New discovery could aid development of elusive bovine mastitis vaccine

Researchers have discovered components of the bovine mastitis-causing bacterium,
Streptococcus uberis that play a key role in the disease. This discovery could
lead the way to finally developing a vaccine for this endemic disease, which
costs UK farmers alone nearly 200M per year, requires the large scale use of
antibiotics, causes pain to cows and dramatically reduces milk yield. A solution
to this problem will be an important contribution to the future security of our
food supply in the UK. The research is due to be published in Veterinary
Research.

BBSRC-funded researcher Professor James Leigh and his team from The University
of Nottingham, along with colleagues at the Institute for Animal Health and the
University of Oxford, have discovered that Streptococcus uberis – a major cause
of bovine mastitis – uses the enzyme SrtA to anchor at its surface the proteins
required for it to cause disease. They have also identified the individual
anchored proteins that are required for the bacterium to withstand the responses
within the udder that are trying to eliminate it.

Professor Leigh said: “What’s really exciting about this is that we’ve
discovered elements of one of the main culprits in bovine mastitis that could
actually lead to a vaccine in the future.

“By identifying which components of the bacteria play a role in causing the
disease, we can see exactly where to hit it with a vaccine to stop it ever
becoming a problem.”

At present bovine mastitis requires the large scale use of antibiotics to treat
the disease and we know that this may lead to problems of antibiotic resistance
down the line. Unfortunately, apart from good husbandry, there is little that
can be done to prevent the disease at present.

The team is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC) under a scheme that aims to find sustainable ways to reduce the impact
of endemic diseases of farm animals on the economy of UK farming industry and
the welfare of animals that are kept for meat, eggs and dairy products. This is
the BBSRC Combating Endemic Diseases of Farmed Animals for Sustainability
(CEDFAS) initiative.

Professor Douglas Kell, BBSRC Chief Executive said: “To feed a growing global
population we need to increase food production by 70% by 2050. We have to do
this in a sustainable and ethical way and ensure that the UK farming industry
remains strong. Endemic diseases of farm animals are extremely costly and cause
significant welfare issues. This development is a welcome step towards
preventing the suffering and losses associated with bovine mastitis.”

This research is due to be published in the September-October edition of
Veterinary Research in an article entitled “Sortase anchored proteins of
Streptococcus uberis play major roles in the pathogenesis of bovine mastitis in
dairy cattle”. An open access copy of the accepted manuscript is available here:
http://www.vetres.org/articles/vetres/pdf/2010/05/v100007.pdf

BBSRC

BBSRC is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by
Government, BBSRC annually invests around 470 million in a wide range of
research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life in the UK
and beyond and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders, including
the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

BBSRC provides institute strategic research grants to the following:

The Babraham Institute, Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Biological,
Environmental and Rural Studies (Aberystwyth University), Institute of Food
Research, John Innes Centre, The Genome Analysis Centre, The Roslin Institute
(University of Edinburgh) and Rothamsted Research. The Institutes conduct long-
term, mission-oriented research using specialist facilities. They have strong
interactions with industry, Government departments and other end-users of their
research.