Infection with the gastrointestinal nematode Ostertagia ostertagi in cattle affects mucus biosynthesis in the abomasum

Abstract

The mucus layer in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is considered to be the first line of defense to the external environment. Alteration in mucus components has been reported to occur during intestinal nematode infection in ruminants, but the role of mucus in response to abomasal parasites remains largely unclear. The aim of the current study was to analyze the effects of an Ostertagia ostertagi infection on the abomasal mucus biosynthesis in cattle. Increased gene expression of MUC1, MUC6 and MUC20 was observed, while MUC5AC did not change during infection. Qualitative changes of mucins, related to sugar composition, were also observed. AB-PAS and HID-AB stainings highlighted a decrease in neutral and an increase in acidic mucins, throughout the infection. Several genes involved in mucin core structure synthesis, branching and oligomerization, such as GCNT3, GCNT4, A4GNT and protein disulphide isomerases were found to be upregulated. Increase in mucin fucosylation was observed using the lectin UEA-I and through the evaluation of fucosyltransferases gene expression levels. Finally, transcription levels of 2 trefoil factors, TFF1 and TFF3, which are co-expressed with mucins in the GI tract, were also found to be significantly upregulated in infected animals. Although the alterations in mucus biosynthesis started early during infection, the biggest effects were found when adult worms were present on the surface of the abomasal mucosa and are likely caused by the alterations in mucosal cell populations, characterized by hyperplasia of mucus secreting cells.

Construction of a Natural Mucin Microarray and Interrogation for Biologically Relevant Glyco-Epitopes

“…Strong binding of the mucus to WGA was also reported. 44 As WGA binds to GlcNAc and sialic acid residues, this agreed with the GS-II and MAA binding observed here, which suggested that both residues were present in bovine abomasum mucin.…”

“…Mucus from bovine abomasum was reported to bind strongly to the GalNAc-binding lectins, RCA120, DBA, and SBA, 44 which correlated with the binding observed in this study between WFA and SBA and bovine abomasum mucin (sample M57, Figure 3). Strong binding of the mucus to WGA was also reported.…”

“…Weak binding of the mucus to UEA-I and PNA was also reported, 44 as was observed with the mucin microarray.…”

“…While there have been a number of lectin histochemical studies of regions of the GI tract in the ruminant species presented here, [42][43][44] there have been few reports characterising the glycosylation of isolated mucus or mucins. Mucus from bovine abomasum was reported to bind strongly to the GalNAc-binding lectins, RCA120, DBA, and SBA, 44 which correlated with the binding observed in this study between WFA and SBA and bovine abomasum mucin (sample M57, Figure 3).…”

Anthelmintics against Ascariasis in Calves Inducing Hematological Parameters and Live Weight Indices at Sylhet Dairy Farm, Bangladesh

“…The cattle farming are facing various constraints in Bangladesh and parasitic diseases are the most common among the problems and causes great economic loss to dairy industry by way of retarded growth and low productivity 8,9,10,11 throughout the world due to impacts on economy also 12 and market value of the living animals 13 with a high rate of anthelmintic resistance prevalence 14,15 and increased susceptibility of animals to other infections 16 . The infection causes productivity losses through reduced feed intake and decreased efficiency in feed utilization due to subclinical or chronic infections that are responsible for economic losses 17 . The cattle kept at high level of nutrition and in better management yet declined in their health and productivity, due to their regular infestation with gastrointestinal parasites.…”