration rate, culture temperature, pH, and pressure--to determine how to optimize the production of HA by Streptococcus zooepidemicus on an industrial scale. Using a 30-1 jar fermentor under laboratory conditions, we achieved maximum HA productivity and biomass when the agitation speed and aeration rate were increased simultaneously. By shifting the temperature downward from 35$^{\circ}C$ to 32$^{\circ}C$ at key levels of cell growth during the fermentation process, we were able to obtain HA with a molecular weight of $2.8{\times}10^6$ at a productivity of 5.3 g/l. Moreover, we reproduced these optimized conditions successfully in three 30-1 jar fermentors. By reproducing these conditions in a 3-$m^3$ fermentor, we were able to produce HA with a molecular weight of $2.9{\times}10^6$ at a productivity of 5.4 g/l under large-scale conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.299-306
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• 2009

Dissolved oxygen (DO) has a significant effect on the molecular weight of hyaluronic acid (HA) during the fermentation of Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Therefore, to further investigate the effect of DO on the yield and molecular weight of HA, this study compared the metabolic flux distribution of S. zooepidemicus under aerobic conditions at various DO levels. The metabolic flux analysis demonstrated that the HA synthesis pathway, considered a dependent network, was little affected by the DO level. In contrast, the fluxes of lactate and acetate were greatly influenced, and more ATP was generated concomitant with acetate at a high DO level. Furthermore, the has gene expression and HA synthase activity were both repressed under anaerobic conditions, yet not obviously affected under aerobic conditions at various DO levels. Therefore, it was concluded that the HA molecular weight would seem to depend on the concomitant effect of the generation of ATP and reactive oxygen species. It is expected that this work will contribute to a better understanding of the effect of the DO level on the mechanism of the elongation of HA chains.